Coffee Bar Simulator Review (PC)

Last week it was PowerWash Simulator 2, and the week before that it was Ultimate Theater Simulator. This week, it’s Coffee Bar Simulator, which, frankly, falls into the same gene pool as, well, thirty-seven other caffeine-doused business simulation games that have released in the past two months, give or take.

Of course, I’d like to say that Digital Melody does it better, but it’s jarring to think just how many of these cafe-centric sandboxes are still floating in orbit. I’m perplexed, really, because where I would usually find no issue with comparing one idea with another of a similar concept, coffee, in all honesty, is the product that, with all due respect, doesn’t need an additional branch. Yet, for Games Incubator, one cup is never enough; you need to consume an entire pot to quench your thirst.

Coffee Bar Simulator certainly looks like a product of Games Incubator’s seemingly infinite abyss of carcass worlds. Moreover, it launders the same gameplay and progression tropes that have been squeezed and rung out in countless other iterations. Sure enough, the product here is different, and the business milestones are different from those that, say, would fit snuggly into a clothing simulator or another irrelevant economic model. But, the simple fact is, Coffee Bar Simulator is, for better or worse, a doppelgänger with a caffeine habit.

Don’t get me wrong, Coffee Bar Simulator isn’t a bad game; it’s just a game that lacks the original markings of a standout experience. Naturally, it is fun to knock back in short bursts, but like all beverages with a little extra sugar in the bottle, too much of it can lead to an unpleasant aftertaste. And in this case, too much coffee can leave you feeling sick to your stomach.

One Final Cup

Digital Melody knows its audience. It knows all too well that, if you simply slot a cash register in a room and leave a few boxes out, someone will happily plod along and fill the role accordingly. It doesn’t make an effort to dangle a carrot on a stick; it simply throws a batch of coffee granules at your head and tells you to make an award-winning macchiato.

Like its kin, Coffee Bar Simulator informs you that, if you sell enough coffee, and if you devote enough of your time to chomping through a list of generic and, let’s face it, soul-crushing store chores, then you will eventually unlock the opportunity to explore more, purchase more, and ultimately, gain more influence over the market. It’s a simple setup that, in all honesty, doesn’t do much to keep you satisfied. Yet, as history has shown us time and time again, it is one that works. And, annoyingly, I’m inclined to agree.

See, Coffee Bar Simulator isn’t a perfect game, but it is one that finds various ways to keep you hooked from the moment you step foot into the cafe to the second you brew your final latte and install your last upgrade. Simply, it bathes in your desperation for another chance to enhance the foundations of a soulless vessel for a business, and frankly, it does a pretty spectacular job of sourcing new milestones for you to capitalize on en route to that all-important hurdle. It’s pointless work for weary travelers, for sure, but it does make for oddly rewarding work, nonetheless. I guess that’s the beauty of chore core culture.

An Extra Slice for Good Measure

Coffee Bar Simulator isn’t just about lattes and mochas; it’s also about confectionaries and dining, appliances and furnishings. True to the point of the genre, the game also comes with a collection of items to install and customize, along with various delicacies and cakes to rustle up and serve for passive cash injections. It’s still a barebones formula that leaves a lot to be desired I’ll admit, though it does add another layer to an otherwise flat experience. It’s still the same basic hook, though, to give credit where credit is due, at least it makes just the faintest of efforts to broaden its appeal.

Suffice it to say that, from an audiovisual standpoint, Coffee Bar Simulator isn’t exactly beaming with solid effects and well-polished design elements. It’s subpar, if anything, and it does lean towards a lot of the same paper thin elements and cardboard aesthetics that we’ve seen in other business simulators. If the glove fits though, I suppose.

There are, rather disappointingly, a few technical bugs that sully the overall gameplay experience here. From cluttered UI to invisible items, inaccessible spaces to inactive objects, true enough, Coffee Bar Simulator does harbor some minor teething problems. Small things, but things that could certainly do with a little extra time in the oven, nonetheless.

With all of the above said, I can’t help but notice that Coffee Bar Simulator reflects its price tag in terms of quality and longevity. All in all, it’s a stretchable affair that relies on the traditional grafting technique of a rags-to-riches business flipper, meaning, so long as you’re willing to subject yourself to repetitive tasks, you should be able to carve a dozen or more hours out of its career mode. If, however, you’re easily distracted and want a little more bang for your buck, then it’s likely that you’ll wind up running on fumes long before the kettle has reached its boiling point. Swings and roundabouts, really.

Verdict

If you’re easily enticed by simple gameplay hooks and A-to-B progression systems that foster more padding than multi-choice crossroads, then you should find what you’re looking for in Coffee Bar Simulator. It’s unlikely that you’ll find it any better than the other caffeine-boosted business rompers on the shelves, but if you’re one for merrily throwing yourself into the thick of mundane chore core duties, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be all that bothered, anyway. The point is, if you enjoy supermarket simulators and all of the pulpy mechanics that come with them, then you won’t find a shortage of gimmicks to chisel through here.