Coffee Talk Review: Conversation and Coffee

 

Over the course of two weeks, various characters visit a coffee shop in a fantasy version of Seattle, Washington. Each day plays out like a vignette in which the elves, orcs, and mermaids visiting the establishment discuss their concerns with the Barista over a cup of coffee.

 

The game is a visual novel and drink mixing simulation hybrid, similar to VA-11 Hall-A. Dialogue options are replaced by drinks; what the player chooses to serve and whether or not it is what the customer ordered has an effect on the characters and how the story events play out. Unlike the bartending game VA-11 Hall-A, where it paid to use your better judgment, most of the patrons in Coffee Talk know exactly what they want and will ask for something specific - no guesswork required. I also only encountered one instance where the player going against a patron's wishes was the correct call.

Conversations with the NPCs are periodically broken up by a brewing mini-game in which the player creates drinks using the ingredients available in the coffee shop: coffee, green tea, tea, chocolate, milk, ginger, mint, lemon, honey, and cinnamon.

A smartphone with a list of recipes is available at all times, although some hidden beverages can only be discovered through experimentation. There is no time limit on drink creation, so if the player makes a mistake they can reset the order and start again up to five times. Every beverage will have at least three ingredient slots that determine what drink is brewed and what kind of flavor profile it will have: warm, cool, sweet, or bitter.

 

 

Coffee Talk is a less complex, less adventurous entry in the genre. It is always clear what drinks need to be served and there is little to be gained from deviating from the specified requests. Likewise, there isn't much in the way of unique dialogue or hidden backstory to miss out on for serving an incorrect drink. It was a relaxed, feel-good kind of experience and would make a good entry point for someone new to visual novels.

First posted to videogamegeek.com on October 24, 2021.

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