How To Play: Coffee

So you want to rule the coffee world, eh? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve had plenty of late nights with friends playing How To Play coffee, so my advice comes with a side of caffeine shakes. In this guide, you’ll find a quick outline of the rules, plus all the best strategies for winning. Spoiler: Don’t spill the beans, literally or figuratively!

Overview

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 48 Coffee Bean Tokens
• 30 Customer Cards
• 12 Café Upgrade Tiles
• 5 Player Mats
• 5 Wooden Barista Meeples
• 1 Start Player Token
• 50 Coins
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Coffee: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the game board in the middle of your table. Make space for spilled coffee. Trust me, you’ll need it.
2. Shuffle the bean cards and deal three to each player. These are your starting beans. Try not to eat them.
3. Set up café tokens in a pile next to the board.
4. Choose a starting player. If you can’t agree, the last person to drink coffee gets the honor.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw one bean card.
2. Move your coffee mug token along the route. You can only move up to two spaces unless sabotaged or fueled by an espresso shot.
3. Collect beans, brew coffee, or upgrade your café. Each action costs beans, so plan wisely.
4. After your turn, pass play to the left. No skipping unless your mug flips off the board (this actually happened to me once).

Winning

1. The first player to brew three perfect cups of coffee wins the game.
2. Alternatively, if the bean deck runs out, the player with the most completed orders wins. Yes, it sometimes comes down to the wire!

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If you draw a “Spill” card, you must skip your next turn while you mop it up (and explain yourself).
2. Café upgrades give special powers. For example, the Fancy Latte Machine lets you brew two cups at once, but costs extra beans.
3. If two players reach the winning condition in the same round, have a sudden death brew-off: fastest player to collect a set of three beans from the pile wins. It’s intense!

With these rules, you’re set for your first game. Trust me, after a round or two, you’ll tell everyone you know How To Play coffee—and probably need an actual cup.

Best Coffee Strategies

Master the Java: Optimal Bean Collection Routes

Scout the Fastest Paths

First off, always scout the board for shortcuts. Everyone ignores the alley behind the pastry shop, but I once used it to lap my friends.

1. Analyze where beans spawn most.
2. Plan your path before the game starts.

Timing is Your Brew Buddy

Next, time your moves just right. Hesitate, and someone else grabs your prize. During my last game, I lost my perfect route to Steve, and I still blame him.

1. Move after opponents reveal intentions.
2. Adapt if a bean gets snatched.

Block Those Bean Thieves

Finally, use yourself as an obstacle. You can slow others down and make them reroute, all while boosting your How To Play coffee skills.

1. Position yourself on popular bean stops.
2. Force rivals into longer paths.

How To Play coffee: Brew Upgrades for Sweet Victory!

Prioritize Early Investments

First, spend your coins on the best café upgrades. These pay off fast. Don’t wait until rivals snap them up!

1. Choose upgrades that boost bean storage.
2. Buy extra worker slots for speedy service.

Synergize Upgrades

Next, match upgrades so they help each other. For example, bigger storage plus faster grinding means more coffee serves each turn.

1. Pair income boosters with efficiency cards.
2. Always check for combo powers.

Adapt to Your Rivals

Finally, watch your friends’ cafés. If they go for delivery upgrades, grab something different to stand out in How To Play coffee. Change plans if needed!

1. Counter their upgrades.
2. Switch to new strategies if yours is blocked.

Master Sabotage: Outsmart Rivals in How To Play coffee

Steal Their Beans When They’re Not Looking

First, keep an eye on your neighbor’s bean stash. When they get cocky, swoop in and swipe their best beans. Timing is key—wait until they relax.

1. Watch their patterns.
2. Strike right before their big delivery.

Block Their Routes with Guts

Next, park your barista or cart right in their way. Nothing frustrates someone more than a blocked shortcut. It’s mean, but it works.

1. See where they love to go.
2. Plant yourself there like a stubborn espresso stain.

Sow Chaos with Misleading Hints

Finally, chat up your friends. Suggest risky moves you know are traps. A little misdirection never hurt—unless you fall for your own bluff, which I might have done last game. Oops.

1. Distract with fake advice.
2. Push them toward silly upgrades.

Final Sip: Brew Your Victory!

And there you go! After more games of How To Play coffee than I care to count (and after drinking way too much actual coffee), my friends and I finally stopped shouting at each other… well, at least until the next game. Stick to the tips above, plan your bean runs, upgrade your café wisely, and maybe throw a sneaky trick or two. With luck (and caffeine), you’ll be the barista boss in no time. Now go stir up some fun and brew up a win!

Want to know what we think of Coffee? Read our detailed review of Coffee here