The title screen transition is really cool, having the world zoom in behind it. The whole loop is pretty addictive. Going down to gather ingredients, playing the little sliding mini-game to collect them, and then returning to cook for the characters works really well. And trying to raise the start meter as an overall goal gives it that extra push to keep going. Especially since the start is tied to unlocking different ground areas.
Mr. Mouse absolutely killed me. The "maybe... he don't believe in you all that much" dialogue made me laugh out loud. The characters in general are super interesting, and I love how they all have distinct personalities, and even the way their names are displayed is a reflection of that. I found myself wanting to progress just to get more dialogue and backstory.
I also like how each character has their own color palette and preferences, and figuring out the right ingredients to match them is satisfying. The music shifts are great too, and the SFX work well. Especially when time's running low on the ground level, things get a bit surreal.
Everything fits well together in this game; it's very stylish and weird in all the right ways.