Mothergamer Plays Coffee Talk Tokyo

 I loved the first two Coffee Talk games and I was thrilled when Coffee Talk Tokyo was announced. I couldn't wait to experience a whole new coffee shop in a new area with new characters. I splurged and got the deluxe edition which has some nice perks like a digital art book, a little pre chapter setting up the Tokyo shop, and a really cool bonus ending at the end of the main story. The set up for the coffee shop in Tokyo is well done by tying Hendry to it. Hendry explains he's taking a business trip to Tokyo and the Seattle barista recommends a coffee shop there giving Hendry their contact information.

Hendry arrives at the Tokyo coffee shop and just like the first two games we never actually see the barista, but they can chat with everyone. We're also introduced to the barista's assistant Vin and Vin quickly became one of my favorite characters in the game because of their honesty about their chronic illness and explaining spoon theory and using up their spoons. Vin made me feel seen in regards to having to manage my own spoons with my Fibromyalgia and arthritis. It was refreshing to have a character like Vin in the game.

Hendry meets Vin in Coffee Talk Tokyo. 

The way to make the drinks for customers hasn't changed from the previous games with them giving hints about what they would like. The artwork for the Coffee Talk games is vibrant, cute, and lovely. Coffee Talk Tokyo continues with that lovely art style right down to the presentation of the drinks that are served. If you get stuck trying to remember how to make a drink, you can pull up your brew pad app in the game and look up the recipes which is nice. I confess I did use a drink guide walkthrough to make sure I got all the drinks right because that's how I like to play so I can get it right and enjoy the ebb and flow of the story with the various characters and get the best ending. 

Even the drinks are very cute. 

Much like the previous Coffee Talks the barista lends an ear while listening to the various Yokai and Human customers discuss their day or issues they're having like adjusting to retirement or dealing with writer's block. Sometimes the barista can weigh in offering some sage advice or just being a comforting presence while they work it out themselves. I loved meeting the new characters in Coffee Talk Tokyo and of course I have my favorites like Vin and another interesting character, Jun. 

There's no rush in Coffee Talk Tokyo. You can take your time and savor each moment while making the perfect drink for a customer. The lo-fi music is also great setting a relaxed vibe and adding another wonderful layer to the storytelling. There were a couple of moments in the story where I found myself a little emotional on behalf of one character because their moment was bittersweet, but it was important and needed to happen for them and I was glad to see how thoughtfully it was written giving them a good ending. The game isn't too long; I finished it in about eight hours. There's also an endless drink mode where you can make all kinds of drinks for customers, experiment, and see what new recipes you can unlock. 

Coffee Talk Tokyo absolutely delivered with more endearing characters, the charming art style, and an interesting story that kept me invested, wanting to see what happened next. I loved every minute of it because all of those things tied it together beautifully making it a wonderful experience. 

Hendry with some Coffee Talk Tokyo customers.

*Coffee Talk Tokyo is available on these platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Playstation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer