When we set out to make a game about dumplings, we knew we were stepping into something enormous.
We started with research - proper, deep research. We went through dozens of recipes from over 50 countries, explored cultural heritage organizations, official culinary institutions, and recipe archives from top chefs representing their home cuisines. From that pool, we narrowed things down to nearly 40 truly distinctive tastes from around the world.
Where possible, we sourced original, authentic recipes. Some needed a vegan adaptation. Some needed small adjustments to work within the logic of a game. But before anything made it into Foxy Dumplings, we cooked it ourselves. Because you can't fall in love with a recipe on paper alone.
That process - research, sourcing, cooking, tasting - gave us our roster.
For the base game, we chose 12 recipes. Here's why each one made the cut:
- 🥟 Pierogi (Poland) - We're Polish. This one is personal.
- 🥟 Varenyky (Ukraine) - The most beloved dumpling recipe in the world, and a way for us to show support for our neighbours. Their language is in the game too.
- 🥟 Knedles (Croatia) - Warm, sweet, soft. They bring a different energy to the roster.
- 🥟 Empanadas (Spain) - A reminder that great dumplings aren't just an Eastern European thing.
- 🥟 Khinkali (Georgia) - Unique, dramatic, unforgettable. Had to be here.
- 🥟 Gyoza (Japan) - When people think "dumplings," many think Asia first. Gyoza is the perfect door into that world.
- 🥟 Ravioli (Italy) - Italy is more than pasta and pizza. Ravioli is a dumpling, and a beautiful one.
- 🥟 Har Gow (China) - We could have built the whole game around Chinese dumplings alone. Cantonese Har Gow earned its spot.
- 🥟 Samosas (India) - Crunchy, fragrant, layered. They add textures and flavours nothing else in the roster does.
- 🥟 Gulhas (Maldives) - Not the first country you'd think of. But try them, and you'll understand why they're here.
- 🥟 Mandu (Korea) - Another country with a deep dumpling tradition. An obvious choice.
- 🥟 Cho Muang (Thailand) - We genuinely could not believe this recipe existed when we first found it. It ended up inspiring an entirely new game mechanic.
Each of these recipes brings something different - new tastes, new textures, new structures, new mechanics. They look like variations on the same idea, but each one is its own world. That's what makes dumplings so extraordinary, and that's the story we want to tell through Foxy Dumplings.
We have many more recipes waiting in the wings. But these twelve are special - to us, and to Lisa's journey.
We hope you'll fall in love with them too. 🦊