Check out the YouTube Review Here

Let’s be honest—I haven’t been a Disney superfan in years. The glitter faded. The nostalgia wore off. These days, I approach anything with Disney branding a bit like a suspicious potion ingredient: cautiously. But when Disney Cursed Café dropped out of nowhere during a recent Nintendo Direct, it had one thing that made me drop everything and hit download.

Villains.
Modern outfits.
Potion brewing.
A $20 Canadian price tag.

Okay, that’s four things. But you get it.

Welcome to the (Cursed) Grind

Disney Cursed Café is a visual novel where you play as a Potionista—a magical barista who’s taken over a struggling café that now serves enchanted elixirs instead of lattes. Your clientele? A rotating cast of reimagined Disney villains, all given a surprisingly relatable, modern spin.

Gaston strolls in straight from the golf course, sporting a visor and bro energy. Maleficent is out here chasing social media clout. Captain Hook is tangled up in community theatre drama. It’s giving cursed brunch club, and I love it.

The setup is simple: talk to your customers, figure out what they want (or more importantly, what they actually need), and whip up a potion that can either help, hinder, or chaotically derail their day.

Gameplay: A Simple Brew with Strong Flavor

The gameplay is cozy and low-pressure. You select ingredients from a growing list, consult your potion book for suggestions, and then serve up your concoction. But here’s where it gets spicy: your choices matter.

Give the wrong potion? You might upset a villain. Sometimes that means redoing the day. Sometimes it means triggering new dialogue. Or sometimes you just roll with it and enjoy the mess.

That said, if you’re coming from something like Coffee Talk, the gameplay might feel a bit shallow. There’s less experimentation and not a ton of mechanical depth. But where Disney Cursed Café truly shines is in its writing and characters.

A Script That Serves

This game is funny. Like, actual out-loud funny. I haven’t laughed this much at a visual novel in a while. My personal favorites are Cruella—whose every entrance feels like a fashion editorial crossed with a tantrum—and Ursula, who brings theatrical flair to even the most mundane café order.

The entire cast plays off each other in a way that’s sharp, self-aware, and honestly just delightful. The writing is punchy, witty, and far more clever than I expected from anything with the Disney name attached. It feels like a group of writers were finally let off the leash to have some fun—and it shows.

There’s also a subtle thread of mystery running through the story that adds just enough intrigue to keep you curious without weighing the game down.

Style, Sound, & Switch Performance

Visually, the game sticks close to Disney’s signature clean, polished aesthetic. Each villain is styled in a way that’s both fresh and instantly recognizable. Think “weekend-casual Maleficent” and “Gaston, but influencer-core.”

The game runs beautifully on Switch, both handheld and docked. I had zero UI issues, no crashes, no weird slowdown—just smooth gameplay and solid design choices that make it a joy to play while curled up on the couch with a warm drink.

How Long Is It?

In about two hours of play, I made it through six in-game days. My guess is a full playthrough lands somewhere around 4–6 hours, with potential for more if you dive into alternate choices, redo days, or explore all character paths. It’s short but satisfying—and ideal for a weekend gaming session or casual weeknight unwind.

Replayability & Who It’s For

While the potion system isn’t wildly deep, there is enough variation in dialogue and outcomes to make replaying worthwhile. You can test different potions, see new reactions, and uncover side stories based on how you treat each villain.

This game is absolutely for you if:

• You love Disney villains and want to see them reimagined in a modern, snarky world
• You enjoyed games like Coffee Talk, VA-11 HALL-A, or Necrobarista
• You appreciate clever writing and cozy gameplay over mechanical complexity
• You’re okay reading a lot of dialogue in a slow-paced, narrative-driven format

But it might not be for you if:

• You want action, puzzles, or fast-paced gameplay
• You don’t enjoy reading or dialogue-heavy storytelling
• You don’t care about Disney villains doing theatre and starting social media empires

Final Thoughts

Disney Cursed Café surprised me. I picked it up expecting to pass it on to my niece—and instead found myself genuinely charmed. Yes, the gameplay is simple. No, it’s not revolutionary. But what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in heart, humor, and villainous personality.

Whether you’re a lapsed Disney fan or just in the mood for something cozy, funny, and a little wicked, this game is a delightful little brew. I’ll absolutely be seeing it through to the end—possibly while cheering on Ursula’s reality TV ambitions.

Check out the YouTube Review HERE

Check out the full Live Stream HERE

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