Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S
Played on: Switch
The iconic Disney Villains have been enjoying a renaissance over the last decade, and Cursed Cafe is that latest manifestation. Disney Villains Cursed Cafe is a visual novel that transports Maleficent, Jafar, Gaston, and others into our modern era. It’s charming and funny, though the gameplay is extremely minimal.
Read on for our review of Disney Villains Cursed Cafe!
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
In Cursed Cafe, the player answers a mysterious Help Wanted ad, becoming the new Potionista of the titular cafe. They have to learn on the job, however, as the boss has mysteriously vanished. The main plot is an investigation into the whereabouts of Mr. Magus, but get to there, we’ll need to serve our customers.
Our clientele is made up exclusively of infamous villains from Disney animated films, including Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella, and Jafar. The interesting twist is the setting — it takes place in our modern world! The villains must navigate their new situations, and it’s utterly delightful (as are their fetching outfits).
Jafar becomes a Crypto-bro with his own WyshCoin, Maleficent is an imperious social media influencer (sorry, “Witchfluencer”), and Captain Hook a melodramatic playwright and stage actor. The writing is witty, brief, and fun — certainly the most important ingredient to a visual novel. The classic 2D artwork is also fabulous, and the Halloween dance-party music is admittedly catchy, though you won’t find any real Disney music here.
The villains are the stars, with lines like “a fruit basked is never sent without contempt,” or Maleficent trying new catchphrases: “subscribe or submit!” Gaston’s writing is particularly hilarious as a completely oblivious (yet lovable) dude bro whom I never tired of interacting with.
Occasionally the villains also tease and interact with each other, such as Jafar selling WyshCoin to Gaston’s golf buddies, or Ursula’s playful sabotage attempts of Hook’s stageplay. It’s like fan fiction come to life — in a good way.
Potionista
As much as I enjoyed the writing and dialogue, the actual gameplay is barely there. Each day I pick and serve waiting customers, who detail exactly what they want. I look up the ingredients in the spellbook (only two for non-story potions), and mix them together with the click of a button.
And that’s pretty much it.
I would’ve appreciated a bit more involvement, or mini-game, to the potion brewing. Plus, there’s only about half a dozen options. I end up making the same few potions over and over again, which is even more repetitive.
At the end of each day, a certain villain will approach. Each villain has their own storyline as they achieve their modern goals, and they need a brand new potion to get them there. The player has a chance to change their potion to something that will work similarly, but without shortcuts or duplicity.
For example, Captain Hook can tell a bunch of lies and delude himself during his play. Or the play becomes a soul-searching experience that puts him at peace. Maleficent can destroy a meddlesome online rival, or learn to work with them.
This is where the story can change, though ultimately I only ever have two binary choices: give into the villains’ destructive ways, or nudge them toward a similar but more self-reflective outcome. There’s not really a wrong answer, though some outcomes are sillier and more chaotic than others.
As a nice touch, we have access to a do-over potion. The Do-Over Doppio resets the day, allowing players to choose a different potion, and a different path. Though sometimes we don’t see the potions’ true effects until days later.
The Rating
Disney Villains Cursed Cafe is rated E for Everyone. Disney fans young and old will feel comfortable, but younger games may need help with all the reading.
The Takeaway
I typically expect a certain amount of gameplay from any video game, even a visual novel, and Disney Villains Cursed Cafe’s minimalist interactivity does not satiate me. However, the writing and character design are all on-point, and I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle throughout the story. Disney fans and casual gamers will enjoy their turn as a Potionista.
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