The highly-anticipated Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is slated for release later this spring, bringing with it new drinks and fresh faces. The sequel comes from Toge Productions, which alongside the first Coffee Talk has released other beloved titles like A Space for the Unbound, and Chorus Worldwide, a publisher which specializes in indie games. Screen Rant had the opportunity to play through a special demo of Coffee Talk Episode 2 that covered the first four days of café business.
For fans of cozy games, Coffee Talk Episode 2 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated 2023 indie titles. Episode 2 drops players right back into the Seattle coffee shop they know and love with a few new twists, beginning with the ingredients stocked. Hibiscus and butterfly pea tea are two new options when it comes to making drinks, with both providing several new beautifully colorful beverage recipes to discover. A new item drawer also adds an element of gameplay; here players can store things left at the shop and give them to patrons alongside a drink – for example, a postcard from Freya left for Jorji – furthering the story.
Hibiscus & Butterfly‘s phone mechanics work identically as they do in the original Coffee Talk game, with the same four apps at players’ disposal: social networking site Tomodachill, the handy Brewpad for drink making, The Evening Whisperss full of heartfelt op-eds, and Shuffld for the shop’s music. Alongside the same-styled profiles of the first title, Tomodachill now features a Stories page where characters will share status updates, adding a new dimension to the in-game narrative.
The game features both new and returning characters to the coffee shop, providing a nice balance of preexisting familiarity and fresh faces. Although Coffee Talk‘s beloved Freya is currently away – at least during the first four days of Hibiscus and Butterfly – others like Jorji, Rachel, Aqua, Myrtle, and Gala all make appearances. Notably, Neil from the original cozy indie game has returned sans space suit, and now goes by the name Silver.
The new characters introduced in Hibiscus and Butterfly have interesting stories to tell, with a few narratives beginning to unfold in the first few days. There’s the shy banshee Riona, who’s trying to make it as a singer but is reluctant to use online methods to grow her audience, and the unlikely friendship that begins to form between her and the outgoing influencer Lucas. The other plot introduced surrounds Amanda, a mysterious newcomer who wears the same style of space suit Silver did in the first game, and newspaper headlines about aliens and an agent that comes looking for Amanda suggest there’s much more to be unraveled.
It’s clear that the same intimate style of visual novel storytelling of the first Coffee Talk is present in its sequel, presenting a nice mix of new and continuing narratives. The changes in mechanics like the item drawer help add new elements to serving customers their drinks, while still being subtle enough to make players feel like they’ve returned to the same familiar place. It’s unknown just how long it will take for the full story to play out, but the first four days of Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly are a strong set-up for the full experience players will have with the game later this year.
Source: Chorus Worldwide Games/YouTube
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly will release April 20 for PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and Steam. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam demo code for the purpose of this preview.