We’re getting ready to order our coffee with a side of cute this November as Critter Café is almost ready to open up its doors, and welcome players to a world of cosy when it releases for PC and Nintendo Switch on the 26th of November.

Not only have the team at Sumo Newcastle been busy organising the furniture, getting the coffee on to brew and drafting the menu, they’ve also been spilling the beans about this adorable new game with a series of Developer Blogs over on Steam. Players are invited to get a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development journey, find out more about gameplay and characters and get a sneak peek at some of the critters they can prepare to meet.

So grab an apron, your notepad and pen… it’s time to clock in to the world of Critter Café!

LET’S PLAY | MINI GAMES IN CRITTER CAFE

What’s the point of running a café if it’s never open? In Critter Café, you’ll not only be designing cute spaces and rescuing critters, but you’ll be serving up some magical eats and treats to your customers.

Once in the café, players can head over to the register to choose the Critters taking up residence in the space for the day, and who’ll be greeting keen customers when they arrive. Once open for business, you’ll have to work your way around the room, take orders from customers and get to work. The mini-games within the café include pouring the perfect cup of coffee, delivering adorable treats in the correct sequence, designing latte art and cake slicing.

Every ‘shift’ is ranked out of three stars, and by mastering these mini games you’ll be able to delight your customers. Sounding stressful? Don’t worry – your customers will be eager to come back to experience the cute, comfy and critter-filled experience of your Critter Café.

CAFE AU YAY | CUSTOMISING YOUR SPACE

Customisation has always been a primary pillar during the development of Critter Café – with players able to customise their avatar, critters and café space to suit their personality.

Within the café, players will be able to add furniture and choose the layout of their café and whether you’re a fan of open spaces, intimate arrangements, comfy cosy seating or bit tables for everyone to join – you have the option to decide how you arrange your café. You can also mix and match colours of all items within Critter Café to create unified looks, or colourful chaos. Wallpaper, flooring, pictures, accessories, furniture and décor is all up for grabs and you’ll unlock new items to play the more you play.

Best of all, it’s completely free to select or place any new items which means you can shift, swap and scoot your design around as much as you like!

BECOMING BESTIES | CARING FOR YOUR CRITTERS

One of the most anticipated features of Critter Café is the ability to grow relationships with the very cute critters who take up residence in your café. Once you’ve rescued them from fiendish portals, you’ll begin to care for them and strengthen your bond.

Before entering the café, Critters will wind up at The Habitat – a space where you can play with each Critter, pet them, feed them treats and customise their appearance. Players are rewarded for taking the time out to hang with their fluffy friends and get to know them, and will receive more customisation options for critters as their friendship strengthens. Critters are more likely to delight customers in your café if they are well fed, well groomed and feeling loved.

All of your Critters are available within The Habitat – just use the bell by the entrance to call them to you!

PASS THE PORTAL | EXPLORING IN CRITTER CAFE

Wondering how the critters found throughout the world are able to become residents of your cosy café? Portals are the key!

Once you’ve earned a potion through tip-top café management, you’ll be able to head out into the world and open portals to new realms. Inside, you’ll be met with a whole new aesthetic that takes cues from the fantasy genre, and is full of purple skies, ancient ruins, twisting vines and some critters in need of rescue. In puzzles which will increase in difficulty throughout the game, you’ll traverse obstacles, move blocks and smash through amber to make your way towards your cutesy companion.

As you progress, you’ll come across temporary power-ups, new tools and useful additions which will help you navigate the tricky worlds beyond the portals.

BEYOND THE CAFE | THE WORLD OF CRITTER CAFE

Once you step into the world of Critter Café, you’ll discover that there’s so much more to this cosy title than the dream design of your café and that the dazzling Gold Leaf Isle has some stunning places for you to explore.

The first area you’ll travel to is Honeycrisp Grove – a lush green area full of cosy delights that beckons you to stroll amongst its beehives, apple trees and picnic areas. In amidst the peaceful landscape, Honeycrisp Grove is home to some secrets for those willing to explore a bit further. Search enough, and you may come across new pieces of furniture for your café, and new clothing items for customisation. Portals and potions are the key to finding cute Critters to rescue and adopt, and Honeycrisp Grove is a good place to start your hunt for portals to take your first steps in Critter Collecting!

There are so many fun and fantastical things to see in Critter Café, and Honeycrisp Grove is just one of the areas waiting to be discovered.

CRITTER CAFÉ | A NEW LIFE

With Critter Café’s doors about to open, we recognise that people have questions! Where is Critter Café set? How did the Critters get lost in the first place? How am I supposed to choose a favourite Critter?

We can’t give you all the answers, but we can help to shed some light onto what to expect when you land in Critter Café for the first time. When entering the game, you’ll find yourself in the beautiful Gold Leaf Isle and – with the help of some local pen pals – you’ll be tasked to run the café in need of some TLC. Suddenly, you’ll discover a mysterious potion capable of strange portals and meet your first fantastical Critter and that’s where your story really begins.

Maybe you want to focus on making the cutest café possible, or maybe you want to meet all of and form close bonds with the Critters, or maybe you’re a keen explorer and want to get out rescuing critters and finding new areas. Whatever your preferred playstyle, there’s something for you in Critter Café!

SPREADING JOY AND JAM | THE ORIGINS OF CRITTER CAFE

FUN FACT: Critter Café actually started as a Game Jam held at Sumo Newcastle. In partnership with publisher Secret Mode, the studio set out to host an internal event to encourage their team to put pitches together that would fit into Secret Mode’s catalogue of games. Game Programmer Eleanor Gregory rose to the challenge and put together a wholesome idea of a cat café for fantasy animals.

From here, she started bringing the idea to life as a playable demo using Unreal Engine 5 – including early designs for the Critters and experimenting with a first-person camera style.

A lot has changed since then, but the guiding principals of the game to be a cosy and comforting experience with plenty of customisation and cute options for players has never wavered.

ROUND ‘EM UP | MEET THE CRITTERS

Eagle-eyed cosy fans might have already seen some of the adorable fantasy creatures players they can expect to meet in Critter Café when the announcement trailer was released earlier this year… and you can now meet a handful of them!

In the game, you rescue critters them by travelling through mysterious portals and solving puzzles, and are able to bring them back to your café to meet your customers! By spending time and building trust with them, you might just unlock customisations and new appearance for your fuzzy friends.

There are 35 critters to find in the game, with Mogbert acting as the game’s tutorial and mascot.

THE CUSTOMISATION IS ALWAYS RIGHT | SELF-EXPRESSION IN CRITTER CAFE

Since its inception, Critter Café has always wanted to give its players the freedom to express themselves and their style! Featuring genderless character customisation, anyone can select any item, colour or cut when personalising their avatar.

Not only can you customise your character, but the café is a blank canvas just waiting for you to bring it to life! Choose a style you love with themed chairs, tables and decorations as you grow your café… plus the more you investigate your island home and meet its residents, you might just find yourself able to access more items and inspirations for design!

Design, re-design and design again with the option to continually personalise both your character and your café.

You can read more developer diaries and insights like these over on the Critter Café Steam Page.

Critter Café launches on the 26th of November for PC and Nintendo Switch.