At the heart of storytelling are the characters. It’s commonplace that when we think fondly back on our favorite novels, movies, and games, we center on the characters and the decisions they made in tough circumstances that ultimately defined who they would become. It’s that process of becoming that we find ourselves in.
The lead writer for the upcoming Coffee Talk Tokyo, Anna Winterstein, shared with me some of the insights that go into crafting those kinds of characters that we find endearing and relatable. I learned quite a lot from Anna, who shared with me how she and her team were able to incorporate culture, background, and plot into shaping memorable characters.
What have you been playing since Coffee Talk and Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly? Have any of those games inspired how Coffee Talk Tokyo will turn out?
Personally, I’ve been playing a lot of Final Fantasy XIV! I finished Endwalker after Coffee Talk 2 was released (quite late to the party, really), and I was blown away by the storytelling in that expansion. I also played Expedition 33 (as a French person, I couldn’t miss it!), and I was similarly impressed with the story. Interestingly, Expedition 33 has a JRPG influence to it, which is visible in the gameplay but also in some aspects of the story, so I did immerse myself in Japanese or Japanese-inspired games!
While I haven’t drawn direct references from those games, they are a remarkable reminder of how strong characterization and deep in-world stakes can drive a gaming experience. Both FF XIV and Expedition 33, alongside action-packed, saving-the-world moments, have intimate, low-key interactions that build a bond between the player and core characters, which is ultimately quite close to what we’re trying to achieve in Coffee Talk.
And then there are smaller indie games, like Wanderstop, another take on a brewing simulator, in which both the main character and the story characters are deeply altered by their interactions. I loved that game and definitely bore its storytelling in mind while writing.
In Coffee Talk, you do a great job of capturing the overall atmosphere and culture of Seattle. What inspired you to take on the city of Tokyo, and what research went into writing the game?
When we were discussing a spin-off as a team, we went through a couple of options, but Tokyo emerged as the consensus choice really quickly. Chorus Worldwide has strong ties to Tokyo, and we knew we could build a great creative team that would do the setting justice. Indeed, our writer Kimitaka Ogawa, who has also been translating the entire Coffee Talks series into Japanese, and our concept artist cro_iz have both contributed massively to shaping the world and characters of this new game. Our writer Jolie also lived in Japan for a number of years and had invaluable input in giving the stories a sense of place!
Additionally, Tokyo is a fascinating city. I had traveled there years ago and went again as we started discussing the game. There is nothing quite like it: it’s extremely large and densely populated, with a huge variety of architecture, moods, activities, and people. In some ways, it’s the quintessential city, but in other ways, it’s also distinctly Japanese and carries the history and culture of its country. That mix was very appealing to us! We felt that we could lean into the sprawling Japanese mythology and folklore while also perpetuating the original Coffee Talk themes: loneliness, connection, and diversity in a bustling city.
Given how you’ve written mythological or folk creatures in previous games, which new ones were you most excited to write into Coffee Talk Tokyo?
Honestly, we had more ideas we were excited about than characters we could afford to add in! Japanese mythology is truly inexhaustible. Among the ones we ended up picking, we’re all really excited about Kenji, our kappa salaryman. Personally, I also find Jun’s background fascinating, and I’m excited for players to discover more about that!
Do you have a favorite new character that you’ve written? Without spoiling, what makes you like them so much? What can players anticipate from them?
This is such a hard question. When you’ve worked on characters long enough, they become a little like your friends, and we love them all for different reasons! There isn’t a single character in this game for whom I don’t have fondness. With that in mind, one character arc I’m especially excited for players to discover is Ayame’s; she experiences quite a lot of growth during the game, and I hope that offers a satisfying story to the players. I also live for the budding friendship between Yuki, Emi, and Fuku! These are all strong women, all different, who find a lot to appreciate in each other. Lastly, Vin is, of course, Barista’s friend from the get-go, and as such, they hold a special place in all of our hearts; their story is also fairly nuanced and layered, which I again hope will appeal to our players!
Lots of fans of the previous games have taken a lot to heart the raw, realistic characters and their anxieties that have entered the coffee shops. Is there something additional or new that you’re hoping will resonate with players in Coffee Talk Tokyo?
In this installment, we have leaned more heavily into themes of sudden change. After the past couple of years, we felt that most of our players, much like ourselves, were bound to have experienced some sudden change or other, something that left them feeling lost and having to adapt in a hurry. Most of our characters undergo something like that, and we hope that seeing them wade their way through a changed life and emerge stronger will give our players some solace and hope.
Coffee Talk Tokyo is the long-awaited next installment in the series, and it will launch on all major platforms on May 21st, 2026.
