I had a very good, oh, 30 minutes with this game. The music is bog standard lo-fi chill hip-hop beats to study to muzack, fortunately I grew up buying that shit on CD and vinyl like an absolute geek long before the current era of 24-hour Youtube livestreams so it's always gonna be a bit more than mere background music to me. Likewise, all the coffee shop sounds, from the clanging of the cowbell on the front door to the steaming of milk is intentionally comforting in the best way. For a bit, the game presents itself as a purely nice hang, a low stakes barista simulator.

But then it begins to introduce more characters and plot, only the more diverse and involved the narrative gets the harder it is to overlook how singular the game's voice is. Not in any unique sense - I imagine this is a guy who unironically Naruto runs through animé convention halls and often finds himself unintentionally engaging in performative empathy - but in the generic, as every character can't help but talk in the same passive, hushed tone that implies a deeply insecure society.

The result is a story that, as it becomes more and more navel gazing, increasingly comes across like message board creative fiction propped up by some well-moneyed, overly supportive friends so it can feel more real. That felt mean to write, but as the Coffee Talk becomes more and more about gaming industry labor issues, the façade of this being a story quickly melts away in favor of a half-baked treatise on self-worth and and crunch.

Also: a character's name is "Baileys". This is a criminal act.

It achieves exactly what it sets out to do - provide a chill, laidback experience with empathetic characters and a relaxing vibe. For this type of game, it needed to nail the writing, the atmosphere and the aesthetics - fortunately, I'm happy to report that all three meet their goals.

Yeah, it's not a grand story, and it's not a deep narrative - but it's heart-warming and charming, like the digital equivalent of a friend's hug after a rough week. With everything that's happening in the world right now, I think all of us would benefit from having that sometimes, and Coffee Talk delivers it perfectly.

Style over substance.

There's not a lot of gameplay but there are many vibes, the characters and their scenarios are well written for the most part.

Agency in this game can be somewhat counter intuitive if you're not familiar with the genre, which I'm not. I liked it but felt the game is not dynamic enough for it to feel more than the occasional blue choice red choice but with coffee cups.

It's fairly short and doesn't overstay its welcome.

I liked it but didn't necessarily liked playing it, if it makes sense.

I remember playing this while sipping on my self-brewed coffee. Some nights, it would rain in real life and in-game, plus the fact that the soundtrack of this game is just [chef's kiss] perfect– it felt truly cozy. The plot was sort of forgettable; but to symphatize and read through the characters' distinct musings about their career, relationships and personal life– for me that struck as memorable enough. Although until now I can't help but wonder if it was a missed opportunity for the narrative to follow a linear path instead of utilizing a choice-driven storytelling.

The gameplay was nothing but mellow. It does include a few familiarization of the recipes here and there, not to mention the pattern of brewing beverages based on the regular customer's taste buds. Other than that, it wouldn't count as half challenging or even less than that.

To sum up this vague review, I would recommend Coffee Talk to anyone who wants to get out of the conventional grid of gaming for a while, and just chill with lo-fi music in the background.

There is something so cosy about sitting back and listening to people's "lives"

Playing this after VA-11 HALL-A I was worried it wouldn't hold up, and while it does feel much more compact and lacking in banter (and Jill), it still has a lot of the same charm, just in a different flavour. I hope they add more in the future releases, but I'll play them regardless.

If you liked cyberpunk bar vibes, why not give fantasy hipster coffeeshop vibes a try :)

​Serve drinks and learn the stories of your regulars as a barista running an overnight coffee shop in a mixture of a modern and fantasy setting. Great expressive art style and backgrounds. Good relaxing soundtrack, with music you can change during your shift. Characters are all enjoyable to interact with and learn about, you will frequently see two to four of them talking to each other as well so conversations aren't limited to being one on one or just you listening as many of these games tend to be.

Doesn't focus much on the wider world and your drink making doesn't usually matter to the extent it did in the somewhat similar game VA-11 HALL-A.​ Not necessarily a bad thing as there is just less focus on earning money and wider events as opposed to just being with the characters in the moment often having issues with their family, relationships, or jobs.

Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1282197282452955136