Espresso Tycoon

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"Espresso Tycoon" is a business simulation game where you build and manage your own coffee shop franchise. You'll need to choose the right locations, select and upgrade equipment, and create popular coffee blends to satisfy customer demands. The ultimate goal is to become the dominant player in the coffee market and expand your business globally.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 460 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The game offers a lovely and relaxing experience, perfect for casual gamers.
Players enjoy the ability to create and customize their own drinks, adding a personal touch to the gameplay.
The tutorial is well-structured, making it easy for new players to understand the mechanics and enjoy the game.

The game can become repetitive quickly, with limited long-term engagement after completing the campaign.
There are several bugs and performance issues, including AI pathfinding problems and crashes during gameplay.
The economic system feels unbalanced, with some customer demands being unrealistic and leading to frustration.

story
111 mentions
11 % positive mentions
86 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily delivered through a series of ten missions that function more as tutorials than a cohesive narrative, introducing players to various mechanics and challenges. While some players appreciate the structured learning experience, many criticize the repetitive nature of missions, inconsistent difficulty, and a lack of engaging storytelling elements, leading to a sense of boredom after completing the campaign. Overall, the missions are seen as enjoyable but lacking depth, with a desire for more content and a richer narrative experience.
- “The missions are enjoyable, if not a little too easy.”
- “The campaign missions are of medium complexity and provide you with detailed tutorials on how to successfully run your cafe.”
- “I loved the missions and really enjoyed the game a lot.”
- “The whole 'it's a prize you won!' storyline falls very flat, and the reward for 'beating the level' is just moving on to the same song and dance.”
- “There is a 'campaign', which is really just a set of scenario-based missions that collectively work as a tutorial.”
- “The missions are essentially tutorials that teach you the mechanics of the game and don't go much further beyond that.”
gameplay
96 mentions
19 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mix of management and customization, allowing players to design their own coffee shop and create unique coffee recipes. While the mechanics are engaging and offer some depth, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, often feeling like a prolonged tutorial with limited challenges. Overall, the game is enjoyable for casual play, but it may not sustain long-term interest due to its monotonous gameplay loop and the need for more diverse content.
- “Espresso Tycoon offers an enjoyable experience with interesting and rewarding mechanics, along with a fair share of depth that can be appealing to both casual and experienced players.”
- “The gameplay mostly revolves around micromanaging multiple aspects: first, you need to have a coffee shop that is decently decorated and free of garbage, and second, you need a menu that satisfies every group’s preference.”
- “The campaign eases you into the different parts of the gameplay and introduces you to the 10 beautiful locations, but the meat of the game comes after, in the sandbox.”
- “It kind of feels like a very long tutorial; the gameplay itself is mediocre and the challenges are nonsensical.”
- “The core gameplay mechanics of the espresso simulator tend to loop in a monotonous pattern, lacking the variety needed to sustain engagement.”
- “The gameplay can be a bit slow and repetitive at times; expect to spend a bunch of time at the start of a level to slowly earn money from sales to afford more decorations.”
graphics
60 mentions
50 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and charming art style, while others criticize graphical issues and subpar character design. Many appreciate the immersive atmosphere created by the graphics and music, but note that optimization problems can hinder performance. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered appealing, there are calls for improvements and better attention to detail.
- “The graphics are amazing and the fact that you actually have to think of a strategy to progress in each campaign makes it even better.”
- “The game's graphics and animations create a charming coffee shop atmosphere, while the soothing background music enhances the immersion.”
- “Beautiful graphics, gorgeous locations.”
- “The graphics are not good, but the gameplay makes up for it.”
- “Game seems like a nice simulator, but it's not optimized. I have a GTX 1660 and I play open world games with better graphics at 60+ fps, not 50 like this game. It also has poor character design and AI voices at the beginning for some reason.”
- “The graphics are a bit disappointing and the interface gets a bit tedious when you are making the drinks with the different layers.”
music
30 mentions
13 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the soothing background tracks that enhance the coffee shop atmosphere, while others find the music repetitive and lacking variety. Some users specifically request more chill music and a soundtrack collection, highlighting the importance of engaging audio in creating an immersive experience. However, there are notable criticisms regarding the absence of culturally relevant music for different settings, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “I also love the different groups of people you have to try to please with custom coffees, music, and decor.”
- “The game's graphics and animations create a charming coffee shop atmosphere, while the soothing background music enhances the immersion.”
- “But the music is so good, always buy the jukebox as early as you can :)”
- “Decoration music is played every time when the decoration menu is opened, which is annoying; it should just keep playing the coffee shop music.”
- “The visuals are semi-realistic, leaning more toward the usual 'simulator-style', accompanied by a catchy soundtrack, which can be a bit repetitive.”
- “The redundant, repetitive, non-immersive sounds and music that are in the game are bad, bad, bad.”
grinding
26 mentions
4 % positive mentions
