Switch Throwback – How Good was Little Dragons Cafe?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been diving into my Nintendo Switch library to play some old games that I haven’t touched in a long time. One of those games was the highly anticipated Little Dragons Café, and while I remember being disappointed with the game when it first launched, I’m really enjoying it now.

Little Dragons Cafe is a life simulation game similar to Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon, with less of an emphasis on farming. Players take control of the family cafe when their mother suddenly becomes ill and won’t wake up. With their dragon pal and a creepy old guy, they work on not only keeping the cafe running by collecting resources and making decisions, but also unravel the mystery behind their mothers sudden illness, and how raising a dragon could possibly help her.

Here is a brief synopsis from the Nintendo eShop page for the game,

Little Dragons Café opens with a twin brother and sister learning to cook and manage a small café with their mother. All was routine until one morning when the twins discover that their mother won’t wake up. Suddenly, a strange old man appears and tells them that they must raise a dragon to save her. Working with three quirky café employees, the twins must wrangle a dragon and run the family business while finding a way to save their mother.

My initial disappointment stemmed from the knowledge that few former Story of Seasons developers were working on this title. Initially, I was disappointed by the lack of life in the game – where are all the towns?! That being said, this second time around I’m really enjoying the music, loving the art style, and enjoying the gameplay loop once again. It appears as if my first negative reaction to the game was created in my own head, because of expectations that were never communicated by the development team. Coming back without those expectations has been outstanding, and I cannot wait to play more!