Ahead of the Game - Pixel Cafe is a merge puzzler first and a cafe sim second
Coins = cakes, sure
- Aim projectiles to merge stuff together
- Clear levels to earn shiny coins
- Use the spoils to prettify your pixel cafe
It's all about merging coins to make tiramisu for some reason in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you all about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
There's your average restaurant sim, and there's your typical merge puzzler - it's not every day that you see them joined together, but with Pixel Cafe, it's exactly that and more. Honestly, when I first dove into this, I was expecting a management tycoon but with crunchy pixel art - I certainly didn't think I'd be aiming projectiles and bouncing coins off gold blocks just to magically form a tiramisu.
And if that last sentence sounds absolutely absurd to you, you're not alone.
I was confused too at first, because Pixel Cafe is basically a merge puzzler where you throw coins at each other to merge them and see what they end up as after banging them all together.
There's an added twist in that you need to aim the coins at the correct angle to merge them - after all, you can't combine two of a kind if you can't even fuse them to each other.
This means you'll really need to flex those brain cells if you want to overcome pesky obstacles in your way, whether that's a particularly bouncy brick or a poorly placed platform. There are also shiny stars you can aim for as you go along - and to spice things up, there is only a limited number of moves you can execute before you'll have to start from scratch and do it all over again.
This is mainly what the gameplay is all about, so if you're expecting some kind of restaurant sim where you dash to and fro to fulfil orders from a customer base that grows bigger and bigger by the minute, you'll find none of that here.
Instead, you'll have merge puzzles to get through to earn coins, which, in turn, you can use to spruce up your titular pixel cafe. You can upgrade your kitchen, prettify your tables, and level up your offline rewards system - so it's basically a merge puzzler with a restaurant sim sprinkled on the side, and it's absolutely refreshing.
So, how do you play Pixel Cafe?
It's currently in regional soft launch in the Philippines, and it's only on iOS for now. The charming vibes and incredibly interesting mix of genres make it a must-try, though, so if you happen to be based in the region, I'd say it's worth giving a go!
