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inbento

inbento

Afterburn · released Jul 29, 2021

CasualIndiePCXbox OneNintendo SwitchiOS (iPhone/iPad)

A cooking puzzle game about arranging beautiful bento lunches! Solve 120+ recipes, play with food, think inside the box and enjoy a heartwarming story in this culinary brain-teaser!

89
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence +11 since launch

launched at 78, updates lifted it to 89

anchored at patch: “inbento v2.51 (12 Nov 2024)” (1y ago)

78%
At launch
97%
Steam all-time
78%
Press
96%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)789
All-time Steam reviews97%921000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)96%911706
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.8, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 2,962 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Nov 12, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 1706 total reviews in window · weighted 143.5 up / 3.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (12)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    trust 80Mar 13, 2020

    Inbento is a joyful little game that’s wonderfully presented. It’s perhaps too challenging for young kids, however, and not varied enough for adults. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth playing, but rather, like lunch itself, that it’s best enjoyed if you and a youngster can share the time spent with it.

    read full review ↗
  • 72
    trust 70Mar 12, 2020

    With so many reasonably good puzzle titles on the Switch, and with many of them being budget-friendly to boot, it can take some effort to make a splash in the space...

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 70Feb 10, 2021

    Part of Inbento's appeal is the strong cat theme, which matched with cute puzzles to solve, makes it a good fit for the Nintendo Switch. The desire to find out what happens to the cat characters is motivation when facing a tough puzzle that seems unsolvable. The limited number of moves is not as limiting as it sounds because there is no limit to how many times the puzzle can be attempted, nor are there time limits, making it easy to dip in and out.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 65Mar 20, 2020

    Simple but by no means empty, Inbento does not feature any major thrills or breathtaking ups and downs but it definitely provides a heart-filling experience, complete with kittens and a welcoming audiovisual environment.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 61Mar 12, 2020

    inbento is a sublimely sweet and thoroughly addictive puzzler that deserves a place in any puzzle fan’s collection, even if you’re a dog person at heart. You monster.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 59May 6, 2020

    Lunchboxes are great. Mostly. One day you have a nice butty, maybe a cheesy dipping snack or a bag of crisps. The next day you crack open your box and your damn Capri Sun leaked all over the goods. inbento is a quaint puzzle game all about arranging your bento box and making sure it never disappoints. So, pay attention, keep it tidy and take your time, because no one wants a soggy lunch.

    read full review ↗
  • 78
    trust 59Sep 24, 2020

    Fun, short, and sweet. Inbento is a wonderfully chill puzzle title that deserves to shine on the Nintendo Switch.

    read full review ↗
  • 77
    trust 55Mar 18, 2020

    Inbento is a neatly packaged puzzler with enough challenge to keep you engaged and just enough charm to keep you sane.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 52May 8, 2020

    Inbento is cute, has simple mechanics, and doesn’t require tedious amounts of hours to master it. There are over one hundred levels, and it has a low price point, meaning you’ll never have to worry that you didn't get enough for your money. Plus, those cutscenes make it so worthwhile to finish a level.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 50Mar 12, 2020

    Inbento is at the end of the day a snack and not a meal - it looks great and tastes lovely, but the bite-size levels and sparse runtime will leave you feeling still hungry. I don’t doubt that you’ll probably enjoy it once you get through the overly simple opening, but it’s not a memorable or important experience. Just a tasty morsel in-between something more substantial.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 45Mar 12, 2020

    Making the perfect meal for a feline fellow may be a tricky endeavour but it's one that's impressively rewarding. Meow.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 40Mar 12, 2020

    Inbento is a nice, little and clever puzzle game that could easily steal some hours of your life if you like puzzles and cats.

    read full review ↗

Patch history