Boukenmeshi features character designs from Takehito Harada. Harada is character designer for the Disgaea franchise, as well as Labyrinth of Refrain and The Witch and the Hundred Knights. Players will gather food and materials from the dungeon as they go, cooking new, weird, and delicious dishes to improve their stats and grow stronger.

The game will incorporate a character generation feature, and involve a party of four characters. Various jobs are available to the party. These include Swordsman, Cook (who can improve the quality and diversity of rations), and even the “Unemployed” Job, which sounds like a Dark Souls-style Deprived character.

Boukenmeshi will also involve survival-game mechanics. This will involve managing the party’s calorie and water intake. Players can cook food while in camp, but also eat ingredients while fighting in strategic battles. These confer status effects and benefits from the consumption.