The Delicious: Emily series is a set of time-management games developed by GameHouse for mobile and PC. Following the titular Emily, you take control of the chef as she takes on the trials and tribulations of life.
Each game focuses on one specific event or period of Emily’s life. Despite the gameplay generally being the same from game to game, it’s the story that keeps fans of the franchise invested and coming back for more. At this point, people are invested in the character of Emily, and want to see what comes her way next.
Delicious (2006)
©Screenshot from Delicious.
As the very first game in the series, Delicious establishes all of the mechanics that the series would become known for. In the game, you play as Emily as she attempts to establish her reputation as one of the best chefs in the world. You make plenty of dishes for hungry, demanding customers, so you’ve got to manage your time efficiently to keep everyone happy.
There are seven restaurants in Delicious that you can manage, each with its own difficulty and aesthetic. This makes playing the game a unique experience, even when the gameplay seems to be repetitive.
Despite being almost 20 years old, the gameplay of modern Delicious games still retains much from the original. It’s impressive that these foundations were so solid right from the beginning.
Delicious 2 (2007)
Delicious 2 takes a more story-centric approach to the original, which would later be followed by the majority of the games in the series. This time, Emily is working to help her Uncle Antonio out of a tight financial spot by working in his restaurants.
Gameplay here is faster-paced than in the original, so you need to be attentive to your customer’s needs to keep them all happy. With two new game modes, Antonio’s Restaurants and The Happy Customer, Delicious 2 is a worthy sequel to the original.
Delicious: Emily’s Tea Garden (2008)
Having rescued her family finances in the previous game, Emily has made plans to open her very own tea garden. To do so, she needs money. It’s your job to help her work in a variety of restaurants such as a BBQ Grill, a Beach Club, and a Fine Restaurant to help her achieve her dream.
Each new restaurant type comes with its own unique demands, with a variety of customers making it difficult to please everyone. You can decorate each restaurant to help with this success, ultimately working to help Emily achieve her dream.
Delicious: Emily’s Taste of Fame (2009)
Emily goes Hollywood! In Delicious: Emily’s Taste of Fame, Emily begins her journey to stardom after she is given her own TV show. While on her way to the big city, Emily’s car breaks down in Snuggford, with no money to fix it. You must help her work in restaurants to get the cash together to finally make it to Hollywood.
The people of Snuggford are a demanding bunch, so it won’t be easy for Emily. The series’ typical fast-paced gameplay keeps you on your toes, as you attempt to get the funds together to get back on the road. Whether Emily makes it to the big time is entirely down to your actions.
Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season (2009)
Romance is in the air! When Emily and her family take a Christmas trip to a lodge, the owner quickly recognizes her culinary skills. She’s hired to run the kitchen while on holiday, which is more than she bargained for. Meanwhile, two men fight for her romantic attention, leaving her spoiled for choice.
There’s a lot more than just cooking here. You’re balancing her new duties at the kitchen, while having to choose between the two men after her attention. You can even take part in a variety of different Christmas activities, so it’s the perfect game for getting into the holiday spirit!
Delicious: Emily’s Big Surprise (2010)
Delicious: Emily’s Big Surprise is a mini-game separate from the main series. While Emily has a huge surprise for Patrick, he begins to plan his own for her! In this game, you help Patrick plan a surprise that will really wow Emily!
Despite being a mini-game, there are still some elements of the cooking from the mainline games. However, it takes a backseat to the surprise planning here.
Delicious: Emily’s Childhood Memories (2011)
When Emily’s parents decide to move out of her childhood farm, she heads back home for one final trip down memory lane. You get to go through Emily’s life, reliving the memories that shaped her into the person she is today.
The game touches on the theme of nostalgia, something the series doesn’t generally explore. You meet Emily’s childhood friends, reliving the most important memories of her youth. Of course, being a chef defines Emily, so much of the game revolves around her learning to cook in multiple eras of her life.
Delicious: Emily’s True Love (2011)
At the start of Delicious: Emily’s True Love, business is booming. Her love life – not so much. After Emily receives a mysterious rose, she discovers a love letter from years gone by which sends her on a worldwide adventure for true love.
Her journey takes her all the way to Paris, where you must help her manage her time between helping customers and discovering the truth about her potential lover. With tons of fun interactions with interesting new friends across the world, Delicious: Emily’s True Love is a great addition to the ongoing lore for megafans of the series.
Delicious: Emily’s Wonder Wedding (2012)
Following the discovery of her true love, Delicious: Emily’s Wonder Wedding tells the story of, you guessed it, Emily’s wedding! The big day is on the way, but there’s so much to sort out beforehand, and the arrival of Patrick’s mom doesn’t help matters.
The sheer volume of things to do threatens everything. It’s up to you to ensure Emily manages everything perfectly, making everything run as smoothly as possible. With plenty of levels to complete as the wedding approaches, the fate of Emily and Patrick’s big day is in your hands.
Delicious: Emily’s Honeymoon Cruise (2013)
After marrying the love of her life, Emily sets sail for her honeymoon alongside her husband Patrick. When he tells her he’s ready to start a family, she’s not quite sure, so it’s not the start to married life she had imagined. Workaholic Emily also doesn’t know how to relax, making matters ten times worse.
Your job in Delicious: Emily’s Honeymoon Cruise is to make sure Emily and Patrick get their honeymoon of dreams. It’s the same time management gameplay the series is known for, just in a wildly different setting.
Delicious: Emily’s New Beginning (2014)
In Delicious: Emily’s New Beginning, Emily has a new addition to the family. With a young child to take care of, she’s getting used to the challenge of working alongside her new responsibility. You play the role of ensuring she manages her new life as best as possible, with the reopening of Emily’s Place.
The only new gameplay addition in this iteration is the addition of baby photos which you can collect throughout the game. Besides this, it generally plays exactly like previous Delicious games.
Delicious: Emily’s Home Sweet Home (2015)
In Delicious: Emily’s Home Sweet Home, you take part in one of the biggest steps in Emily’s life. Having bought a home, their move doesn’t quite go to plan after a frosty reception from the neighbors. The house isn’t quite ready yet, and it’s your job to help Emily and her young family make it a home.
Of course, cooking remains a key part of the gameplay. This time, rather than cooking in a diner, you’re cooking for your neighbors to create a real spirit in the community. With 90 levels to complete, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy for a while in Delicious: Emily’s Home Sweet Home.
Delicious: Emily’s Hopes and Fears (2015)
The stakes have never been higher than in Delicious: Emily’s Hopes and Fears. With Emily’s daughter Paige fighting for her life amidst a mystery illness, Patrick heads out on an adventure to find a magical flower to seems to be the only cure to her ailment.
For the first time, Patrick takes center stage here. It’s a change of pace, as Emily stays back to care for Paige. Despite the different protagonist, the core gameplay remains the same. Patrick learns to cook during his adventure, even if it’s not quite to the standard of chef Emily. He meets new friends along the way who help him save his daughter.
Delicious: Emily’s Message in a Bottle (2016)
When Emily finds a message in a bottle from her three-year-old self, she begins an adventure to Italy, where she must master an entirely new cuisine. Even for a master chef like herself, it’s a challenge you must help her overcome.
Managing a restaurant in a new country isn’t easy, so you’ll have to complete over 90 levels where you manage Emily’s time and resources to build up the new spot. With over 200 dishes on offer, Delicious: Emily’s Message in a Bottle is a great love letter to Italian cuisine.
Delicious: Emily’s Christmas Carol (2016)
Getting into the holiday spirit, Delicious: Emily’s Christmas Carol sees Emily and her family plan a trip away for Christmas. They embark on their journey to the holiday cottage, where they really get into the Christmas groove.
With six Christmas locations to explore, and over 90 levels to complete, it’s a game that’s perfect for getting into the holiday spirit.
Delicious: Emily’s Miracle of Life (2017)
Delicious: Emily’s Miracle of Life follows perhaps the biggest event of all. Emily is pregnant, and it’s up to you to help her prepare for the next stage of her life.
In this game, there are 60 time management levels to complete, helping to guide Emily through pregnancy. She continues life as in the diner, but in between, you’ve got to take her for checkups, deal with the excitement of the rest of her family, as well as decorate the nursery in preparation for the new arrival.
Delicious: Emily’s Moms vs Dads (2017)
Now a new mom, Emily is settling into her new life, but feels Patrick isn’t doing enough at home. Having got to know all the families in her neighborhood, the age-old debate rises to the surface. Who makes the better parent: moms or dads?
Delicious: Emily’s Moms vs Dads lets you settle that debate with a series of time management challenges. You get to manage both moms and dads across the game’s four couples, finding out the differences between the parenting styles. It’s a challenge that allows Emily and Patrick to finally see what’s most important to them in life.
Delicious: Emily’s Road Trip (2019)
After Emily’s travel plans fell through, she and Patrick have made alternate arrangements. In this game, you follow her and her family as they take an all-American road trip along Route 66, getting away from it all for once.
Delicious: Emily’s Road Trip follows the standard gameplay formula of the series. You can decorate your campsite, making it really feel like home. Emily is a chef at heart, and even on the road, she can’t resist a cooking challenge when meeting new people.
Delicious World (2019)
Delicious World is a total reset of the canon. Here, Emily’s journey starts from the beginning all over again. Follow Emily as she begins her journey to become a world-famous chef, traveling worldwide as her reputation grows. From Paris to Tokyo, you can create new recipes in dozens of cafes and restaurants to stand out from the crowd.
The rest of Emily’s life continues to be a focus here. Her family from previous games is gone with the slate wiped clean. Now, you get to choose her friendships and relationships, helping her find love all over again. Despite the story being reset, you can still expect the exact same gameplay formula established across the rest of the series.
Although there hasn’t been a game in the franchise since, Delicious World provides a good base for the franchise to move forward into the future.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©GameHouse.