Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

It's easy to be charmed by Café Enchanté, which brings together whimsy, romance and humour together with one of the more understated joys - having a favourite café and being able to take a moment out to enjoy both it, and the company that it brings.

At the end of the day, Café Enchanté is a charming and, dare I say, enchanting take on the otome genre. Much like a delicious cup of coffee, I immensely enjoyed my time with the game and its quirky cast of characters. The tonal shifts in the plot at times could be surprising, but ultimately made the story stand out all the more. This is definitely the type of refreshing visual novel I wouldn’t mind having a refill of.

Cafe Enchante is refreshing. Every character is special in their own way, with personalities that complement each other. The story is structured in a way that you see a relationship naturally develop between the heroine and each of the bachelors. It also takes the time to provide insight into what these otherworldly realms are like, so we have some idea of what we’re getting into even before the more serious conflicts develop. I suppose the best way to describe it as well-rounded.

Overall, Cafe Enchante is yet another excellent otome game. It is a perfect entry point into the genre and a great game on its own right. After Piofiore, which definitely went to some dark places, Cafe Enchante is a refreshing experience that feels like a nice cappuccino with its gorgeous art, amazing soundtrack, and well told story that is longer than expected.

Aksys has brought across another winner and hopefully, they will continue to do so as the Switch has become a wonderful home for visual novels. Like most Otome games there is drastically different quality between the individual stories, with some feeling like filler to pad out the game. But good stories here are so good, it really sets it apart, with those routes managing to land on every emotional level. Steamy romantic moments, heartbreaking moments, touching tear-jerking, genuinely funny comedy. This combined with a cast of suitors that cover off just about every otome archetype makes for a must-buy for anyone wanting to embrace their inner Fujoshi.

Cafe Enchante is one of the slower experiences of an otome romance. On the one hand, it should have used its themes to differentiate itself from other titles, but it doesn’t. Even with this slow burn, fans can still enjoy the familiar beats with a new cast of pretty boys, but I wouldn’t mind some more sparkles and butterflies.

Café Enchanté doesn’t break a lot of new ground in its genre, but it’s a well-told romantic story and would be a great way to wile away an upcoming long weekend.