You've been hammering the level 12 boss all day without success, and finally decide to take a break. Only problem is, you're sick of pizza. The delivery boy knows you by name; the online ordering system autocompletes… the pizza house has a ball of dough set aside for your order!
Fortunately, there is an alternative: it's called cooking. But before you unpause your game in disgust, consider this: October 2016 sees the release of a World of Warcraft-inspired cookbook, World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel.
No, really.
Released to tie in with the forthcoming WoW movie, it is full of recipes inspired by in-game delicacies. And, amazingly, it isn't the only such collection of recipes. The web is full of video game-inspired dishes and snacks.
So, grab a napkin, sharpen your knife and prepare to tuck into a veritable digital feast, as we share with you our favorite websites offering real food that looks like it came from a game.
Eat A Byte [Broken URL Removed]
Featuring real-world food inspired by games such as Harvest Moon, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Final Fantasy XIV, Eat A Byte is the ingeniously-titled work of mom-of-two gamer Christina. The site goes wider than just games, however, and features recipes inspired not just by games and movies, but also a few that Christina has added from the real world, as it were.
So, look out for treats such as Skyrim Potato Soup, a Harvest Moon Strawberry Cake and even a collection of recipes from The Sims 4, our favorite being the Black and White Cookies. Oh, and the Super Chocolate Tummers Bomb Cupcakes.
I could go on…
While Christina has a nice selection of recipes, note that her site hasn't been updated since 2015.
Gourmet Gaming
"Bring video games to life since 2011" is the tagline, and the 8-bit graphics that herald your arrival at Gourmet Gaming certainly puts you in a mood to find game-inspired food. With useful difficulty ratings also guiding the way, you shouldn't have much trouble finding ideas such as Dreamfall: The Longest Journey's Mulled Wine, Barf Roll-Ups from Costume Quest, and even Finkton's Baked Beans from BioShock: Infinite!
On the downside, while Gourmet Gaming has 30+ food and drink recipes, it hasn't been updated since 2015. Happily, it's on Tumblr (which can be restyled in so many different ways, even as a cookery book), so shouldn't be going anywhere soon.
Geeky Chef
Like many of these sites, Geeky Chef features a collection of recipes inspired not just by games, but also by TV shows. So, along with Estus from the Dark Souls game and Nuka Cola Quantum from Fallout 3, you'll also find Fish Fingers and Custard from Doctor Who, Lemon Cakes from the Game of Thrones books, and even Romulan Ale from Star Trek!
And if you prefer to view recipes on the page, rather than risk your tablet or laptop in the kitchen, Geeky Chef even has a book available in print (and on Kindle).
Win with Fry Scores!
Speaking of books, Fry Scores by Holly Green, is a Kindle-only title featuring 25 recipes from a wide selection of gaming titles.
Fry Scores includes snacks such as Sinner's Sandwich from Deadly Premonition and baked French Toast from The Sims, and even guides you with tips, much like a videogame magazine!
Eat Game Live
Okay, the recipes at Eat Game Live are pretty in-depth, making this a site unsuitable for beginners in the kitchen.
Level up to expert before proceeding here!
But when you do have the skills for this, you'll find a collection of astonishing recipes, with the Overwatch 3-layer mousse cake, which looks frankly delicious, and a range of fish dishes inspired by Stardew Valley.
More Sites with Video Game Inspired Food
We're done with the dedicated gamer-gourmet websites and blogs, but that doesn't mean you won't find the odd webpage in larger sites showcasing the magic of digitally-enhanced food ideas.
Cooking Channel TV [Broken URL Removed] has a collection of videogame flavored snacks, from Angry Bird salad to Minecraft Creepers in biscuit form (made from Rice Crispies). The Mario picnic is also pretty impressive!
Solo Foods, meanwhile, has a collection of 60 foods inspired by videogames, with more Minecraft ideas, edible game controllers and even this awesome recipe from the Rosanna Pansino's (Nerdy Nummies) YouTube channel:
Wow! If nerdy foodstuffs are your thing, we recommend subscribing to Rosanna's channel and buying her book (which we also reviewed).
Need Help in the Kitchen? Head to YouTube!
Indeed, YouTube is a great resource for all things kitchen- and game-related, so it makes sense that Ms Pansino shouldn’t be the only one out there making geeky food on camera. For instance, you might enjoy this collection of 10 geeky recipes presented by Jamie Oliver.
If you want more recipes, Cristina Viseu's YouTube channel is also a good stop, which features video game food ideas interspersed with fashion tips. Something for everyone there!
And while we're here, don't miss the IloveFlavor YouTube channel, which features a nice selection of geeky recipes, including this amazing Yoda Guacamole!
Now I don't know about you, but I'm not all that keen on guacamole. But I'll certainly be making an exception for this!
Do you have a secret resource of video game-flavored snacks? Perhaps you keep your own notebook, or have a website we haven't mentioned here. Tell us about it!
Image Credit: Gaming cupcakes by Sergey Galyonkin via Flickr