12 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed reception towards the grinding aspect of the game. While some players enjoy the hardcore grinding for achievements, many find it tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to managing resources and adapting to frequently changing trends. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I'm not grinding coffee beans, I'm grinding my time to complete the achievements.”
- “Just incredibly grindy.”
- “It can get tedious when you have made a really good drink that matches a social group's criteria (especially one with a milk foam top) - and then you realize you forgot to add one ingredient and you have to remove the milk foam etc to add the ingredient and then put the milk foam back on top for the latte art.”
stability
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
-17 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting occasional bugs and glitches, particularly related to NPC behavior and first-person gameplay. While some users found these issues to be minor and manageable, others noted that they detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game is considered enjoyable despite its stability concerns.
- “I've seen no glitches or crashes at all.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any interruptions.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or freezes.”
- “It is buggy.”
- “However, I've encountered a few glitches along the way.”
- “NPCs get stuck, have animation glitches, and are generally just very dumb.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including lag and blurred textures, even on high-end PCs. Others report a smoother experience with only minor frame drops and no bugs. Overall, the game's optimization appears inconsistent, leading to varied player experiences.
- “Throughout my playthrough, I haven’t encountered a single bug in the game; also, the performance is really good, with some mild frame drops here and there.”
- “I have not encountered any bugs and the game runs smoothly.”
- “Alright optimization”
- “It also has a lot of performance issues in free play, where my PC should not have any with a R9 5900X and a 7900 GRE.”
- “Textures get blurred for optimization while I'm not zoomed out enough.”
- “Feels unoptimized and laggy; all the voices sound so monotone and AI-generated.”
replayability
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the sandbox mode and its variety of challenges, others criticize the limited replay value due to a concise completion time and lack of gameplay diversity. There are hopes for future updates to enhance replayability, but currently, it may only appeal to casual players seeking a brief distraction.
- “This also gives great replay value.”
- “The sandbox mode gives it a lot of replayability with its 10 level designs and endless challenges and quests to keep you busy.”
- “Basically little replay value for that money.”
- “With a concise completion time and a lack of varied gameplay, Espresso Simulator may lack the replay value that keeps players coming back for another round.”
- “I have high hopes that the devs will listen to suggestions from players and will add features to this game to help increase the replayability.”
humor
7 mentions
86 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding it charming and amusing, particularly in the context of naming coffees and the AI interactions. However, others feel that the attempts at humor often fall flat or become annoying, suggesting a lack of consistency in comedic delivery. Overall, while there are moments of humor, they may not resonate with all players.
- “Found it charming, fun, and the AI hilarious.”
- “It was funny and a little spark.”
- “The story is funny.”
- “It's not funny, it's just annoying.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
- “I expected humor, but it was more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a charming coffee shop setting enhanced by soothing background music, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. While some users note a dirty ambiance in certain cafes, the overall vibe is described as tranquil and enjoyable, particularly in picturesque locations like Indonesia. Players appreciate the blend of responsibilities and leisure, making it feel like a dream job in a serene environment.
- “The game's graphics and animations create a charming coffee shop atmosphere, while the soothing background music enhances the immersion.”
- “Indonesia - underrated, the cafe atmosphere in Indonesia is literally among mountains and monkeys.”
- “The cafe atmosphere is absolutely dirty but it won't kill you.”
- “This game is like having a job you'll never have in real life that consists of chill tunes, a relaxing atmosphere, and having this overwhelming feeling of being relaxed while making the coffee shop of your dreams and dealing with the responsibilities that come with it.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, lacking genuine effort or creativity. Players initially need to manage resources carefully, but once they reach a certain level, they can invest in upgrades and marketing, although the effectiveness of these investments is questioned due to misleading advertising.
- “Clearly no love or passion whatsoever is being put into making this game; this is just a cash grab.”
- “But like most game advertising... lies.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for its poor design and subpar AI voice acting, detracting from the overall experience. While the game offers a nice simulation aspect, these shortcomings in character presentation and optimization have left players disappointed.
- “The game seems like a nice simulator, but it's not optimized. I have a GTX 1660 and I play open-world games with better graphics at 60+ fps, not 50 like this game. It also has poor character design and AI voices at the beginning for some reason.”
- “Character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the characters on any meaningful level.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression leaves the experience feeling flat and unengaging.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express disappointment over the emotional impact of the game, noting that while the artwork is poignant and moving, it is overshadowed by poor development and lack of attention to detail, leading to a frustrating experience.
- “It is sad and heartbreaking, really. When some great artwork is overshadowed by poor development and a lack of attention to detail, it feels like a real disappointment.”