Indie cafe game
the potential is strong in this one. I love that u can decorate, not many options tho but understandable since its a game entry. Very cool,not as relaxing as i thought it would be cause of the bell whenever a customer walk in. Still aesthetic is cool
time: ??
"Pandora's Magical Cafe" is a very cute 2D pixelated game that I'm so happy I stumbled upon! Personally, I'm not a huge fan of top-down RPG Maker-ish games, but this was definitely an exception! I loved how I was immediately immersed with very catchy, upbeat, jazzy music. This set an enjoyable tone in this magical world. It took me a second to figure out the controls, for the instructions were not introduced in-game, but one quick scroll along the main page was all I needed. We start off our first day with the chime of the door bell, *ding ding* opening our shop to serve coffee to many unique and adorable characters (i.e. gnomes, frogs, and clowns). I almost wish there was a dialogue when introducing new characters because I want to know their individual names and develop relationships with them! When preparing their order, an animation will pop up of various delicious food. Once the day is over and the cafe closes, we can start upgrading! Some are purely decorative, while others add a variety of foods and drinks for customers to order. Overall, I'm very happy and impressed with the art, animation, and sound design. All together it creates a delightfully joyful atmosphere. You can't help but adore this game!
However, I have a couple suggestions for improvement if this KJam submission was ever going to develop further. First of all, I encountered an annoying bug that got customers stuck in the door. This made my gameplay a lot slower after the 2nd day because each customer would get stuck in the doorway, and they would only walk in if another customer opened the door and got stuck in their place. It's a very frustrating bug that didn't allow me to experience the game as it was intended. Secondly, walking diagonally is a must! It eases the strain when walking around corners, and it'll make it a lot more free-flowing. Lastly, I would add the ability to hold multiple food and drink items. In the chance of this game increasing with levels of difficulty, I think this would make a great addition if customers were to order multiple items too. It would create an additional challenge to serve bigger orders, and keep you on your toes to see many unique combinations!
I honestly fell in love with this charming little game! The music, sound effects, and sprites combined with a lovely color palette fit into a pleasing aesthetic. By fixing one major bug and polishing it up around the edges I can see this expanding with so much potential. I might've gotten a little carried away, but I envision so many ideas and possibilities for the future of this game. I guess you could say this game really bewitched me!
PROS | CONS |
FREE | One Major Doorway Glitch |
Great Sound Design | Some Upgrades are Unpurchaseable |
Beautiful Animation | No In-Game Instructions |
Very Cute Characters & Sprites | Repetitive Grinding |
Overall Aesthetically Pleasing | |
Short (5min - 30min) |