Do you like the idea of being a barista, but find yourself too scared of the high-stress environment to apply? Whatever your answer is, “Good Coffee, Great Coffee” is a free mobile game here to give you all the cozy fun of owning a coffee shop without the crushing pressure of keeping a business afloat in this economy.
Mobile game developer TapBlaze recently released its second restaurant simulator following the success of 2014’s “Good Pizza, Great Pizza.” This coffee-slinging sequel has been widely anticipated by fans of its pizza parlor predecessor, but does it measure up?
Welcome to the aptly named Coffee City. You’re the new brewist in town trying your hand at the cafe business, and your customers are already clamoring for caffeine. Now is your chance to hone your skills and pass the World Coffee Association’s trials, all while unlocking new recipes and decorating your cafe.
The gameplay loop is repetitive but engaging as each drink recipe requires a slightly different process to make. The first few days will have you sticking to espresso shots and Americanos, but you’ll unlock more ingredients to create new drinks as you progress through the game.
No two days will be exactly the same, and the varying complexity of the orders will always keep you on your toes.
While there is a lot to enjoy about “Good Coffee, Great Coffee,” some aspects of gameplay will leave the audience with a bitter taste in their mouths. The mechanics can be complicated to get the hang of — preparing warm milk for lattes in particular leaves some players steamed — and small errors can ruin the drink if you’re not careful.
This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if there was a way to check what was wrong with the order, like in similar games in the “Papa Louie” franchise. But in this game you can hand over what you’re sure is a perfectly made drink, only to be left wondering why a customer is mad at you. Sure you brewed the espresso to perfection, but you forgot a fourth pump of strawberry syrup and you deserve to feel bad about it.
The game’s recipe book has a specific order for adding ingredients which really doesn’t need to be followed and often ends up overcomplicating the process. Trying to measure exactly six parts milk or water can be both frustrating and inaccurate, possibly leading to a lower score despite following the game’s instructions.
A quick tip: you’ll have a much easier time adding the other ingredients first and then filling the glass to the top. Don’t bother using the recipe book for anything other than checking which ingredients you need.
Latte art can also be a source of frustration in the beginning, but only because the game doesn’t bring attention to a key feature. There is a “symmetry” button on the latte art screen which will automatically mirror your design. This makes it much easier to quickly and cleanly create the art, especially if you’re playing on a small phone screen.
It’s easier to overlook some of the smaller annoyances once you’ve figured out how to play around them, as the game provides an otherwise lovely experience in comparison to other free-to-play mobile games. “Good Coffee, Great Coffee” has only been out since February 2025, so hopefully the developers will listen to player feedback and make some quality-of-life changes.
While this game has some growing to do before it attains parity with its predecessor, we can look forward to seeing what TapBlaze has brewing for future updates.
With a cozy vibe and challenging but engaging gameplay loop, “Good Coffee, Great Coffee” is a wonderful game for any blossoming barista. You should probably grab a brew before downloading though. If you weren’t craving coffee before, you certainly will be soon.
