KOOKTA is more than just a fun board game — it’s also a response to one of the most common mental health challenges in modern society: burnout. The idea behind its creation is rooted in the realization that cooking, when approached in a playful way, doesn’t have to feel like a chore — it can be a liberating, creative, and community-building activity.
Throughout the game, players are challenged to create dishes using a set of given ingredients, which stimulates creativity, enhances problemsolving skills, and fosters connection through shared thinking. KOOKTA helps players experience how cooking can serve as an effective tool against everyday stress.
The idea for the KOOKTA board game was born from personal experiences connected to food, cooking, and coping with anxiety. For me, cooking is more than just a daily activity — it has become a form of self-expression that inspires, liberates, and helps me navigate through difficult periods. Over the past few years, it has grown into an important inner resource in my life.
My initial premise was that dishes can be created without relying on specific recipes, as long as carefully selected ingredients and a well-structured category system are used. This approach creates space for creativity, encourages flexible thinking, and enhances problem-solving skills. I defined four distinct ingredient categories, selecting items within each that are both easily accessible and sufficiently diverse.
I created a custom insert made from mycelium composite to securely hold the game pieces in place. To shape the insert, I first designed a 3D-printable model of the mold, printed it, and grew the mycelium into it. This unique material is composed of plant fibers and fungal culture, is fully biodegradable and compostable, and retains its form even when dried.
Sustainability and environmentally conscious thinking are important to me, so I intentionally sought a solution that could be produced in small quantities with minimal waste and material excess.
Supervisor: Tamás MARCELL
Photos: Márk MARÓTI
Photos: Márk MARÓTI
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, 2025
Special Thanks
Tamás BERKY
Béla HEGYI
Fruzsina CZECZ
Béla HEGYI
Fruzsina CZECZ
József SZILI
Tamás NOVOKRESCSENSZKOV
József KOVÁCS
Tamás NOVOKRESCSENSZKOV
József KOVÁCS
