Love, betrayal, and coffee! Zipp's Café is a "noir & chill" little game about a café between the city of animals and the district of insects. Make unusual recipes, get involved in shady dealings, and try to start a new life while searching for love and revenge.
The core gameplay centers around preparing coffee, tea, and various food items for the café's customers. Players must carefully follow specific recipes and instructions to craft each order correctly. This involves precisely measuring ingredients, combining them in the proper sequence, and completing additional steps like steaming milk or adding finishing touches. Many reviewers praised the satisfying nature of this process, with one stating: "The coffee and food making mechanic is well done. It feels easy and never takes very long to complete in order to advance the story." Another noted the "level of detail and care put into simulating the act of crafting a perfect cup of coffee or meal."
While the gameplay revolves around following recipes, the game offers a surprising variety of drink and food items to prepare. In addition to standard café fare, players can craft more unique and imaginative offerings that tie into the game's animal-filled world. As one reviewer put it, you'll be "brewing the most special coffees or teas, preparing unique meals."
Reviewers have frequently highlighted how the café management mechanics feel intuitive and easy to pick up, even for those not typically drawn to simulation games. The controls and interface are described as straightforward, with one player noting they "quickly got the hang of how to find things, how to use them."
While most players seem to enjoy the core café gameplay, some have expressed a wish for more depth or replayability in this aspect of the experience. A few reviewers noted that the minigames, while satisfying, can feel somewhat repetitive over the course of the short playtime. One player commented: "I really enjoyed the story and also the coffee and food making mode. I wish there was a casual mode so I could play it for a longer period of time."