Barista can't catch a break

introduction

‘Barista can’t catch a break’ is a game where you play as a Barista, serving great coffee through your shifts and getting hot gossip through clientele as they flood through the doors looking for their caffeine fix.

This is a game design document (GDD) that is exploring the cozy game space and how the mechanics could be set up to work for both relaxed gamers as well as those that enjoy a bit of a challenge.

Hope you’re sipping a great brew as I walk you through my process on the creation of my own original blend of fun madness!

Why a barista?

The idea for this project came from a discussion where we spoke of what alternate careers we would think of pursuing in the short term. I mentioned wanting to be a Barista. No job in the hospitality industry is easy, but there is something very calming and methodical about their process, not to mention the delight when you see finished latte art.

While that was the start of this brainchild, my cousin posed a question, which was what if you were a Barista fighting off monsters. It took the the thought process of this game in a fresh new direction, thinking about what these ‘monsters’ would be, and how you might set it in a coffee house.

I ended up putting together the final concept as 2 distinct game modes, with my favourite mode involving the Barista making coffee to a beat as highly dramatic clientele walk in and sing and dance out their emotions while waiting for coffee. A silly thought, but one that made designing the game that much more fun.

Latte Mode

Think of this as a Zen mode, where the Barista is on a slow shift, fulfilling the occasional order and practicing Latte Art or going through the motions of making a cup of coffee. There is no rush in this mode, and no scoring either.

Besides the enjoyment of the process of making coffee, one of the most fun aspects is creating latte art. The process is highly fascinating and requires some level of skill earned through practice. This mode focuses on capturing that delight.

This game mode was inspired by Venba, that takes you through the process of cooking in a tangible and satisfying way.

Story Mode

This would be the equivalent to a ‘campaign’ mode, where the Barista is taught how to make a drink and then finds themselves besieged by dramatic clientele singing, dancing and sharing their tales.

While in the midst of a sing-along, the Barista will be given an order, which updates over time as they go through the process of making the client’s order.

Once the Barista has successfully served them coffee, their clientele’s perspective fueled by caffeine changes and the clients leave on a warm note.
There’s a few games that touch on similar subjects, that inspired this offshoot of the concept, like Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk.

Mechanics

Similar to Venba or Coffee talk, the game takes you through the process in stages.

Baristas first receive an order
In Story Mode, this would be a predetermined order
In Latte mode, this would be a randomized order

Baristas then move to the counter area to determine which recipe to follow / make, which would be determined by the cup / glass shape and size
This makes for a more organic selection of recipes as a visual cue
In Story Mode, Baristas will be prompted, but not in Latte Mode

Following the selection, the screen shifts to display the appropriate utensils to make said drink – from a coffee grinder to percolators and blenders.
This will be similar in appearance to Venba’s structure, where the ingredients, and utensils are provided, with an option to look at a recipe card.
In Story Mode, your manager trains you on how to make the drink, walking you through the process, before the Clients take the stage.
In Latte Mode, Baristas will simply be given the option of a recipe card, with no manager to instruct them.

Baristas finish their drink by adding detail – be it a garnish, latte art, a dusting of cocoa with a stencil or whipped cream.

In Story Mode, Baristas must make the requisite orders, repeating the steps as necessary to ensure clientele leave with their caffeine fix.

In Latte Mode, Baristas can repeat this process of making their choice of drink as many times as they’d like, with Clients picking up their random creations.

Note that for both Modes, there are no timers and no pressure in completing orders in a set amount of time.

GIF credit – Venba

why would this loop feel good?

If you’ve made more than instant coffee before, you’ll find that making coffee can be quite a meditative process, from the grinding of the beans to brewing the coffee, steaming the milk and bringing it all together.

The gameplay intends to touch this concept, maintaining that feel as a core pillar.