Delicious in Dungeon Is Tabletop Gaming at Its Peak

Warning: The following article about Delicious in Dungeon contains spoilers.

I’ve made it no secret on this site that I love anime and tabletop gaming. And when you combine the two, it’s a match made in heaven.

Recently, Netflix released Delicious in Dungeon, an anime about a group of adventurers looking to save one of their lost friends. After an early mishap, they meet Senshi. This surprisingly delightful dwarf is a forager within the dungeon and sees the party of Tall-man Laios, elf Marcille, and half-foot Chilcuck in need of some schooling in fine the art of survival within the dungeon. To do so, they find less than traditional cuisine, all in the unique shapes and sizes of the creatures within the dungeon. It’s sweet, at times warm and soothing, but most of all, it’s the kind of story that I believe resonates with tabletop gamers.

Delicious in Dungeon Takes Things Off Menu

Within Delicious in Dungeon, there is a compelling team dynamic – one that I would aspire to with my own RPG group. In each episode, there is so much to gorge on. This series capitalizes on the off-kilter themes that make RPG games so enjoyable: becoming a family.

In games, what makes the game isn’t the story itself – it’s the stories you build with your team, and Delicious in Dungeon understands this. Each episode gives us a tasting, with Senshi helping the band understand the beautiful and bizarre ecosystem of the dungeon they are in. Each episode’s encounter with a fantastical creature centers around a theme that further brings the group together. After all, the easiest way to get to someone’s heart is through their stomach.

A particular highlight for me involves the Treasure Insects, which are exceptionally intelligent. They prey on mimics, eat them from the inside out, and then hide in the shell of the mimic corpse to trick unsuspecting adventurers. What our savvy chef Senshi does with the help of his culinary apprentice, Laios, is craft a stunning set of courses to devour. This includes the delectable Naturally Delicious Treasure Insect Snacks, which look surprisingly delicious.

Related: Is Avatar: The Last Airbender an Anime?

Trading Stories Around the Campfire

With each meal turning into a journey, the characters within Delicious in Dungeon learn to grow. The most obvious is Marcille. She is petrified of the unknown, and until her literal life is on the line, she is terrified at the mere idea of eating food made from mimics, kelpies, and (my personal favorite) ghosts. However, as the series goes on, she learns to be more adventurous, and it’s a compelling narrative. Then there is Laios, who seems to come out of his shell when Senshi offers him the chance to explore his bizarre culinary tastes.

And with each campfire moment within Delicious in Dungeon, I am reminded of the quiet moments within my own sessions. When the fate of the world is the last thing on your mind, you can have so much fun with your friends. I recently was in a bar with my party, and we had just disbanded a group of thugs. We sat down, and our GM explained that there was a drinking competition, so three of us decided to participate, with our allies buffing us with magic. I bowed out quickly as my diminutive gnome couldn’t chug three pints of ale fast enough. After my other ally fell down, our final party member won the competition, and we all cheered in unison. It’s the type of bonding moment that builds on the character dynamic within the framework of the game.

I couldn’t help thinking of Marcille and Chilchuck and their faces aghast as they first ate those scorpion and mushroom hot pots back when they first tasted Senshi’s unique dishes.

It’s these kind of moments of revelry and weirdness that makes gaming sessions. Many gamers remember the big moments, the epic battles, and the villains conquered. For me, though, it’s the moments when we do something that is bizarre and throws our GM for a loop, reminding us all of the brilliance of gaming.

Delicious in Dungeon is available to stream on Netflix.