Visual novels are a type of game meant to tell a story with interactive elements. Fleshed out characters tell the player their life’s story while typically having a specific role for the player to fill. Coffee Talk is no different, with players hearing about the troubles of modern fantasy characters in modern Seattle.
“Coffee Talk” was developed by Toge Productions and published by the same company. It was first released on January 20, 2020 for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox one. On Oct.ober 31, 2023, a version for the PS5 was released. A sequel, “Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly,” was released on April 20, 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Toge Productions also plans to release Coffee Talk Tokyo on May 21, 2026. The new game will take place in Tokyo and include a new cast of characters, separating itself from the stories of “Coffee Talk” and “Coffee Talk 2.”
Players run a coffee shop in Seattle, but the shop is only open at night. Despite its unique marketing approach, the shop attracts several unique customers and many regulars. However, there are several races of customers — humans, elves, succubi, orcs and other fantasy races mingle with each other. These characters tell the barista their daily struggles with their families, jobs and other major life factors. During all this, the player makes warm drinks for the characters while they talk.
Players are not given recipes for the drinks upon starting the game, making each new drink a discovery that other customers can then order. Additionally, some customers will describe the type of drink they want either with the ingredients or defining qualities like bitter and warm. Even if the player makes the wrong drink, the story will progress as normal. This makes it easy for players to make their way through the entire story.
“Coffee Talk” is a 2D world with a mix of muted and bold colors. There is minimal shading to the characters themselves, making them stand out from the scenery. The game never leaves the coffee shop’s bar, with characters loading in and out as they go about their nights. Several cutscenes use increased color variation and shading. Emotionally heightened scenes will cut the screen into multiple canvases to make the scenario even more impactful for the players.
The storyline has about 4 or 5 hours of gameplay, but players are able to enter endless mode to keep making drinks for their favorite characters. There is also a challenge mode, unlocked upon entering endless mode. There are several in game achievements to be gained. It takes, on average, eight hours to unlock all the achievements.
For those looking for a story with love, struggle and family, Coffee Talk is a worthy eindeavor. The visual novel brings about the warmth and community of a small coffee shop in a big city. It has a knack for leaving players with a fuzzy feeling inside, plus the challenges of managing a coffee shop and all that comes with it.
