Coffee Collides With Animals And Insects In Zipp’s Cafe [Review]

Coffee Collides With Animals And Insects In Zipp’s Cafe [Review]

Get ready to embark on a Noir-style caffeine adventure like never before in Zipp’s Café. The game has more energy than a double espresso and is as addictive as that third cup of coffee you probably shouldn’t have had. From the somber café owner Zipp to the mafia-style baboon, you have an array of characters to talk to and learn about. Not only are you learning each of the 5 characters’ stories but how they all connect with each other, in a Love Actually sort of way, but you’re also serving coffee and food with a myriad of interesting ingredients.

Zipp’s Café is a bittersweet little story of what we have to sacrifice to make a real difference in our lives while meeting extraordinary characters and preparing unusual recipes at the boiling edge of the cities of insects and animals.

The game starts with the player as Zipp, the raccoon café owner who is a reformed criminal, serving caffeinated drinks and food, while also getting “the tea” from his private investigator insect friend. The café sits between a city of animals and a district of insects with a variety of both visiting the coffee shop. Zipp helps a bull in love with a moth escape the clutches of a mafia baboon and assists a cop in getting said mafia boss off the streets.

The gameplay revolved around dialogue interactions with five different characters and making coffee/food orders to perfection. Coffee/tea making is a genuinely fun experience with a fascinating list of ingredients to flavor your coffee such as catnip, oat straw, whisky, and even pollen. The food preparation involves the city’s meat substitute, spicy sauces, and more. You must pay attention to the recipe as each drink and meal is graded on customer satisfaction. The creation of each unique order has a bit of a learning curve but once you figure out how to nail the amounts of each ingredient it’s hard to not get a very satisfied customer.

Graphically, Zipp’s Café is a visual feast. The unique Noir-comic style brings a nostalgic charm while still capturing the dynamic of a refurbished café. You have the option of seeing the game in beautiful color detail or in the classic Noir style of black and white. The detail in the characters’ expressions when they take the first sip of the heavenly brew is nothing short of heartwarming.

While the game is quite short and only gives you three in-game days as the reformed trash panda this game is a prelude to the upcoming Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! At the beginning of each of your café days, you have the opportunity to read the local newspaper which often speaks about these Rooster detectives and gives you a small glimpse of the adventure they will be embarking on.

Zipp’s Cafe will be available on PC through Steam on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.