I wouldn't normally write reviews this early on but I wanted to for this one because I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. This review is as of 0.8.1
As mentioned above, I normally like to wait until further on in development before thinking about writing reviews, but this one, while still early, had more content than I expected. I spent a solid, full afternoon with a big smile on my face while reading through this.
The writing and story aren't going to win any big awards, but honestly, I like it that way. The title is Cosy Cafe and the whole time, it did feel very warm and wholesome. There is some plot in the background that I enjoyed, and again, while not ground breaking, serves its purpose quite well. It's nothing too complicated or convoluted at the moment, which makes the main part of the game rise to the forefront.
That main part is the girls. It's a harem game and as you might expect, this comes with a few harem tropes that you've come to know. The love interests all get quite cozy with the MC very quickly. That being said, with the pace of the game, it doesn't feel jarring.
Some games like to put a lot of fluff in between content with love interests where endless words, plot, lore and other such things get crammed down your throat. Others have an enaging, well written novel that sucks you in. For some games, this works and I love well written slow burn games. Some of which I nearly skip the sex scenes because it's the story that keeps me there. This one is not one of those games. I like the story and it serves as an anchor for the rest of the game, but every tangent almost always wraps up quickly and brings you right back to developing your relationship with the girls.
The girls themselves are adorable. They each have their own personalities, and while not original archetypes, still somehow manage to tug at your heartstrings. The dynamic between the MC and LIs is polygamous in nature rather than polyamorous. In layman's terms, this basically means that the MC is the only male that matters (No NTR). He even says up front to every girl that joins the harem that he gets to sleep around and they don't. In reality this would obviously be quite toxic but you're not playing this game for its realism, and naturally none of the girls want anyone else anyway.
There is an emphasis towards D/s power exchange dynamics between the MC and the LIs. It's not over the top kinky bondage supreme, but it works and I prefer it that way. It might not be the most realistic portrayal but for a game like this I don't think a more realistic approach would work anyway. Definitely a good game though if you like being called Master a lot and giving out a lot of spankings.
And as a few final notes. The music is cute and cozy like the rest of the game, though there isn't a very large soundtrack. This isn't a big deal though and I never found myself wanting.
The renders however were a highlight for me. There are some aspects of the renders that look odd, like some 2d textures on like the elbows or something, but everything else is quite nice. I stopped a couple times to admire the skin in a couple scenes where I could see the goosebumps on one of the girls' breasts, and again around the pubic area. I've seen some really good looking renders of girls in a lot of games here, and even the best of them have the most flawlessly smooth skin where there would normally be pubic hair. The girls in this one (so far) are all shaved but you can even see the bumps of the follicles where the hair would normally be. It's a small detail that stood out to me that I didn't know I would appreciate until I saw it. Maybe that's a small or weird thing but it made it feel more real to me. The models may not look photorealistic or whatever but they have a uniqueness to them that makes them stand apart.
Anyways, I've rambled on enough now. I am very much looking forward to future updates for this one and recommend giving it a try.
