Finding a café that’s right for you can be a revelatory experience. At least for me, there are few places outside my home where I can feel truly comfortable. I’m lucky to have two options within walking distance: a coffee shop that’s bright, airy, and full of art, and another that also doubles as a plant shop so I can be surrounded by greenery while I write. They are the third place that has become the center of my life. But in the virtual realm I also have an option – and though it’s not a place to work, it’s just as comfortable.
coffee talk The series debuted in 2020, with a direct sequel following three years later, and the title really says it all: These games are about coffee and conversation. They are visual novels, meaning most of the experience is in reading dialogue, like an interactive book. In each game, you play as a barista who runs a late-night café and also takes on a somewhat clinical role, listening to and helping your patrons with their problems. You’ll also have to make them drinks using a simple gameplay system to make everything from espresso to exotic iced tea. Oh, and you exist in a fantasy world, so you’re serving vampires, elves, and other mythical creatures.
latest entry, coffee talk tokyoNot much changes in terms of structure or gameplay. But it’s a standalone story set in a new location – the first two games took place in Seattle – which means new characters to help and new drinks to make. Once again you play as the ever-helpful owner of a coffee shop that’s open late, and your job is to serve perfect drinks and listen carefully. Relocating to Tokyo means many of your patrons are plucked out of Japanese folklore, like a newly retired salaryman who is also Kappa, or a struggling pop star who was once a mighty dragon. This also means you’ll be making a lot of matcha and a lot of cold drinks to combat Tokyo’s oppressive heat.
There are a few things that make these games so relaxing. One is the beverages themselves; While the process is pretty straightforward, there is a soothing ritual that comes from choosing the right ingredients or discovering something new through experimentation. Likewise, it’s very satisfying to build up what your patron actually wants based only on vague descriptions. In coffee talk There’s really no penalty for messing up. Someone may feel disappointed after drinking alcohol, but you move on afterward as if nothing happened. I should also note that the atmosphere in the coffee shop is extremely cool: lo-fi music, the sound of rain, and lots of vinyl records and cute knickknacks decorating the joint. It’s a place I want to visit.
But what really makes these games so good are the stories and the people you meet. It’s kind of a mix between Midnight Dinner: Tokyo Stories And ted lasso. coffee talk tokyo It may be about a world where humans co-exist with imaginary creatures, but the problems you’ll face are incredibly real. Your assistant, Vin, looks like a cool cyberpunk hacker with advanced organs, but he’s actually struggling with chronic pain and attempting to hide it so as not to burden anyone around him. There is a young girl who feels isolated at school because she is a foreigner. A stay-at-home father has doubts about his decision to leave his career.
These are important, relevant topics, and the game deftly handles them with care and heart. It doesn’t shed light on the difficult issues, but almost everyone in the game is trying to do their best, and so things resolve in a way that feels quite optimistic. I wish all the people I knew were as smart as the ghosts and yokai I encountered in this game.
All these elements together make the series so welcome. coffee talk tokyo Not much changes, but there is no need for it. All I want is a few more friends to help, and another excuse to hang out in a cool, pixelated café.
coffee talk tokyo Now available on PS5, Xbox, Switch and PC.
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