“Sometimes, you want to go where everybody knows your name.”
This line from the theme of the TV show, Cheers, is pretty on point. Being a regular and stopping by a favorite bar, restaurant, or other public gathering spot is a nice, comfortable way to unwind after a long day. Toge Productions seems to understand this, as the developer/publisher has replicated that exact feeling in its latest game, Coffee Talk - a charming, fantasy-inspired talking simulator that successfully hits every mark in terms of its story, characters, vibe, and overall gameplay.
Solid Grounds
Coffee Talk takes place in modern-day Seattle - in fact, it takes place a mere nine months from the time of this writing - but adds in fantastic, whimsical creatures to the modern world. Orcs, elves, werewolves, vampires, and succubi all go about their lives working, loving, struggling, dreaming, and thriving together in a shared world with human beings. Players assume the role of a barista who works at a titular corner coffee bar that opens when most other places are closing up shop, having conversations with patrons looking for a little pick-me-up (or night cap). These conversations aren’t your standard small talk, though. Far from it.
The world that whizzes by the quaint little coffee shop is not unlike the real world we live in. Racial discrimination, political unrest, and even major developments within the entertainment industry headline the newspapers, which flash across the screen at the beginning of each evening. The only difference is that these real-world issues are presented and discussed by girls who can turn in cats, or vegan vampires. Honestly, though, once the conversations start flowing, you’d never really notice that these patrons are from a work of fantasy, as the writing is incredibly captivating, relatable, and easy to get caught up in.
Espresso Yourself
A talking simulator is successful as long as the writing behind the conversations is good. Coffee Talk succeeds with flying colors in that regard. The game immediately sets a tone of depth with a somewhat heated, yet incredibly well-spoken spat between two lovers whose relationship is looked down upon by both of their families. Although the barista has never met them before, they - like all of the other customers that visit, and eventually end up frequenting the shop - quickly invite the player into the conversation and ask for their opinion. There’s no text choice to choose from, so players are essentially just along for the ride, but it never feels forced and, ultimately, each conversation left me wanting to know more about their stories and the characters themselves.
Fortunately, this is possible through Coffee Talk’s in-game social media mobile app. The app is similar to Facebook, with each customer being added to the player’s friends list, eventually revealing more details about them each time the character visits the coffee shop. The in-game mobile device is also used for other things like referencing drink recipes or changing the music.
While Coffee Talk is mostly about the characters and conversations, players are also required to serve drinks (it is a coffee shop, after all). Making drinks such as lattes, tea, and hot chocolate, is pretty straightforward. Players begin with a handful of recipes available in their phone, but are eventually tasked with unlocking new drinks to appease their thirsty patrons. New recipes can be unlocked in the game’s separate challenge modes, but in story mode, unlocking new drinks often comes through trial and error. However, it is actually quite fun to try and figure out what a customer wants just by a vague description. Admittedly, this part of the game was something I was not looking forward to, but the developers knocked it out of the park, creating a quick and satisfying process that truly adds to the overall feelings the game conveys.
Digital Café Nervosa
Coffee Talk conveys a calm and soothing vibe throughout the entire game. From the pixelated art design to the sultry music, Coffee Talk’s aesthetics are deserving of awards. There’s a feeling of comfort as the coffee shop opens for business, the rain drizzling on the street outside as cars zoom by and passerby silhouettes shuffle past the ground-level windows of the cafe. It’s sitting room-only in the shop, which adds to the overall intimate space. At the risk of dating myself, everything about the audio and visual design brought me back to the early to mid-90s, watching TV shows like Friends and Frasier, where the characters had their go-to coffee shops to just sip, talk, and unabashedly be themselves.
I also couldn’t help but feel like Coffee Talk reminded me of another more recent show that I absolutely adore: Netflix’s Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. For those unfamiliar with the show, Midnight Diner is about a tiny restaurant run by a single, stoic-yet-caring chef who helps his customers with their life problems, which are often somehow associated with the themed food dish of each episode. Coffee Talk is remarkably similar in this regard, as players help customers with their problems while satisfying them with delicious drinks, which sometimes even play a part in their personal growth (such as a drink to aid in a werewolf affliction known as Fury). It’s hard to tell whether or not this similarity was intentional, but it made me love the game even more.
Cozy On Up With A Cup Of Joe
The world can be a chaotic, messy place that can often weigh us down. In a week that has personally laid heavily upon my mind and heart, Coffee Talk is exactly the game that I needed to play. In fact, even though I played the PC version of the game for this review, I will likely be picking up the Switch version to be able to play while on-the-go. Although the game is a single-player experience, I never felt alone while whipping up drinks and talking with characters who - as odd as it might sound - genuinely felt like my closest of friends.
A PC copy of Coffee Talk was provided to TheGamer for this review. Coffee Talk is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac.
