Beans: The Coffee Shop Simulator
By Michael Lafferty,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Caffeine-focused sim runs out of energy with slow pacing.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Beans: The Coffee Shop Simulator
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
BEANS: THE COFFEE SHOP SIMULATOR is a tycoon simulator where a young woman inherits a business from a relative who was mysteriously poisoned. Interestingly, this fact really has nothing to do with the game itself. Like most sims, the player starts small, buys amenities, researches recipes to add to the menu, provides events to draw customers and boost appeal, and then expands to other locations and opens more stores. There's really no tangible story driving the game along, just the excitement of creating a successful business and watching it grow.
Is It Any Good?
If caffeine is a stimulant, this tycoon simulation's drawn-out gameplay and action is clearly caffeine free. Beans: The Coffee Shop Simulator is, initially, a slow-paced game where the player builds a business and then tries to grow customer appeal, add to the menu, add amenities and events to drive traffic, and expand the staff. The goal is to open more shops in town and become a tycoon. To that end, Beans does an admirable job of easing players into the game flow. The graphics are old school and pixelated, and the music is repetitive and can get on the nerves in long play sessions, but the game is intuitive. Thanks to its graphics and central concept, it may not have great appeal for some players, but the flow of action does make it accessible for younger players who have a concept of money. Unfortunately, the pacing can feel way too slow as you start to build your shop empire one coffee at a time. Technically, that's intentional to ease players into the game, but this also drags out the action significantly, meaning that at times, players can walk away for a while to take a break without any consequences for being away from their keyboard. Overall, Beans has some charm, and while the humor (and puns) may be just a bit beyond younger players, it manages to be a good, if slow, introduction to the tycoon sim genre.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a successful business. What are your favorite real-world stores and what makes them different or special?
Talk about the importance of limiting screen time. Could you use the hours spent on building your coffee empire in other ways? Would you have as much fun doing something away from a screen? Why or why not?
Game Details
- Platform: Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Whitethorn Digital
- Release date: July 1, 2017
- Genre: Simulation
- Topics: Friendship, Numbers and Letters
- ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
- Last updated: July 30, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Play
Our Editors Recommend
Simulation Games and Apps
Great Games That Teach Strategy
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate