Cats & Cups

Cats & Cups is a cozy cat-themed café management game combining charming visuals with engaging drink preparation mini-games. Players serve feline customers by crafting coffees, teas, and croissants while managing stock and upgrades. The art style is vibrant and hand-drawn, enhancing the warm, inviting atmosphere. The game offers a satisfying progression loop through unlocking recipes, improving equipment, and decorating the café.

However, multiple reviews highlight significant issues affecting enjoyment. The in-game economy is unbalanced, with expensive ingredients (notably tea and croissants) yielding little profit, causing frustration and grinding. The tutorial and interface lack clarity, leaving players confused about mechanics like NPC roles and order management. Frequent bugs include persistent thieves stealing money, machines breaking often, and croissants disappearing after shifts. Customer patience timers are tight, making the gameplay feel rushed rather than relaxing. Despite these problems, the developers have been responsive with patches, and many players see strong potential if improvements continue.

Highlights

Players praise the game's adorable art style and cozy atmosphere, with hand-drawn visuals and charming cat characters creating an inviting environment.

The interactive coffee-making mini-games are engaging and enjoyable, adding tactile variety to the management loop. Many appreciate the variety of recipes and the social element of recurring cat customers.

The soundtrack and sound design complement the cozy vibe, and the game offers a satisfying balance between casual play and light challenge for fans of café simulators.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the unbalanced economy, particularly expensive ingredients like tea and croissants that make profitability difficult. This often leads to a frustrating grind.

The tutorial and UI are considered insufficient and unclear, causing confusion about game mechanics, NPC roles, and order management.

Bugs such as persistent thieves stealing money, frequent machine breakdowns, and croissants disappearing after shifts detract from the experience.

Additionally, customer patience timers are too short, making the gameplay feel rushed rather than relaxing, which conflicts with the cozy theme.