Random Select<\/strong><\/em> is a new column from Polygon about under-the-radar video games. Every week, Polygon’s editors assign a writer to check out a game at random, downloading the game without knowing beforehand what it is. The catch? They have to play for at least an hour and report on their thoughts \u2014 honestly. This week’s game is the bento box builder roguelike <\/em>Don’t Let It Starve.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ever since Balatro<\/em> blew up in 2024, it seems like a new \u201cnumber go up\u201d roguelike has come out every other week. Often they\u2019re gambling- or coin-themed, like CloverPit<\/em> and Raccoin<\/em>, but not always.<\/p>\n Eduardo Scarpato and Black Lantern Collective\u2019s newly released Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em> is one such game, blending Tetris<\/em>-like puzzles and a retro horror aesthetic for its combo-heavy, multiplier-reliant \u201cnumber go up\u201d roguelike. Ninety minutes with it has mostly confirmed what I have long suspected: this genre of roguelikes is a no from me, dawg.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em> finds you in a sort of purgatory where you\u2019re forced to cobble together meals for an endlessly hungry creature. You do so by slotting in items of food \u2014 like a T-shaped cut of meat and a square block of rice \u2014 into bento boxes, which is where the Tetris<\/em> comparison comes into play. It\u2019s enjoyable at first as I try to figure out how to best build these boxes. After a few rounds, though, the gimmick starts to wear thin; the dopamine isn\u2019t hitting as my Steam Deck vibrates each time that number goes up.<\/p>\n I\u2019m given a limited number of ingredients, each with their own point values, to choose from each time I place an item of food. Often I\u2019m left wanting certain shapes that I\u2019m not getting. One time I had 10 re-rolls available, with each re-roll giving me a set of three new items to choose one from. I only needed a one-square pickle to complete my bento box. I did not get a one-square pickle after using my 10 re-rolls.<\/p>\n Noticing the drop rates on the wall helps me strategize (turns out that pickle only has a 4% drop rate, whoops), as well as unlocking different combos. For example, placing three sausages in a box is a \u201cDeath\u201d combo that doles out a nice bonus. Two breads and a cut of beef, two of the highest-value items, gets you a \u201cBurger\u201d combo, and, yep, now I know what I\u2019m getting for dinner tonight. Optimizing what recipes you hit with high-value ingredients is the path to success in Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em>, though it still feels like random luck is more of a factor than you\u2019d want.<\/p>\n Even after several runs of varying success, making that number go up never quite does anything for me. My score grows and grows, sprouting flames on its sides, yet my enjoyment doesn\u2019t rise with it. I complete one bento box, satisfying the six-armed monster, and am given a new score to hit. Like a line cook at a fast-food joint, I will do the task before me, but I\u2019m thinking about all the other games I want to play once I clock out.<\/p>\n Luckily for those who are into the \u201cnumber go up\u201d roguelike genre, I may be an outlier here. Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em> only has about 100 Steam user reviews at the time of this writing, but those who are playing it seem to be vibing with it and giving it a \u201cVery Positive\u201d rating.<\/p>\n And Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em> does have some great things going for it that I appreciate. The retro, rough-around-the-edges graphical style really works for its creepy aesthetic. The monster you\u2019re tasked with feeding has a fun personality, with an over-the-top Frenchness that makes it seem almost friendly\u2026 right before it dines on me for failing to reach the required score.<\/p>\n I\u2019m still glad to have spent a brisk 90 minutes with Don\u2019t Let It Starve,<\/em> as you never really know what genre is your jam until you give a random game a try. I didn\u2019t think a cozy work simulator would be for me, but then Tiny Bookshop<\/em> turned me onto the space; I recently loved Inkonbini<\/em> and am likely to pick up Wax Heads<\/em> soon.<\/p>\n So if \u201cnumber go up\u201d is your jam, Don\u2019t Let It Starve<\/em> might be worth checking out. It\u2019s $7.99 on Steam.<\/p>\n ![\"Don't](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/don-t-let-it-starve-bento-box-screenshot.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image:\u00a0Eduardo Scarpato\/Black Lantern Collective<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Don't](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/don-t-let-it-starve-scary-room-screenshot.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image:\u00a0Eduardo Scarpato\/Black Lantern Collective<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/steam-next-fest-best-demos-june-2026-header.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=124&dpr=2\"\/)
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