Don’t be fooled by the whimsical name and art style, the tea in ‘Sweetcore Brews’ is steamy, from the very first sip…

With less than 48 hours to go on the Kickstarter campaign, it’s now or never if you want to back Sweetcore Brews, the latest innovative otome venture from indie dev team, Nochi Studios. If their studio name sounds familiar, it’s likely due to one of their previous hit titles; Untold Atlas, Somnium Eleven, and Sifting Thyme.

☆ Game Name: Sweetcore Brews
☆ Developers: Nochi Studios
☆ Platforms: Mobile, Steam
☆ Genres / Vibes: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Cozy
☆ More info: Kickstarter, Twitter, Website
☆ Age rating: 18+

Trailer

But, why should I back it?

The best reason to back Sweetcore Brews now is to get the most out of both the AR features AND the pre-purchased in-game currency options. If you wait for the public release, the two primary differences between the mobile and PC versions of the game will be as follows:

However, if you back the game on Kickstarter and opt for the mobile version, you’ll not only gain access to the AR features, but you’ll also receive in-game currency comparable to the upfront cost of the PC version. Essentially, you’ll get the benefits of purchasing the game upfront AND the AR features – the best of both worlds!

Slice of Spice

At its (sweet)core, Sweetcore Brews is a charming slice-of-life otome game with a dash of fantasy and a heaped helping of spice. If you’re looking for a hot n steamy game you can dip your toes into whenever you have a craving for the caustic Kingsley or zesty Zero, then you’re in the right place.

I was surprised at how quickly the heat was turned up to max, but pleasantly so. I appreciate that the opening chapters kick off the story exactly how the game means to go on, setting the tone for the subsequent chapters and giving you an idea of exactly what to expect from the get-go.

It’s for this reason that I highly recommend checking out the demo, if you haven’t already. It’s a polished introduction to the cast, gameplay, and general experience. By the time you’ve cleared the initial chapters you’ll know whether this is the game for you, but I recommend also playing at least one of the later chapters to see how you feel about the episodic style of storytelling.

Romance is Brewing

There are two love interests in Sweetcore Brews: Kingsley and Zero. There is also a plethora of side characters, including Milly’s boss, Howell – who takes “remote work” to a whole new level and communicates through a bubbling cauldron – and Olive, the poor, unfortunate soul working for Kingsley.

The demo covers the initial introductions – which certainly packed a punch – as well as some later chapters for each of them, so you can get to know both love interests more intimately. It’s too soon to tell exactly how romance will blossom between them, but both make a powerful first impression that left me thirsty for more.

A Sipping Game

The episodic format is perfect for dipping in and out of the story at your own pace, as each bite-sized episode features a set of three parts that you can easily get through in a single sitting and enjoy as self-contained scenarios. It’s not difficult to pick up where you left off on a previous playthrough, and the slice-of-life genre is particularly suited to a more casual experience.

Personally, I can see myself opening up the app to play an episode or two in shorter gaming sessions – gradually working through the promised 72+ episodes at my own pace, whenever I feel like sitting down and getting cozy for a casual otome session. It’s a low-committment style of storytelling you can easily sip at over an extended period of time, rather than chugging it down in one go.

Innovation & Interactivity

Aside from the fanciful whimsy of the visuals, enchanting fantasy premise, and mouth-watering smut scenes, Sweetcore Brews offers an innovative AR experience that allows you to bridge the seemingly insurmountable divide between reality and the 2D love interests of our dreams.

By scanning a card, you’ll be able to bring up one of the two love interests on your screen, using the camera to display the world around you as their backdrop. They’ll have a set of voiced lines to boot, allowing you to have a conversation with your fave sitting across the table from you, or wherever else you decide to summon them.

While I know there are many fans of the traditional recipe of exclusively visual novel otome games, I’m excited to see developers getting creative with the formula and adding their own spin. The passion that Nochi Studios pour into their games is always contagious, and Sweetcore Brews is no exception.

Since the demo is currently only available on PC, I’ve yet to try out the AR feature for myself, but I have backed the game on Kickstarter and I can’t wait to give it a go after its full release – the estimated release window being November 2023 at the time of writing.

Match 3 Minigame

I’ll be honest, I’m not one for minigames. I’m especially not a fan of minigames that feel as though they don’t enhance the story. While playing the demo, I felt as though these match 3 minigames were more of a task to complete so I could continue with the next episode, rather than an exciting form of interactivity that adds to the immersive experience.

That being said, they’re not too difficult, and it seems as though there will be resources in the game to assist with clearing them. Knowing that I have zero skill for gameplay and will likely rely on said resources to proceed with the story, I decided to back the mobile version of the game on Kickstarter via a tier that provides in-game currency. This way, I should be able to easily clear each level and breeze through without an issue.

Mad libs

The minigame I did enjoy, however, was the mad libs prompts that intermittently appeared between chapters. This was especially fun for streaming, as chat could nominate words to fill in the blanks. There are also some that ask for names, so I could put names of viewers in and see what wild concoction Milly suggested for their ailments.

This minigame is only available for the PC version of the game which – while it is a shame for me, since I backed the mobile version – does make sense as an added bonus for the version without AR capabilities. Plus, it’s a streamer-friendly minigame, and most streamers are likely to opt for the PC platform.

If I could pitch a suggestion for it, it would be to add some sort of function to access the mad libs after they’re completed. I noticed one streamer accidentally skipped through the result and wasn’t able to review it in anyway afterwards. A letterbox feature where you can re-read mad libs you’ve completed would be a fun way to look back on them and check any you may have missed.

So, what are you waiting for?

Sweetcore Brews is the perfect tea time treat to dip into at your own pace as you work your way through this sweet and spicy cornucopia of bite-sized, slice-of-life scenarios. Blending the whimsy of enchanted tea-crafting and the allure of unabashedly spicy scenes, this game will captivate your heart and ensnare your senses.

For a deeper dive into Sweetcore Brews and the people who made it, check out our interview with Nochi Studios. I also streamed the game on Twitch, including an exclusive chapter further into the story that isn’t available in the public demo.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Kickstarter campaign and make your pledge before it ends. If you miss the deadline, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to buy and/or download the game when it’s released later this year. For those still on the fence, I recommend playing the demo for yourself – it’s free and can be played on your PC browser.

☆ Game Name: Sweetcore Brews
☆ Developers: Nochi Studios
☆ Platforms: Mobile, Steam
☆ Genres / Vibes: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Cozy
☆ More info: Kickstarter, Twitter, Website
☆ Age rating: 18+

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~☆ Patrons ☆~

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