SweetieGames

If you’ve read some of the articles here, you’ll have figured out that I love Cafe Enchante. It’s one of my favourite otome games on the Switch and its never really left my mind since I played it back in 2021. It makes me a little sad that Enchante doesn’t get the same level of love as other otome games, even from Otomate themselves. Let me tell you my thoughts about this game and why it holds such a special place in my heart.

Originally released in 2019 in Japan, Cafe Enchante opens with the player character, Kotone, taking over her late grandfather’s cafe. When she finds a mysterious, ornate door in the back, she learns that the cafe’s true purpose is to house a portal to a multitude of different worlds, ones that house beasts, angels, demons and fairies. The cafe doesn’t really serve customers from earth, and actually is a safe haven for a group of mythical beings. The only human customers the shop gets are the government agents that keep watch over the non-humans coming through the door.

The common route is lengthy, but you really get to know each character before you decide which route you’re going to play. There’s separate chapters that have Kotone spend time, a lot of the time alone, with each character; Canus, the headless knight, Ignis, a beast in human form, Rindo, the government agent keeping watch over the group, Il, a fallen angel and poster boy Misyr, the demon king. Long common routes run the risk of destroying replay value, but the cosy and fun feel of the game at this point makes it go by pretty quick.

Cafe Enchante features gorgeous character designs and CGs from Yuuya, who also worked on Cupid Parasite and more recently 9RIP. Even the in-game menus are styled to look like a cafe menu with artwork of yummy food! The soundtrack matches the vibe with chilled guitar music for the cafe scenes, but really delivers for more tense moments. You wouldn’t expect it, but Cafe Enchante has tense moments in abundance.

This game lures you in and make you just comfortable enough that you don’t see enormous stakes coming your way. The common route has mostly low stakes in comparison to other otome I’ve played; maybe a bit more drama than I was expecting from a game about working in a cafe but I’ve definitely experienced worse. Once the routes start, you will begin a descent into some of the most gut wrenching, heart breaking moments I’ve ever seen in an otome, even in the good ends. It’s because the game makes sure you’re sitting comfortably that these moments hit so much harder. Even though the tone shifts, it doesn’t feel like a sharp turn. It’s slowly drip fed to you before the climactic moments further down the line.

What really solidified this game as a favourite for me was the characters and storytelling. More otome games need the love interest characters to have strong platonic relationships amongst each other, with some being closer friends than others. Misyr and Il felt like brothers; their familial love and care for each other was evident in every route, but especially in each other’s. Side characters are integrated perfectly into the group dynamic, and by the end of the game you feel as though the regulars at Enchante are family. Even the quieter or tsundere characters that I don’t usually like, such as Ignis and Canus, really stole my heart in each of their routes. The longer common route and wholesome moments really solidify your love for the characters, and you’re desperate to see them succeed and return to the happy life they were living just a couple of chapters prior.

I related to Il on a deep, personal level, and he ended up as my all time favourite otome love interest. He lacks understanding of human world customs and social cues, is clumsy, and has an obsession with sweets and otome games. As an autistic person, I saw a lot of myself in him. When Kotone was upset, the others in the group had to explain to Il why she was unhappy; he didn’t pick up on her social cues at all. He excitedly approaches Kotone to talk incessantly about the games he plays. He has very particular tastes in food, often refusing foods in favour of the things he knows he likes. This all felt a lot like my experiences as an autistic person; especially as it sometimes feel like I come from a different world. It was also refreshing to see otome games directly referenced in another game, as pretty much every other otome game I’ve played won’t even acknowledge the genre. It made his dialogue packed with in-jokes for otome fans, and even his room is covered in official artwork and merchandise from other Otomate titles.

A lot of people don’t like the final good ending for Misyr’s route, which is locked until you finish everyone else’s. And while it’s also not my favourite, it didn’t really sour the taste of the rest of the game like it has done for many other people. I saw a lot of people talking about Cafe Enchante when it was released, but a lot of the love for it seems to have fizzled out; this may be influenced by people’s lasting memories of Misyr’s good ending, and also not helped by its localisation, which was poor in places (everyone knows about the infamous “box pusher” translation!) New official artwork and merchandise is scarce, and a fandisk for Cafe Enchante is unfortunately extremely unlikely. I think that’s a real shame! I would have loved to have seen more happy moments between Kotone and the cast, especially as a lot of the routes are bittersweet.

Cafe Enchante hasn’t been completely neglected though; it had a 5th anniversary pop up cafe in Japan, selling exclusive merchandise and there are still a few otome fans who love it as dearly as I do. If you haven’t checked out Cafe Enchante yet, I can’t recommend it enough. Just have the tissues ready; don’t let it fool you.