Would You Like Coffee to Reminisce?
Tokyo Coffee: Grinding in the Pandemic【Let’s INDIE !】
2024.12.20
【Let’s INDIE !】is periodically featuring spotlight titles introduced at INDIE Live Expo.
Today, we’re publishing a play report on “Tokyo Coffee: Grinding in the Pandemic” presented at “INDIE Live Expo 2024.5.25.”
You are “the owner and barista of a coffee shop—”
The game is set in modern-day Tokyo, at a particular coffee shop.
As the barista, the player reminisces about the times when unique customers visited during the pandemic.
Every customer has their quirky traits, yet it feels like you’ve met them before.
Reflect on one episode at a time and slowly fill in the gaps of the timeline between the pandemic and the present.
Just before the Olympics, the owner and a former part-time employee look back upon the customers.
Episodes Poured to The Brim With Pressure
All the episodes include conversations with customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mandates have been put in place, limiting outings and direct interactions. Along with a prolonged sense of insecurity about the future, restlessness has spread throughout society, leading to feelings of pressure. In this context, customers share changes in their lives, complaints, frustrations, and even hilarious stories or unbelievable rumors.
Words related to COVID-19 are explained in a TIPS format. While they may still be brewing hot in our minds, it might simmer down in a few years.
As customers visit frequently, the player will begin to notice changes in their environment and perception.
Even at the most bitter times during the pandemic, when feelings of hopelessness prevailed, there were moments of sweetness. Those who embraced positivity and enjoyment may resonate with players who have experienced the same.
Linking the episodes to the real-world timeline, it was more than just looking at the reflection in the coffee and saying, “It is what it is.” There was a sense of strength and hope in an otherwise stagnated society.
It’s important to listen to their frustrations, but there will also be plenty of caffeinated conversations.
A Game Where Anyone Can Brew the Best Experience
As the barista, it’s important to brew coffee while engaging in conversations with the customers as you think about the past.
Simulate a barista preparing a cup for the customer through careful steps, from selecting the coffee beans and grinding them with a mill to brewing the perfect cup.
Brewing coffee is recreated as a simple mini-game. For someone like me, who generally prefers instant coffee and isn’t familiar with the proper brewing techniques, it was a delightful experience.
The mini-game will leave a sweet aftertaste as players learn to brew coffee.
Brew coffee efficiently, without unnecessary complications. By the way, what does it mean to “bloom the coffee?”
The owner of the coffee shop must be meticulous about the quality of the coffee served.
Be careful with each step of making coffee. Brew a bad cup, and the player will receive poor feedback, while conversations with customers will be interrupted.
Failing to meet the customer’s expectations will result in a ‘Failed’ outcome, causing you to restart the episode.
As the game progresses, customers begin to expect higher-quality coffee, while the player’s coffee skills also improve. Experience a sense of growth as the player learns to brew delicious coffee.
Learn a new skill each time you brew a cup.
Even in failure, you can acquire new skills—keep brewing!
A game akin to a personal journal, preserving moments from the COVID-19 era and offering various perspectives for future generations.
As the world slowly returns to what it once was, why not enjoy it with a cup of coffee in hand for a taste of nostalgia?
Title: Tokyo Coffee: Grinding in the Pandemic
Publisher: Heaviside Creations [Official Site (JP)/Official X (JP)]
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2885880/Tokyo_Coffee_Grinding_in_the_Pandemic/
Price: $9.99