Diets and Deities

This is a cute little rhythm game! Generally in need of some polish, but is a fine way to spend a bit of time.
Negatives
No cloud sync!
Unskippable too-long entry sequence; after the first 5 seconds, you 'get' the core gameplay mechanic– being locked in to finish this is unnecessary, and could instead stop after a few seconds and prompt the user to set a difficulty.
On the note of difficulty, the curve feels fairly inconsistent between songs... some are much too hard, some are too easy to the point of being boring.
Inconsistent art style feels a little unfinished! Some the game is pixel art, some is vector, and all of the conversation scenes are a sort of kids' doodle style.
There's a loose cooking theme to the game, but you wouldn't really know it within the gameplay at all. The rhythm elements could (should?) be ingredients used to make each recipe, vs the same symbol throughout. The 'spikes' could also be food-related to reinforce this.
Most of the songs didn't feel as if the elements were hitting properly on the beat; not sure if it's a matter of testing on different type devices or levels not being synced properly, but this took me out of it. Further, some songs would have no further notes but take a while before the track actually ended, leaving you sitting there for a while watching the path scroll but not doing anything.
Positives
Love that you've got full artist credits, and the story & setting are cool.
Getting actual recipes out of each song was a cool twist.
Game ran very well, on both a PC and Steam Deck!

ohh the art!!!! i love the sprites so much. it's so colourful, you can really feel the passion that went into designing the characters and the environment. i'm not much of a rhythm game player, but i've been having a really great time playing this :) and the music is really diverse! it's nice to listen to new genres, compared to the usual stuff you hear in these types of games. i'm so excited to try out the recipes too!

Absolutely phenomenal, all of the art and music is amazing and the game was such a joy to play
would love to see a level editor some day

This a genuinely excellent game. Diets and Deities takes the combat system from Everhood and uses it to tell a story of culture and homogenization, with a message that radically diverse foods and music make up a wonderful world just waiting to be experienced where mass commercialization and fast food is no replacement for true, authentic culture. Bloody love it.
The game is mostly broken up by chapter selects for various songs, and it’s better for it. I was expecting a larger world to walk around in and more dialogue to be fleshing out the characters and story, and while what’s there is really great I feel like trying to drag that out would’ve been frustrating. The creators did the best thing by focusing on what makes the game shine - the musical “battles”.
It’ll take about 2 hours to get through, but it’s very easy to come back and enjoy a song again / shoot for a higher letter grade. Well worth the asking price imo, a concise package that reapects your time while giving you just the right amount of bang for your buck.

Absolute banger of a game. The gameplay is tight with multiple input choices so you can find what's right for you. The music and the graphics are synced really nicely and the tapping of the keys as you play further enhance the feeling.
Getting S-tier isn't too difficult on most songs but some will really test your reflexes if you're going for a perfect score. Not a bad game for a beginner rhythm game either (though the second song is difficult on purpose so don't let that discourage you).
The graphics, story and characters are charming and the soundtrack is an incredible work of world music which is just as good to listen to outside of the game. Bonus points because there is a recipe book included within the game!
My only criticism is that it's all over a bit too soon but that's because I was enjoying it so much. Highly recommend for music and rhythm game fans.

Fantastic Music!
Interesting and delicious looking recipes

A little short, and story is okay
But the game's difficulty is pretty much perfect for most players and you'll have a great time

I was very eager for this game following the demo and I was not disappointed. I love the creative way that music and food have been brought together in a rhythm game. The characters are intriguing & I didn't guess the storyline twist. My only gripe is I wish that the game was longer! I wish there were more levels and storylines for a global cultural experience, and at the same time it is amazing for what it is. It's obvious how much time and care was put into the visual aspects of each level, the characters design, the backgrounds, and the recipes. The cooking tips on the loading screen are neat and I wish there were more/less repeating options. I also thought I saw another review with this commentary though I can't find it now, some of the levels don't seem to sync with the keystrokes, so if you are listening to the sound to follow the beat of where you are supposed to move, you aren't always matching up with the music which can make certain aspects of levels feel disjointed and like you are stumbling through pieces. Overall you can really tell how much effort went into this game and I look forward to being able to replay the levels to reach S rank on them all!