Review: Disney Villains Cursed Cafe Lets Bad Guys Ham It Up

Ever since Toge Production’s indie game Coffee Talk became a visual novel and simulation sensation, we’ve seen a number of developers try to mimic the experience of working as a barista to make drinks while also getting involved in customer’s lives. Some of these end up being relatively successful too! Bloom Digital Media and Disney now opened shop with Disney Villains Cursed Cafe for a new take on the concept with a similar sort of game. It’s absolutely geared more toward fans of the movies and characters within and a little simple, but will likely spark joy with its charm and silliness. We don’t actually get to know much about “ourselves” during Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. Things begin with us looking for a job and finding a help wanted ad for The Cursed Cafe. It lists things like requirements and duties, which you can react to with dialogue options. When we head to the place to apply with Mr. Magus, we find a dilapidated restaurant with an odd book floating in midair. Reading the spell within “opens” the shop, transforming it into a vibrant place filled with colorful, iconic villains from Disney series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQDSRD4B8a4&ab_channel=NintendoofAmerica From there, Ursula from The Little Mermaid walks us through running the place. Because apparently showing up was enough to become the new Potionista, and she doesn’t seem to know any Mr. Magus. Throughout your shift, a handful of villains will come to the counter. You choose which ones to serve. They’ll talk about what’s going on in their daily, sometimes not even malicious, lives and ask for a potion. You then brew something from them, either giving exactly what they ask for or what you think they need. You then see more of their story. Yzma also shows up to sell “Do-Over Doppio” options that let you rewind the day and make other choices. But basically you talk to someone, toss two or three ingredients into the kettle, and brew something up for them. It’s very easy and forgiving. Disney Villains Cursed Cafe for sure follows the Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk game formula. So much so that after you select a customer, they will even banter with whoever else also was waiting for a drink. However, I will say it feels a little less involved than either one. Brewing potions is incredibly simple, as is meeting needs of the folks you’re talking to. While everyone does have their own storyline, they also don’t feel as intricate. This means going into it, someone should realize this really is a visual novel with occasional drink selections and not a more involved situation. Images via Disney That said, the visual novel elements do work pretty well! While some of your dialogue choices don’t really change the story and just alter the character’s reaction in the game, I loved the depiction of the baddies in Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. This is a modernized take on them, and we’re also seeing them all when they are off the clock. It means they can be quite silly. Some do feel a bit better written than others, as I really loved the responses from people like Maleficent, Ursula, Gaston, Jafar, and Yzma. But there were some times when I didn’t find folks like Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and the Evil Queen as entertaining. I loved hearing Hook and Maleficent discuss the cursing of children, as well as seeing Gaston distracted by cat videos on his phone! This also extends to the presentation. I really like the art direction and ambiance Bloom offered in this adventure. The new character designs are fantastic, and I loved all the costume choices for Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. I wish there’d been a bit more voice acting, rather than occasional sound bit effects like a laugh. It all stays very colorful and true to the source materials, which I appreciated. Images via Disney As someone who did grow up with all of these movies and love them, I do wish that a few more classic baddies ended up in the game. The characters we do see in Disney Villains Cursed Cafe are fantastic! But what about Hades? Where's Dr. Facilier, who I feel would really have fit in well here? I bet Shan Yu could really use a drink! (Let's not talk about how I would have loved to see a catboy take on Scar.) I guess I should be pleased that there's some acknowledgement of The Emperor's New Groove, which is an underrated classic. It won’t be the most challenging game you’ll play, but Disney Villains Cursed Cafe will delight fans of the stories and baddies starring in it. It’s a very relaxed experience. You never need to worry about the consequences. It’s about enjoying the moment with over-the-top personalities and potentially affecting the course of their adventures in the process. That said, the ease of it and focus on prior knowledge of the enemies within mean that, unlike similar games Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk, you do need a level of knowledge or investment to get the most enjoyment out of it. Disney Villains Cursed Cafe is available for t

Apr 2, 2025 - 21:29

Review: Disney Villains Cursed Cafe Lets Bad Guys Ham It Up

Ever since Toge Production’s indie game Coffee Talk became a visual novel and simulation sensation, we’ve seen a number of developers try to mimic the experience of working as a barista to make drinks while also getting involved in customer’s lives. Some of these end up being relatively successful too! Bloom Digital Media and Disney now opened shop with Disney Villains Cursed Cafe for a new take on the concept with a similar sort of game. It’s absolutely geared more toward fans of the movies and characters within and a little simple, but will likely spark joy with its charm and silliness.

