All right folks, grab your mugs because today I’m reviewing a board game that’s all about the world’s most beloved bean: coffee. I’ve gathered my group of friends, endured some caffeine-fueled outbursts, and brewed up enough rounds to tell you if this game’s worth pouring out your money for or if it’s just another cup of disappointment. From rules that made us scratch our heads to beans that almost got thrown at each other, here’s my honest review.
How It Plays
Setting up
First, everyone grabs a player board, a set of colorful beans, and a cup token—don’t try to drink this, trust me. Shuffle the coffee cards and deal a starter hand to each player. Place the market board in the middle with ingredient tiles nearby. Put the customer cards in a row. Everyone looks like confused baristas. Great, you’re ready.
Gameplay
On your turn, you’ll play cards, collect beans, and try to brew drinks that match those fussy customer orders. Actions include grabbing new ingredients, upgrading your equipment (I called dibs on the fancy grinder), or sabotaging—er, politely blocking your friends. The market changes each round, so you need to plan ahead but also react when Jenny nabs the last almond milk.
Winning the Game
The game ends when the last customer is served or when everyone is running on pure caffeine and regret. Add up your points from completed orders, upgrades, and maybe a few bonus beans. Whoever brewed the most impressive drinks and scored the most points wins. Gloating is optional, but highly encouraged.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Coffee.
Game Flow and Rule Clarity in Coffee
My first time playing Coffee, I spent more time reading the rulebook than actually brewing a pot. That rulebook is thick enough to double as a coaster, and yes, I spilled my coffee on it. If you ask me, a great board game should let you jump right in — or at least walk in without tripping over ambiguous rules.
Coffee tries hard. It comes with a beautiful rulebook full of fun illustrations. But, between you and me, it’s still a bit wordy. My friend Matt (who thinks a portafilter is some kind of Italian sports car) got lost before the second round. I had to explain the whole “coffee bean roasting” phase three times. The icons on the cards look nice, but you’ll be scratching your head unless you keep the reference sheet handy. I’m all for flavor, but Coffee could use a touch less froth when it comes to the instructions.
On the bright side, once we got through the steamy rule haze, the game flowed like a fresh cup on a rainy morning. Each turn is simple: grab your beans, roast, brew, score. It’s smooth, no bottlenecks, and nobody waits too long — unless Matt’s on his third espresso. Still, that rocky start might scare new players away, and it’s a bummer when everyone just wants to get caffeinated and play.
Next up: how Coffee stirs up some friendly competition (or not), and how many lattes I lost to sneaky moves at the table!
How Players Stir Up Trouble: Interaction and Competitiveness in Coffee
I have played Coffee with four friends, and let me tell you, the player interaction is almost as strong as my morning espresso. When you’re hunched over the table plotting your next move, you can feel the tension brewing. The game has everyone competing for the best beans and upgrades. You have to outthink (and sometimes out-bluff) your buddies to get the richest coffee blend. The table is buzzing with groans and giggles as people snatch the cards you desperately need. Frankly, I snorted when my friend blocked my entire shipment. That sneaky move cost me the round, but it also made the victory taste so much sweeter next time.
Unlike some other games where everyone just builds their own little world and barely looks up, Coffee makes you pay attention to what everyone else is doing, and why they’re suddenly grinning like they’ve had five cups of the real thing. The competitiveness is just right—not mean, but spicy enough to keep you on your toes. There’s a sort of friendly rivalry. Yes, you’ll plot against your friends, but nobody gets so cranky that you want to flip the table (unless you’re running out of snacks, then all bets are off).
Next up, grab your favorite mug and settle in, because we’re about to spill the beans on Coffee’s theme and artwork, which might just be the icing on the cake—or the foam on the cappuccino!
Theme and Artwork: Sipping In The Atmosphere
If you love coffee as much as I do, then you’ll flip for the theme in Coffee. The game oozes caffeine. I mean, everything from the player boards to the resource tokens just screams, “I could really use a latte right now.” My friend Chris actually brought his french press to game night after our first play. True story: he is now not allowed to make the coffee, but his enthusiasm fits the mood of this game perfectly.
The artwork is warm, cozy, and makes you want to wrap yourself in a scarf and pretend you’re in a hip café (even though my kitchen looks more like a storage closet). The cards show different coffee beans, brewing machines, and even spilled coffee (which hit me a little too close to home). The iconography is clear and easy to read — even my friend Jessie, who needs glasses but refuses to wear them, didn’t have trouble figuring things out. Extra points for that.
What really gets me is the attention to detail. Every player mat looks like a different coffee shop. It’s almost enough to make you ignore the fact that you just lost three turns in a row because you forgot to order milk (thanks, game). I actually found myself craving an espresso halfway through — and I blame the board. If you want a game that nails the coffeehouse feel, Coffee knocks it out of the park.
But not everything is a smooth blend, and in the next section I’ll spill the beans on whether luck or strategy has the bigger bite.
Luck or Skill? Brewing the Perfect Game in Coffee
I’ve played Coffee with my regular game night gang enough to know when a game is trying to mess with me. The first time I pulled a key card from the deck, I felt the thrill of sweet luck—like finding a half-full coffee left in the pot at work. But if your strategy is as sharp as a barista’s favorite blade grinder, you’ll do fine most of the time. There’s luck, but it’s not the decider every turn like some games I’ve had to play (looking at you, Monopoly).
Where Coffee gets it right is that you can plan a lot. You decide which beans to gather, when to roast, and how to outmaneuver your caffeine-crazed rivals. That being said, sometimes the cards just hate you. My friend Jess pulls the one wild card she needs to finish her blend, while I sit there with a hand of sad beans and lost dreams. That can be annoying if you like pure strategy, but it rarely feels unfair.
I have to admit: luck gives Coffee the same energy boost as an espresso shot on a rough morning. It keeps things exciting, but if you’re the type who can’t stand even a whiff of randomness, this won’t be your cup of joe. For everyone else, Coffee blends luck and strategy into something enjoyable.
Would I recommend Coffee? If you like a mix of planning and a little sprinkle of chaos, then yes. Pour yourself a mug and give it a spin.
Conclusion
So, is Coffee a steaming cup of joy or a lukewarm drip? After many rounds with my caffeine-loving pals, I can say it’s a tasty little brew for your table. The rules made us scratch our heads for a minute, but gameplay soon went down smooth. There’s a buzz of player interaction that kept us on our toes, and the art made me crave a croissant. Luck does peek in (like that guy who just wants to “smell the beans” at your local café), so super-strategists might not get their perfect blend. But if you want a light, fun game with a warm theme, Coffee won’t leave you bitter. Thanks for sticking around to the very last drop—this concludes my review. Time for another cup!
