Nothing beats snuggling up on the sofa on a rainy day with a cup of coffee and your favourite game in hand. After months of putting it off, I finally downloaded Coffee Talk. My only regret- not downloading it sooner. But why has this game suddenly boomed in popularity amongst the cozy gaming community, let's find out!
This Blog Contains:
Is Coffee Talk worth it?
Is Coffee Talk on Xbox Game Pass?
Is Coffee Talk on Mobile?
Is Coffee Talk LGBT?
Is Coffee Talk a Dating Simulator?
There's something so cozy about coffee; the smell, the satisfying first taste of the bitter beans in the morning. Nothing beats a good coffee in your favourite mug.
What's even more satisying is visiting your local coffee shop to sit down in a social setting and taste the labour of a barista's hard work.
Coffee Talk is a visual novel about brewing coffee and soaking in the interesting stories of your customers.Think Netflix's Midnight Diner: Tokyo stories but set in an alternate version of 2020 Seattle, where your customers are a mixture of mythical creatures, such as: Orcs, Vampires and Elves. You play as an unnamed owner and sole barista of a nocturnal, downtown coffee shop, preparing specific coffees whilst listening to the many stories of your consumers; from an overprotective father to a struggling writer, you will watch their lives play out as the game progresses.
Every night starts off the same but the scenarios will be different.
The night begins with a scan of the headlines from the local newspaper before your patrons for the night walk in- who will be in that night and what emotional baggage they bring with them will be different.
The gameplay itself is pretty chill- mainly because there isn't really one to begin with.
Majority of the time the player will just be watching the story play out via text boxes with the only real gameplay element being clicking three ingriedents to make a specific coffee.
Sometimes you can add latte art but in all honesty I couldn't grasp it and apart from one specific moment in the game, it's not really necessary.
Although this game lacks any real gameplay, it certainly makes up for it in the actual story telling. Each scene you watch is perfectly scripted and keeps you gripped, almost like turning pages of a really compelling novel.
It's the same energy.
Let's talk about the art style.
Although I'm personally a fan of pixelated-style of graphics, I do think that it's becoming very overused these days- especially in indie titles and unfortunately Coffee Talk is no exception however to the game's credit, I will say that it's still visually appealing and very detailed.
The graphics just suit the overall game's aesthetics very well, which is mainly inspired by 90's anime and pixel art- which shows.
Coinciding with the pixelated art style, is the music.
Inspired by the calming beats of Lo-fi, each and every track is so relaxing, that it makes you feel like you're in an actual coffee shop! Nothing beats sipping a creamy latte while this mellow music plays out in the background.
I guess that the only downside to this game, is its length. When I initially downloaded this game, I expected to be playing this for a solid week, hoping that my disastrous barista skills would have an affect on the story itself however I was shocked to discover that I had completed it in a mere few hours.
Which is such a shame as I would have hoped that the game would have been a bit longer and that what drink I presented (good or bad) to the characters, would have affected the story but it's linear unfortunately!
Is Coffee Talk Worth it?
With all that said, Coffee Talk is a good game.
Visual Novels are a hard niche to execute in gaming however the game has nailed it!
It doesn't try to present itself as this over-emotional, artsy story telling game with simplistic puzzles interjected here or there, instead you're just simply a barista making coffee and listening to very real world problems.Taking into consideration it's short length and linear storyline, it's still worth playing over a few times, just to uncover any recipes you may have missed and correct any mistakes.
Also if you're someone wanting more, then you'll be happy to know that there is a sequel, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, potentially coming in 2023!
Is Coffee Talk on Game Pass?
As of writing this review Coffee Talk is available on Xbox Game Pass. The sequel, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly is also availalbe on Xbox Game Pass. Check out more cozy games on Xbox game pass here!
Is Coffee Talk on Mobile?
No. As of 2023, Coffee Talk is only available on PS4/5, Xbox, Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Is Coffee Talk LGBT?
Yes. Although there are no defining storylines that dwelve into queer relationships or sexuality, Coffee Talk certainly has some casual LGBT vibes. It's not advertly sexual and is tastefully done.
Is Coffee Talk a Dating Simulator?
No. Coffee Talk is not a dating simulator, it's classed as a visual novel where you explore the many evolving stories and scenarios of your customers.