Best Cook Build in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Skill Tree, Perks, and Attributes

Join us as we pick apart Cook’s Abilities, Perks, and Skill Tree to create the best build for Cook in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

A stumbling, caustic old man doesn’t sound like a go-to choice in a game about chasing and killing, but with the right loadout, Cook can be one of the most valuable characters in TCSM.

The Best Loadout for Cook in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

This build focuses on improving Cook’s speed and endurance while maximizing his Padlock and Seek abilities. Few things are more terrifying than a speedy Cook who can hear your every move and lock up crucial doors.

Table of Contents

• Skill Tree
• Maim Abilities
• Perks & Grandpa Abilities
• Attribute Points

Best Cook Skill Tree Path

From the beginning of Cook’s Skill Tree, choose the top path and learn every Skill and Attribute until the first Branched Path.

At this Branched Path, select the Right path, learn everything, and reach another Branched Path. Turn Left here and learn all of the remaining nodes.

Best Cook Seek Abilities in TCSM

• Level 1 — Increase Detection Range
• Level 2 — Increase Detection Range
• Level 3 — All Family See Noise

With the All Family See Noise upgrade, Cook’s Seek ability becomes one of the most useful in the entire game. Any Victims highlighted by Seek are highlighted for the whole Family, which is especially useful when you don’t have access to voice comms. That, or you’re terrible at pointing out locations, like me.

Increase Detection Range at Levels 1 and 2 buff your detection range by a considerable amount, making All Family See Noise that much more powerful.

These upgrades, paired with the Perks in this build and his Padlock ability, make Cook one of the most useful Family members in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Related: Best Johnny Build in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Best Cook Perks and Grandpa Ability

• Security Pins
• Unrelenting
• Scout
• Barge to the Point or Exterior Alarms (Grandpa Ability)

Security Pins is an outstanding Perk and entirely unique to Cook. At Level 3, this makes Cook’s padlocks 50% harder to unlock. At higher levels, this is damn near essential for Gas Station and working around sneaky Level 10 Victims.

Cook’s main weakness is how utterly slow and sluggish he is. Unrelenting and Scout speed up our feeble friend and boosts his stamina for running around the map, keeping up with Victims, and swinging at ’em.

For Cook’s Grandpa Ability, I typically go for either Barge to the Point or Exterior Alarms, depending on the rest of the Family’s choices.

Barge to the Point will always open a door on the first attempt when blocked by a Victim. While you won’t get use out of this every game, you’ll definitely be thankful for it when it comes into play. On the other hand, Exterior Alarms is always helpful in tracking players trying to escape, highlighting them for a few seconds.

Best Cook Attribute Point Allocation

• 43 Savagery
• 36 Endurance

Pop some points into both Savagery and Endurance. Combined with the Perks used in this guide, you’ll notice just how zippy Cook becomes compared to his usual self.

Increasing Cook’s Savagery helps with his time-to-kill, which is typically lower than other Family members. You can only get so far with a broken broom handle.

You won’t always be able to choose Cook in every match of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre; sometimes, you’ll have to (literally) be the bigger cannibal and choose Leatherface. Check out our Leatherface build guide so you’re never unprepared, unlike those dang kids.

Alternative Cook Builds

Here are two alternative builds for Cook that you might find interesting:

• Stealthy Cook: Instead of being aggressive, we’re going to focus on locating the cook’s victims without alerting them.
  • Vial-ent: Your damage is increased when carrying a full blood vial.
  • Big Swings: Attack damage is increased by 10% but stamina consumption tied to attacks is 300% more costly.
  • Prey Dive: Spotting a Victim increases stamina recharge for 5 seconds

• Endurance Cook: This build focuses on Endurance so the cook can spend more time chasing his victims:
  • Unrelanting: You have increased endurance.
  • Scout: Your movement speed is increased, but melee damage is reduced.
  • Security Pins: Added Locks are harder to unlock for Victims.

Author’s Note: This guide was written while playing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Xbox Series X.