We don’t actually get to know much about “ourselves” during Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. Things begin with us looking for a job and finding a help wanted ad for The Cursed Cafe. It lists things like requirements and duties, which you can react to with dialogue options. When we head to the place to apply with Mr. Magus, we find a dilapidated restaurant with an odd book floating in midair. Reading the spell within “opens” the shop, transforming it into a vibrant place filled with colorful, iconic villains from Disney series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQDSRD4B8a4&ab_channel=NintendoofAmerica

From there, Ursula from The Little Mermaid walks us through running the place. Because apparently showing up was enough to become the new Potionista, and she doesn’t seem to know any Mr. Magus. Throughout your shift, a handful of villains will come to the counter. You choose which ones to serve. They’ll talk about what’s going on in their daily, sometimes not even malicious, lives and ask for a potion. You then brew something from them, either giving exactly what they ask for or what you think they need. You then see more of their story. Yzma also shows up to sell “Do-Over Doppio” options that let you rewind the day and make other choices. But basically you talk to someone, toss two or three ingredients into the kettle, and brew something up for them. It’s very easy and forgiving.

Disney Villains Cursed Cafe for sure follows the Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk game formula. So much so that after you select a customer, they will even banter with whoever else also was waiting for a drink. However, I will say it feels a little less involved than either one. Brewing potions is incredibly simple, as is meeting needs of the folks you’re talking to. While everyone does have their own storyline, they also don’t feel as intricate. This means going into it, someone should realize this really is a visual novel with occasional drink selections and not a more involved situation.

Review: Disney Villains Cursed Cafe Lets Bad Guys Ham It Up game — Images via Disney

That said, the visual novel elements do work pretty well! While some of your dialogue choices don’t really change the story and just alter the character’s reaction in the game, I loved the depiction of the baddies in Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. This is a modernized take on them, and we’re also seeing them all when they are off the clock. It means they can be quite silly. Some do feel a bit better written than others, as I really loved the responses from people like Maleficent, Ursula, Gaston, Jafar, and Yzma. But there were some times when I didn’t find folks like Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and the Evil Queen as entertaining. I loved hearing Hook and Maleficent discuss the cursing of children, as well as seeing Gaston distracted by cat videos on his phone!

This also extends to the presentation. I really like the art direction and ambiance Bloom offered in this adventure. The new character designs are fantastic, and I loved all the costume choices for Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. I wish there’d been a bit more voice acting, rather than occasional sound bit effects like a laugh. It all stays very colorful and true to the source materials, which I appreciated.

As someone who did grow up with all of these movies and love them, I do wish that a few more classic baddies ended up in the game. The characters we do see in Disney Villains Cursed Cafe are fantastic! But what about Hades? Where's Dr. Facilier, who I feel would really have fit in well here? I bet Shan Yu could really use a drink! (Let's not talk about how I would have loved to see a catboy take on Scar.) I guess I should be pleased that there's some acknowledgement of The Emperor's New Groove, which is an underrated classic.

It won’t be the most challenging game you’ll play, but Disney Villains Cursed Cafe will delight fans of the stories and baddies starring in it. It’s a very relaxed experience. You never need to worry about the consequences. It’s about enjoying the moment with over-the-top personalities and potentially affecting the course of their adventures in the process. That said, the ease of it and focus on prior knowledge of the enemies within mean that, unlike similar games Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk, you do need a level of knowledge or investment to get the most enjoyment out of it.

Disney Villains Cursed Cafe is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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