Barista Simulator Early Access Preview

Barista Simulator offers an interesting intersection for simulation and coffee fans ? Ideally Barista Simulator should be an enjoyable, immersive game that puts you behind the counter of a bustling coffee shop. From whipping up the perfect espresso to interacting with customers, you’ll be kept on your toes as you manage the day-to-day operations of your cafe. But is it? In this review, we’ll cover if it’s worth a try for any aspiring baristas.

For gamers looking for a new game to try out, Barista Simulator may seem like an interesting choice. However, after playing the game for a few hours, I’m unimpressed.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Barista Simulator is incredibly simplistic. You are tasked with making coffee for customers, taking orders, and cleaning up after them. From the moment you wake up to the time you go to sleep. In the beginning, you will have a simple espresso machine, a grinder and some coffee beans. With 3 items, there are about 6 interactions that you have to go through, before you serve one cup of coffee to a customer. God forbid if they ask for a triple shot.

You can buy more efficient espresso machines to make your life simpler, but for that you need to take loans especially in the initial part of the game, and that’s just slavery with extra steps.

The tasks quickly become repetitive and boring, and there is no real challenge. I understand the need to stick to realism when it comes to simulation game, but I find myself hard pressed to come up with a coffee owner who starts his cafe with a manual grinder, and can only serve espresso on its opening day.

What I am trying to say is that the game becomes repetitive much sooner than it becomes interesting. If the point of boredom had come at a time when my barista was flourishing with hundreds of customer each day, and 3 people under my employment, maybe I would have been kinder to this game.

Graphics

The graphics are mediocre at best. The textures are low-resolution and the character models are blocky. It’s very standard for Simulator games, so I wasn’t disappointed or blown away. The environment is not particularly detailed either.

The good thing about it is that it will probably work on any system configuration without any hassles.

I had initially tried the game on my Steam Deck in hand-held mode, and the controls were a little tedious to execute smoothly. It was better when I switched to a keyboard and mouse attachment and that is definitely how the game is supposed to be played.

Final Impressions

I guess, I was looking for something like “Coffee Talk” when I decided to play Barista Simulator. Instead I got a life lesson on why “Opening a Retirement Coffee Shop” is not a good idea. 

In conclusion, Barista Simulator is a disappointing game. The gameplay is repetitive and boring, and the graphics are mediocre. I would not recommend this game to anyone, even if they are looking for a casual gaming experience.