There are plenty of cute management sims out there whether it’s something more kid-friendly like Animal Crossing, more intense like Stardew Valley, or unique like Spiritfire. Cat Cafe Manager is dream management game for cat people.
Cat Cafe Manager trims the fat to make the management sim feel cumbersome. You don’t have to wait long for cooking and interacting with customers or cats is quick and painless. For the twenty or so minutes that I got to play with the game, there was a very smooth flow. You start building your cafe by choosing your first cat. Customers tend to prefer a specific type of cat, whereas cats have a characteristic for specific customers. A cat will come after a customer’s meal and give them a hug if they are consistent. Then the customer will be happier than originally planned.
As your cafe progresses, you will find different paths. As you continue to build their trust in you by feeding them, you will be able to adopt them with each cat with specific traits. Eventually, the local townspeople will dine in your cafe where you can interact and develop friendships that will lead the story. Customers will also include people who run other shops in the city, where you can buy things like dishes, furniture and ingredients.
You will also come across a cat temple, which will allow you to level up various skill trees that strengthen your cat care. As your cafe grows and you attract enough customers, you’ll level up which increases your stats and more or less helps you do certain tasks like cooking or cleaning faster.
I know it all sounds straightforward, but Cat Cafe Manager seems to be a “what you see is what you get” type of experience and it’s not particularly a bad thing. I didn’t get to play it for very long, but as someone who isn’t too keen on a management sim,
I feel like it respects your time and doesn’t make you wait for anything Is. There is always something that will help your cafe grow or adopt a few more cats. It’s a basic enough concept, but it does everything it sets out to do well. In full release,
I look forward to knowing how deep the relationship with the townspeople will be in the long run. Whether or not their stories will have a level of depth that makes me care about them and this city is yet to be seen, but it will be needed for Cat Cafe Manager to stand out in their style.