Necrobarista

Did You Know?

• The game uses the Unity game engine.
• The game was originally announced for release in October 2017 but was delayed.

Reception

Before its release, critics were already impressed with Necrobarista's look. Nathan Grayson from Kotaku and Kyle LeClair from Hardcore Gamer both drew comparisons to games from the Japanese developer Atlus. Grayson called it stylish, comparing it to Persona set in a coffee shop, while LeClair noted that its anime-inspired visuals, music, and atmosphere could easily belong in a top-tier Atlus title. Kate Gray of Rock, Paper, Shotgun described the game as looking "so good you just want to eat it," praising its sunset-like color palette and likening it to the visual style of Firewatch. Joel Couture of Siliconera highlighted the striking art style, pointing out that it uses 3D art instead of the traditional animation or static 2D images typical of visual novels. Gray also appreciated the concept of a coffee shop where both the living and the dead mingle, and LeClair felt the trailer's environment interaction and investigation hinted at an intriguing mystery.

Upon release, Necrobarista earned "generally favorable" reviews on Metacritic. OpenCritic reported that 78% of critics recommended it. USGamer named it their Game of the Month for July 2020, calling it one of the most memorable visual novels they had played that year, if not ever. The game's story and visuals were widely praised. Jody Macgregor of PC Gamer gave it an 80 out of 100, noting that it looks gorgeous and that the camera finds interesting angles for every scene. GameGrin awarded a perfect score, describing it as a moving experience not to be missed. Bella Blondeau of TheGamer also gave a perfect score, lauding the game's uncomfortable discussions about death and grief, and calling the result perhaps one of the highest forms of art she could imagine.

The gameplay, however, drew mixed reactions. Critics specifically pointed to the "keyword" system, used to unlock side content, as confusing and hard to navigate. Jordan Ramée of GameSpot cited it as a negative, explaining that earning the fragment points needed for side stories felt like guesswork rather than a genuine achievement.