Gossiping and people-watching are two things we never like to admit we love to do. With Coffee Talk, you can do both with no judgment in a fantasy world where you learn about yourself and others.

It’s easy to get lost in Coffee Talk. This interactive visual novel has a unique variety of fantasy characters who are all dealing with different situations. Behind the bar at your Seattle-based coffee shop, you learn about these characters and how to make their favorite drinks. Remembering which customer likes which type of drink and figuring out how to make it can be challenging, but with no time limit, it doesn’t have to feel stressful. This game was designed to be an easy-going experience where you sit down, relax, and hear stories about the lives of those who come into your coffee shop. 

Coffee Talk was developed by Toge Productions, based in Indonesia. Sadly, the designer and original writer of Coffee Talk, Mohammad Fahmi, passed away in March of 2022. He is highly regarded by all who worked with him, including those who helped him develop Coffee Talk. Toge Productions shared love to him and his family after his passing, with hopes that he will live on through his creations. Playing this game was so healing and insightful, and I love the idea that he lives on through these stories and the lessons that can be learned from them.

GRAPHICS 8/10

Creating an immersive world on a budget can be a challenge, but Coffee Talk does an amazing job bringing 2D sprites against a simple backdrop to life.

Even with simple animations, each character is very expressive and the artwork helps bring out their unique personalities. When you are making drinks behind the espresso machine, you press buttons in different combinations to make each drink. There is also a social media app, Tomodachill, that is very easy to navigate and adds a fun, modern touch. Creating the latté art may be the most challenging part of the game, but getting the hang of it is pretty easy. It’s also a fun way to get creative with the drinks you make! Interactive novels don’t typically have a lot of gameplay and generally rely on story and visuals to keep the player engaged. Yet Coffee Talk manages to use simple animations to make an immersive coffee shop environment with characters who have unique expressions and body language, so extensive gameplay or graphics aren’t needed to keep the player engaged.

SOUND QUALITY 9/10

Coffee Talk’s lo-fi soundtrack is a perfect match for the game, and is even nice to listen to in real life when you need to chill out or get a project done.

The playlist is available on Spotify, but if you want to enjoy it like it is in the game (with Seattle rain in the background), it is also available on YouTube. The coffee shop ambiance—clinking glasses, the steamer, and drinks being poured—all help you feel like you really are a barista. One thing I wish they had added is voice acting or even minimal voice effects. I find this helpful when interacting with characters in a game, and I think it would make Coffee Talk even more engaging. While it is hard to get talented voice actors with good sound quality on an indie budget, I am hoping they will incorporate that in future releases. 

GAMEPLAY 7/10

One thing I love about the start of each day is getting the newspaper. The news is related to the fantasy world, but reflects a lot of issues we ourselves may be dealing with in real life. This is a wonderful touch, as I always look forward to the daily news, which makes me keen to progress further in the game.

The gameplay in this interactive novel includes making drinks for customers and checking up on their ever-updating social media page. Making the drinks is simple. First, you pick a base (coffee, milk, tea, etc.), then a primary and secondary flavor. Each combination makes a unique drink, and it’s exciting to see which combinations make drinks from all around the world. I was a barista for years and even I had never heard of some of these drinks! I would love to try a Shai Adeni: a sweet chai latté with a hint of spice, originating from Aden, Yemen. You can also create latté art on some drinks, which brings a lot of creativity to the gameplay.

While exploring drink combinations is fun, a big focus of the game is figuring out and remembering what each customer likes to order. Each customer has a particular taste and will act accordingly depending on what you serve them. There are even parts of the story that are hidden when a customer is not satisfied. To further learn the personalities and stories behind each character and who they are connected to, you can check the social media app called Tomodachill on your in-game phone. As you progress through the game, you become more friendly with each customer, which unlocks more on their page and grants you insight into who they are. Critical gameplay seems to be an afterthought to the story, which is not necessarily a bad thing in this case. There is no timer or upkeep (rent, inventory, etc.) needed for the shop. This game is meant to be enjoyed in a relaxed environment with minimal stress so you can focus on the scene playing out before you.

After a long day of real-life responsibilities, Coffee Talk is a wonderful way to take your mind off of things and explore a whole new world in comfort.

CHARACTERS 10/10

The characters are the highlight of this whole game. The customers in your coffee shop are fantasy creatures who live in rainy Seattle, Washington, with a social commentary not far from ours here in the real world. The main focus of the game is hearing all sides of each story and exploring how important perspective can be in difficult situations, especially when it comes to relationships. There is a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque couple, a daughter fleeing from her overprotective father, unlikely friendships between creatures who are normally shunned in fantasy worlds, and even an astronaut who may not even be of this world at all! Some characters warm up with time and even more so when you make them the drinks they like. Some are clearly regulars and spill their stories a lot more quickly. Some characters can be a little more unpleasant than others, but you learn that each one has something to love. You can relate them to people you know in your real life, as the situations they get in easily reflect ones we have gone through or have seen around us. Two of my favorite characters are Lua, a succubus in love with an elf, who fears that his family will never accept her, and Gala, a werewolf who is very sweet and loves cats. You learn how he navigates being a “dangerous” creature with a good heart, and I find it all very wholesome.

STORY 10/10

You are a barista who owns a coffee shop called Coffee Talk. Unlike most coffee shops, this one is open late at night, bringing in an unusual crowd of those who don’t sleep through the night. While it’s important to learn the right drinks to make for each customer, you really don’t have much control of the story. Each customer’s story can play out in multiple different ways, and a few even overlap with one another. As the game progresses, you see each customer grow every day as they learn from their trials. Unlikely pairs will sit together over a nice brew and give each other advice, though it is not always appreciated. One of my favorite exchanges involves Hyde, a vampire, who tells Lua, a succubus, to get over herself and not to care so much. This is very easy for him to say, and his advice upsets Lua—but is Hyde wrong? That’s for you to determine! The newspaper clippings at the beginning of each day reflect the characters’ stories as well. It’s good to give the daily headlines a good read because they give you even more insight into your environment. It’s easy to get invested in the lives of each of these customers. I’m excited to learn and explore more in the sequel that is set to release in 2023!

OVERALL 8.8/10

With a run time of about three hours, this is one of the best indie visual novel games I have played.

It’s clear that a lot of time, energy, and even love went into Coffee Talk. I think it is well worth the price of $12.99. It’s a beautiful escape into a fantasy version of Seattle with great art and captivating music. One thing I love about indie games is being able to see the hard work that went into them, and this game is no exception. There is a ton of attention to detail, whether it’s the subtle animations or how the music changes to enforce the mood. The writing is witty and engaging and each character’s dialogue is very distinct. Though the story doesn’t vary too much, there is a lot of replayability in this game.

Replaying this game is like watching your favorite movie over again—you’ll find something new to love each time.

I am looking forward to Coffee Talk’s sequel, set to release in 2023! It’s definitely on my Steam wishlist and I can’t wait to see what more they do with the game now that it has been shown some love.

I hope Mohammad Fahmi got to see some of this love for his creation before his passing. May he live on through this wonderful adventure.

Coffee Talk launched for PC on January 29, 2020 and is available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch. The Switch version of Coffee Talk was used for this review. The reviewer purchased the game at full retail price. This article contained affiliate links.