During my time at PAX East 2020, there were certainly a few games I wanted to check out thanks to the massive influx of emails I was getting leading up to the convention itself. One that instantly caught my eye based on title alone was Coffee Talk. Developed by Toge Productions, you play as the owner of a coffee shop down in the heart of Seattle. In this reality, humans co-exist with a variety of magical creatures. Being the only place opened up so late at night, you're bound to run into a wide variety of individuals. What's more, is that this leads you to hearing about some really interesting stories. The demo Toge had on display had you go through the first night of being open. You technically have been doing this barista gig for quite sometime, so some customers already know you from years of being a patron.
Personally, I'm a huge coffee drinker so the premise of you running a barista had me hooked. The game opens with several scenes of the shop opening up before you're greeted by Freya, who has been a loyal customer for quite some time. As you chat, you begin to learn about her latest struggles and how she's hoping to get her first novel published thanks to a chance meeting with one of the higher ups at the media company she works for. She then places an order for her favorite go to drink and that's where the main crux of Coffee Talk comes in. You brew a variety of drinks based on what the customer wants. Each drink has about 3 components and already known recipes are stored on an app which you can view at any time.
Thankfully there's also no timer on getting the order out so you can take your time which I really appreciated. Being rushed in a game just stresses me out a lot you know? The art style is absolutely gorgeous as is the music which plays in the background of the shop. On your phone, you also have access to a social media site, a playlist of music that you can change at any point and one other that I can't remember at this moment. For the purposes of this demo, you only really need the Brew list! With all the ingredients to Freya's drink picked out, you're then treated to a cute montage of brewing the drink itself before confirming if you want to serve it.
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| Making the drinks! |
Soon after, a succubus and elf come in and order their own drinks. You learn while talking with them and Freya that they're dating and came to your shop to chat about the latest happenings in their lives. Freya moves on over to her corner to get to writing/thinking for her novel and you make a few more drinks. Lua, the succubus, is recommended a chocolatey drink and her boyfriend Baileys is given a latte. With the latter drink, you are also given an opportunity to create latte art. Admittedly this was something I wasn't good at and am still getting the hang of XD.
With the drinks served, you're then treated to their full conversation and it doesn't bode well. Dealing with prejudice between both character's families and jeopardizing their relationship. "You know our families will never agree" Lua barks back as Baileys tries to say they continue dating without the families knowing. At the end of it all, with the rain outside the shop pouring down, Lua leaves to get some time to think and Baileys is frustrated. You then create another drink for him as he leaves shortly after. Freya pops over all worried and hopes that the two of them find happiness together. After that, your first night ends. The demo ends at the start of the next day with Freya coming in all excited claiming she'll write about the various stories she hears in your coffee shop.
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| The main hub of Coffee Talk |
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| Making Latte art was not my strong suit! |
I was so enamored with the game that I instantly downloaded it on my Nintendo Switch so you can expect a full Review sometime in the near future ^_^. Coffee Talk is a serene and relaxing game where you hear a variety of tales from a colorful group of people. It's available now on Steam, Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. To learn more, visit their website below!
http://coffeetalk.info/
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