I’m a sucker for detective games, especially those involving anthropomorphic characters, so naturally, I had to play The Wild Gentleman’s Chicken Police – Paint it RED! back in 2020. Since then, I’ve been hoping for a sequel, and thankfully, one is on the horizon, with Chicken Police – Into the Hive! releasing sometime in 2024. But what to do in the meantime? How to satisfy that hunger for more of a cluckin’ good time? Luckily, The Wild Gentlemen have released a spinoff in the form of a cozy café management sim, Zipp’s Café.

On that note, Zipp’s Café acts as the prefect bite-sized bridge between the two mainline Chicken Police games. It’s a standalone tale involving Zipp and five new characters, but don’t let that discourage you if you’re a fan of Chicken Police. Even though Sonny and Marty aren’t present, there are still plenty of references to the events that transpired in the first game, as well as a few hints as to what might happen in Chicken Police – Into the Hive!.

Zipp, an ex-con, is trying to fully break free from his past life of crime by earning an honest living through his café. But sometimes, the past catches up to you and tries to draw you back in. Before long, Zipp finds himself entangled in the lives of five of his patrons, for better or worse. Zipp’s Café provides an intriguing narrative about fear, love, cunning, betrayal, redemption, and coffee… or tea, if that’s your preference.

Zipp’s Café is a blend of a visual novel and a café simulator. Although, after the tutorial there’s an option to select the Story Mode, which essentially turns the game into just a visual novel by eliminating any of the guesswork that goes into the food and beverage minigames. This option is fine for those who just want to experience the story without any of the gameplay, but that will also cut the already short runtime of about two to three hours in half. Seeing as how even the regular mode isn’t difficult by any means, I highly recommend just playing the game in full.

Speaking of the gameplay, Zipp’s Café is accessible to just about everyone with its extremely casual approach. This is both good and bad. For those who just want a mellow, easy-going experience with a somewhat gritty plot, then Zipp’s Café is the perfect game to chill out with. However, for anyone looking for any sort of challenge to the café sim minigames, then you might be disappointed in Zipp’s Café.

At first, it seems like there will eventually be some difficulty spikes in the complexity of the recipes you’ll be asked to make, but you’re only ever tasked with one dish at a time. Sure, the recipes might get a little longer, but none of them ask for anything out of the realm of what you’ve already made. There’s no complicated requests thrown in last minute, and the most bizarre thing you’ll have to concern yourself with is why someone would ask for a drink with coffee, caramel, meat powder, and orange juice. Please don’t give Starbucks any ideas.

Visually, the hand-drawn graphics are beautiful, which is especially important in a visual novel. The default mode is in full color, but there’s an option to switch to Noir Mode, which turns everything black and white, further paying homage to Chicken Police. There might not be a lot of characters or settings, but what’s present is clean and charming. Each of the characters are well animated, conveying their emotions convincingly. I also appreciated the small details, such as the shotgun and machete resting casually beside the corkscrew and glassware beneath the bar, just out of sight. Zipp’s no fool, after all.

The sound design is minimal, but well done. Zipp’s Café isn’t a fully voiced game, but Zipp does provide the narration in both the beginning and the ending. Thankfully, this is just as snarky and curmudgeonly as you’d expect from an aging racoon who’s seen a bit too much for one lifetime. The soundtrack is comprised of laid-back, smooth jazz tunes, which is a perfect fit for the tone of the game. My only minor gripe is that there isn’t a lot of song variety, but seeing as how short of a game it is, this isn’t really a big issue.

Zipp’s Café is an enjoyable (albeit short) adventure set within the wild world of the Chicken Police games. It does quite a bit within its short runtime to connect the events of the first game to the upcoming sequel, which will no doubt appease the fans (like myself) until the next full installment is released. However, it also delivers a compelling story on its own merit, making it an intriguing standalone game in its own right. This is what a spinoff should strive to be – a game that will entice and satisfy players unfamiliar with the main game it originated from, while also providing long-time fans more depth and insight into the world they’ve come to love. Zipp’s Café is a delightful appetizer to indulge in while waiting for the full entree of Chicken Police – Into the Hive!, set to release next year.

 

Graphics: 7.5 Beautiful hand-drawn visuals, with an option to play in full color or switch to black and white in “Noir” mode.	Gameplay: 6.0 Half visual novel, half café simulator. Unfortunately, the café “minigames” provide little to no challenge and feel repetitive by the end.
Sound: 8.0 The only voicework is provided through Zipp’s narration at the beginning and end, but what’s there is Zipp through and through. The laid-back, jazzy soundtrack is perfect for this experience.	Fun Factor: 7.0 An interesting story that’s wrapped up in a casual, café simulator. It’s a very short experience, but one that tells a compelling narrative without overstaying its welcome.
Final Verdict: 7.0

Zipp’s Café is available now on PC.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of Zipp’s Café was provided by the publisher.