Coffee Caravan Review (PC)

With the alluring scent of a freshly ground cup of coffee still lingering on the tip of my tongue, I sought to embark on a new quest—an entrepreneurial exploit that would allow me the opportunity to brew a fresh pot of espresso each and every morning and earn a sufficient income for my creative endeavors. In my mind, I had the momentum needed to establish the foundations for a successful business on wheels, doubly so, given the fact that I had only just closed the doors to my previous business, PlateUp—yet another money-making venture that had built itself around the concept of delivering high-quality products to consumers in a timely manner. This time, however, it wasn’t to be a menu born from steak fillets and salad dressings, but rather, glorious cups of coffee and ravenously delicious fumes. With that, Coffee Caravan called out, and I accepted the invitation.

In a similar fashion as a lot of culinary simulation games that draw blood from a traditional rogue-like spectrum, Coffee Caravan pits players against an ever-changing procedurally generated environment—a world in which the customers can swing by at a moment’s notice, and the menu can change depending on the assets that you own, and the efficiency of your appliances in the workplace. As the title implies, the game takes place in a ‘meals on wheels’ setting, in which you must transform in order to accommodate larger portions, patrons, and kitchenware. Easier said than done, mind you, what with some of the guests being a little, shall we say, picky about their morning coffee fix.

Anyway, if you are just starting out in Coffee Caravan, or have yet to make the vital decision whether or not to plant roots in the latest business sim, then be sure to read on.

The Fumes of Success

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what Coffee Caravan is all about; in fact, it’s made clear right from the get-go, in the form of a preliminary passage that asks only that you build a business on wheels, and elevate its status in order to host a wealth of guests, as well as a vast array of fresh recipes for the masses. In a typical rogue-like fashion, you must gradually work from scratch, hammering out shifts and acquiring the revenue needed to explore, alter, and upgrade your appliances, skills, and menu, all whilst maintaining the general wellbeing of your customers’ ever-changing tastes and preferences. To accomplish any of these feats, you first need to start out small—in a cozy space that only bears enough wriggle room to house the absolute basics and the beans of a generic brew.

It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise here, but there is a fair amount of learning involved in the process of elevating the bare bones of a small business to a self-sustaining empire of sorts. As with any game that adopts a fast-paced working environment with high stakes, each shift sees you adhering to a carousel-like routine—a cycle that consists of moving between the preparation areas, lumbering ingredients and appliances back and forth, as well as the tables that host your guests. The one major downside to all of this, sadly, is that your guests are tediously impatient, and therefore require the best possible service that you can provide. And that’s where the rogue-like element roles in; in order to actually make a dent in your shift, you’ll need to keep a lid on both duties, respectively, and before the pressure becomes too much to bear.

Make Mine a Macchiato

Don’t get me wrong, Coffee Caravan can be a little tricky at times — especially if you’re relatively new to the rapidly evolving world of business management. With that said, it can become a little easier to manage, provided that you make a genuine effort to learn from your previous mistakes and improve on your existing formulas. As far as actually managing the appliances goes, there isn’t a great deal to keep track of, as you are, more or less, keeping in line with a rather basic set of recipes—americano, cappuccino, espresso, and lattes, being the four most common beverages that promote the day-to-day menu. However, to actually make these drinks, you must also be willing to invest your time and money into purchasing better upgrades—multi-tiered grinders, larger dishwashers, and stress-reducing plants, for example. It’s a simple gameplay loop, for sure, and one that doesn’t require too much effort.

With all of the above said, you shouldn’t let the cutesy art style that Coffee Caravan emits coerce you into believing that it’s a harmless game; on the contrary, it can become a little strenuous, more so if you’re aiming to balance a healthy business-oriented lifestyle with one that’s socially progressive. Alas, this is one of several unavoidable curveballs that you’ll find in Coffee Caravan, and so, if you enjoy putting your skills to the test and hurling yourself through the ringer of a high-octane work ethic, then you’ll no doubt enjoy the trials and tribulations that flesh out the bulk of the game’s core gameplay mechanics. And if not, well, you’ll certainly have plenty of time to practice.

One Cup at a Time

Progression in Coffee Caravan goes a little something like this: you land on a spot on an overarching map, and then use the tools and recipes that you’ve acquired to serve your customers and earn money, after which your objective is to carry your accrued income forward, preferably to a new location. After that, it’s merely the case of starting from scratch, only with more recipes, appliances, and guest spaces. To actually beat Coffee Caravan, you must travel across the map in its entirety, and unlock all of the items from the in-game catalog, as well as serve a few tricky customers, all of whom share the same negative trait of being overly cautious about, well, everything.

If you happen to fail in any of the levels—a consequence of failing to meet the requirements of your customer’s needs—then it isn’t too much of a hassle, as the game simply rewinds the clock and allows you to replay the same section, only without the money that you acquired during your previous attempt. Aside from that, there isn’t too much of a problem; it’s a slap on the wrist, if anything, and so, while you can lose some amount of progress, you can’t really fail the entire game and lose sight of your assets or recipes. All in all, these chapters should take you anywhere from five to six hours to complete — and that includes the achievements that the game houses, too. So, if you had your concerns about having to romp through the same motions several times over, then you honestly needn’t worry too much.

Verdict

Coffee Caravan paints itself as a rogue-like game, and I can sort of see why it gave itself that label. However, it certainly isn’t a ‘get rich or die trying’ sort of ordeal; instead, it’s more of a gentle stroll through the basics, and it doesn’t make a habit out of generating one too many obstacles for you to succumb to — even during the latter portions of the campaign, thankfully. As I said earlier, it can take some getting used to, but due to the fact that it doesn’t conjure up any drastic consequences from failing to make ends meet, these failures don’t often feel all that burdensome, but rather, serve as simple reminders that you need to adopt a different approach moving forward. And honestly, that’s the sort of positivity that we enjoy when it comes to these types of “cozy” games.

Truth be told, Coffee Caravan isn’t all that different from what we’ve already seen in PlateUp; it commemorates all of the same unruly gameplay mechanics and progression systems, and it takes it upon itself to flesh out its world with quirky characters, recipes, and upgrades, too. Add the fact that it also delivers a wholesome soundtrack and a series of fluid and accessible controls, and you’ve got all the right ingredients to make a genuinely enjoyable cup of coffee. Could it do with a little more froth on the top? Perhaps. With that said, for as little as $10—the same price as a standard cappuccino from your local chain store, funnily enough—you can’t really question it all that much. Suffice it to say that, if you love the art of brewing coffee that much, then you’ll no doubt enjoy taking a big ol’ gulp out of this pot.