Derek 'Dez' Maggs 
If you love quick, engaging, and caffeine-fueled card games, Coffee Up! might just be your perfect cup of joe.
This game offers an exciting mix of strategy, luck, and a sprinkle of chaos, all set within the bustling environment of a coffee shop.
Whether you’re concocting the ideal latte or outmanoeuvring fellow baristas, there’s plenty to enjoy with every shuffle and deal. But does Coffee Up! deliver a smooth, rich gaming experience, or is it more of a bitter brew?
Set Up
- Put the Coffee Shop Card on the table. (The back of the shop has a menu for your to reference.)
- Place 3 stars next to the coffee shop. This is your current rating.
- Draw 6 Daily Specials.
- The player who most recently drank coffee is the Head Barista (AKA start player) and takes the Customer Deck to shuffle.
Gameplay
Congratulations on opening your new coffee shop!
They say the first 7 days in business are the hardest. Knowing your regulars is the key to success.
Work together and stay in business for 7 days. Serve great coffee while also providing excellent customer service!
1. Day 1 Order in!
The Head Barista draws 1 Customer Card per Barista from the Customer Deck. (In a 2-player game, draw 2 cards per Barista). This forms the regulars deck and the orders for the day.
E.g if you are playing a 3-player game, draw 3 x Customer Cards The Head Barista reads out loud the coffee order and name of each Customer, placing the cards order side up for all Baristas to see and memorize.
Feel free to talk about the customers. Get to know them and build up a story!
Once the Head Barista decides the team is ready to make the serve the customers , they will gather all the Daily Orders cards back into their hand. Shuffle the cards. Deal out an equal number of cards to each Barista showing only the Customer’s Faces side only up (backside).
Fan and hold the cards up in your hands so everyone can see the faces of the customers on the back of the card but only you can see the coffee order and names of the customers you are holding. (you can only see the customers orders in your hand)
The coffees are made, and you are ready to call out orders for the customers to pick up!
2. Coffee Up!
Starting with the Head Barista, they will choose a Customer from another barista’s hand.
Using your memory and the customer’s face on the card, they will call out either a customer’s:
2.1. Providing Satisfactory Customer Service
Correct Name or Order If correct, the Barista holding the Customer card confirms it and places the card order side up on the table. That customer is served and is happy with the service!
2.2. Incorrect Name or Order
If you got the name or co¬ee order incorrect, the customer is still served but with the wrong coffee!
Place that customer card aside. That customer isnot happy with the service, leaves a negative review and will not be back for more coffee.
Lose One Star!
2.3. Providing Excellent Customer Service
- A Barista may attempt to provide excellent service by calling out both the Coffee Order and Customer Name. If both are correct, place the card order-side up. That customer loves your service! Gain One Star!
- However, if you decide to call out both the coffee order and name and you were partially correct or completely wrong, discard that customer card aside. That customer is not happy with the service, leaves a negative review and will not be back for more coffee. “They got my coffee order right but always get my name wrong!” Lose One Star!
3. Continue the Day’s Work!
After a Barista has called out and served a Customer’s Order, the play continues clockwise. Baristas continues to call out orders from other Barista’s hands.
If you run out of Customer Cards in your hand you still call out customers’ orders until all customers have been served.
On the rare occasion, it’s your turn to call out an order and you are holding the last customer card, your turn to call out orders is skipped to the next barista.
3.1. End of Day
If your coffee shop still has Stars, your shop remains open for the next day!
Gather all the correctly served Customers back to form a Regulars Deck. Add 5 more Customer Cards to the Regulars Deck and shuffle.
The Head Barista will rotate clockwise.
4. The Next Day
The next day of service will begin, and more people will want to get coffee from the hottest coffee shop in town!
Just like the start of Day 1, the Head Barista will draw as many cards from the Regulars Deck as per setup and add an additional Customer Card per Barista for each day you remain open. e.g. it’s Day 3 in a 3-player game, draw 9 cards from the Regulars Deck.
From Day 2 onwards, reveal a Daily Special Card after the daily orders.
If at any point your coffee shop hits 0 stars. Your day immediately ends, and your coffee shop is permanently closed!
If the team remains in business for 7 Days, you win!
Play Through
Another gem from PAX Australia was Coffee Up! On Sunday, I sought out Jason as soon as the doors opened. I sat down to play his new game. Having played and reviewed Jason ToToTam’s Fire Noodle Eating Champs, I expected big things from Coffee Up! And not just because I’m a coffee addict.
I was met with a deck of cards and a little disappointment, as it didn’t have the same punch and presence as Fire Noodle Eating Champs. Jason explained the rules, and the disappointment started to turn into excitement. This game played to my strengths as an ex-bartender and barista, I was great at remembering drinks—just not names.
We filled the table and got down to it.
It was rather easy, we had one set of locals and one customer each to remember. So 5 stars were easy to get, and my excitement for another hit game from ToToTam Games was fading. We started day 2, and that confidence in how easy and simple this game was began to fade. Having 8 to remember was a little more difficult; by day 3, our confidence had taken a hit. Yet, we had a new tactic, making poems or rhymes for each customer, as our remaining 3 stars didn’t feel safe. And for good reason, our day 4 never came.
That is the beauty of Coffee Up! It seems simple and easy, but that is just a testament to the designer. This game walks you through the first round, allowing you to easily learn the game and build confidence. Then it dashes it quite harshly, which gets your competitive juices flowing and drives you to play again.
And play again is exactly what I needed to do. I brought over some ex-hospitality friends the weekend after PAX, as I knew they would be up for this game. Like me, they laughed and thought this was going to be a breeze. One of my friends actually said, “wow, this game is as easy as ordering a coffee.” These were famous last words, as day 4 with one local to get right. He spilt that coffee and lost us the game.
Just for those playing at home, we did eventually win day 7 with 1 star, but a win is a win!
Art
Coffee Up! boasts charming and vibrant artwork. The characters are whimsically designed with playful, cartoonish styles that infuse each card with personality. The warm and inviting color palette, featuring rich browns and creamy whites with beautiful pops of colours which enhances the thematic immersion and makes the game just beautiful on the table. The font choice is smooth and allowing players to easily read… while hard to remember.
This game is a class in design & shows you don’t have to over complicate it & simple, can be more beautiful than complicated.
Final Conclusions
If you love quick, engaging, and caffeine-fueled card games, Coffee Up! might just be your perfect coffee…. I mean game. The game offers an exciting mix of strategy, luck, and a sprinkle of chaos, all set within the simply and elegant environment. While the initial rounds may seem simple, don’t let that fool you as the challenge ramps up quickly, keeping you on your toes. With charming artwork and a well-thought-out design, Coffee Up! captures the essence of running a busy coffee shop.
Overall, Coffee Up! transforms a simple concept into a dynamic and enjoyable game. Gather your friends, shuffle those cards, and see if you can keep your coffee shop open for seven days.
Enjoy the buzz & get your copy on Kickstarter now!
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