Polygon's "Random Select" column, in which a writer plays a randomly assigned indie game with no prior knowledge, this week features Beastro, a genre-blending cooking-adventure title from Timberline Studio. The reviewer, who admits to usually disliking "cozy" games, was won over by the title's unusual mix of farming sim, RPG, card-building and mini-game elements, arguing it offers enough challenge to satisfy players who normally avoid the genre.

In Beastro, players control Panko, a sous chef in the town of Palo Pori, who must run the local restaurant and supply "Caretakers" defending the town with magical "flavour powers" after a mentor disappears and dark forces threaten to invade. Each in-game day unfolds in phases: gathering ingredients by farming, foraging and fishing, then cooking meals through mini-games reminiscent of Mario Party and Dave the Diver, before using the results to battle monsters in a system likened to Slay the Spire. The reviewer highlights the game's balance of low-pressure farming with more demanding combat and cooking segments as its key strength.