Coffee Talk Is The Game We Need Right Now

Like many others COVID-19 has found me working from home, and having a lot of free time inside, on my hands. As a result I’ve played a lot more video games. I played through Panzer Dragoon Saga, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and most recently, Coffee Talk, a short visual novel about a coffee shop. While I have greatly enjoyed Panzer and FF7, Coffee Talk was easily the game that gave me the most enjoyment and peace of mind. For those that are not aware, visual novels are not conventional video games, they have very little action and often are impossible to fail (so no Game Overs). These games appeal to me as I like reading and despite loving video games for over two decades, I’m honestly not very good at them. Visual novels allow me to get a good story and appreciate the aesthetics of video games without the frustration of failure.

Coffee Talk isn’t a terribly original game, it is very much a product of the “booze em up” (games where you take on the role of a bartender and use the preparation of drinks as the main form of interaction with the other characters) subgenre. In this game you are not a bartender but a barista, working at a late night coffee shop. You come into contact with a variety of characters, including a struggling novelist, a succubus in love with an elf, and a werewolf, among others. The game is short and can be completed in around four hours.

So if it is such an unremarkable game why is it so important? Coffee Talk presents us with a world very similar to the one we live in, racism, xenophobia, greed, stress all exist but in game these issues are addressed through kindness, empathy, and maybe most importantly communication. For most of my life I feel I’ve unfortunately lived in a world where communication is not valued. In my opinion the answer to any problem begins with talking about it. Also the music slaps.

Coffee Talk is available for PC, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch.