Review: Spirit City: Cozy Kitchen DLC has been baked up and released for Spirit City: Lofi Sessions

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions has a new expansion out now that’s called Spirit City: Cozy Kitchen DLC. If you’re unfamiliar with Spirit City: Lofi Sessions, it’s an adorable idle game where you can relax, collect spirits, and decorate your space as well as your avatar to be exactly as you like.

In the base game (as well as the DLC), your spirits aren’t just readily selectable, however. You’ll have to lure them out of hiding in order to be able to hang out with them. Each spirit has a specific combination that will lure them out. By checking your Spiritdex, you’ll get hints on how to entice spirits out of hiding.

These hints will correlate to things you can adjust in the game. You can select a specific time of day, particular sounds, and activities for your avatar to do. Once you’ve matched the conditions for a spirit, you’ll hear a small sound and see a swirling animation around your Spiritdex. Then, it’s just a matter of waiting until your new pal shows up.

While you wait, you can adjust how your avatar looks or is dressed and decorate your surroundings to be exactly as you want them.

Spirit City: Cozy Kitchen DLC is cooking up something new

So, what makes Cozy Kitchen DLC different? Well, honestly, there’s not much that’s different. It’s more about what’s been added. You’ll still experience the same gameplay that you did previously. Only, now you can do it in a kitchen!

This DLC adds a kitchen space to decorate, new spirits, a few new avatar items, new sounds, and new activities. The only thing that has really changed about luring spirits is that sometimes you need a specific spirit hanging out with you.

The spirits in the Cozy Kitchen DLC are interesting because you have 3 brand-new species, but most of the spirits are variants of ones you’ve already caught in the main game. For instance, you have a teapot spirit, Kettlebrew, in the base game. In the Cozy Kitchen DLC, that teapot has a variant spirit in the form of a stovetop pot, Simmerstew. In order to lure it out, you have to have Kettlebrew chosen as your companion.

This is where one of my biggest qualms comes in. Since the teapot and the stove pot are from the same line, Simmerstew doesn’t show up as its own entry when you go to equip companions. It’s hidden at the bottom of the Kettlebrew listing. That’s the same for the other spirits that are variants.

This means that, visually, when you go to equip a spirit, you can’t see all the spirit variants and that makes it extremely easy to forget they exist. I wish they were their own entry or had an easy way to see them. There are a lot of cute spirits that just seem to be forgotten if you’re not specifically seeking it out. 

Spirit-o, Spirit-o, wherefore art though, Spirit-o?

In the menu where you choose your companions, the three completely new spirits have a band across the upper part to denote it’s from the Cozy Kitchen DLC. It might be as simple as putting that same band on the original spirits with Cozy Kitchen variants to remind you that there are more options than the ones shown in the main image.

When it comes to decoration, there are a few new objects to choose from, but most of the decor is just the same as what you could decorate your room with. There are some new objects, new wallpapers, and such. But, the biggest difference comes from the new appliances you can choose between and the fact that you can choose different colors for things.

Honestly, adding in the ability to shift the coloring means that you have more freedom to make the color scheme you want. I’ve been on a phthalo green kick lately, so I enjoyed doing this almost witchy, dark academia kitchen space.

In terms of avatar options, it’s really just aprons and chef hats. My husband loves Spirit City as much as I do and he expressed that he wished there had been more avatar items in this DLC. What I noticed most about those items is that you seem to be able to shift the color on them as well. So, it seems like more customization is to be expected in future DLC packs. It makes me wonder if this coloring system will be added retroactively to decor and wardrobe items. 

Personally, I hope so. I feel like it gives so much more ability to tailor-make your space. There are a lot of avatar items that I love that just don’t mix well because of varying shades. So, a way to change up colors would be immensely useful.

Giving me the power to choose exact shading was probably a mistake…

Lastly, it’s just the activities and sounds. You can do a few different activities from washing dishes to cooking. The sounds match by introducing sizzling sounds and chopping sounds for veggie prep.

While I don’t think it’s a DLC that you’ll need to enjoy Spirit City, it definitely livens up the game, especially if you’ve got the base game to your liking. I think the spirits that were introduced are exceptionally charming and I adore them even more than the base game spirits. 

I don’t know what it is about food-based things that just elevate everything to a level that gives me cute aggression.

Whether you love Spirit City or enjoy kitchen-based things, you can get the Cozy Kitchen DLC for $7.99 and the base game, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions for $11.99. We did a review on the base game if you’re interested in checking it out.