REVIEW: Robo-Tea: Misten Minicups (game)

Robo-Tea: Misten Minicups is a free/pay-what-you-want visual novel, available here. I don't know that it really matters much, but I'd probably recommend playing Robo-Tea: 1 Cup first, just to get a bit more information about the setting and a brief glimpse of Cors (who, in that game, is a minor character who briefly appears at the end of one of the routes).

Review:

I decided I could use a bit of cute robot time, so I debated between my remaining Robo-Tea games and decided on Robo-Tea: Misten Minicups. According to the description, its events happen at the same time as Robo-Tea: 2ndServing (which is currently only available in demo form, although the full game is supposed to be out sometime soon).

In Robo-Tea: Misten Minicups, you are Mitra (the blue robot). You’re in a band called Misten, which is going to be performing at MusiFest 59 soon. You’re in a happy polyamorous relationship with your two other bandmates, Alren (the red robot, pronouns: he/him) and Twinst (the green robot, pronouns: she/her). One thing the three of you would really like to do while you’re visiting the planet Verdande is see your crush, Cors (pronouns: xe/xir), for the first time in a little over a century and give xir a gift.

I’ll start this off with a warning: Robo-Tea: Misten Minicups is even less like a game than Robo-Tea: 1 Cup. There’s only one point where you’re asked to make a choice, and your decision has no real effect on the game (although I prefer the “accessory store” choice to the “latest tech” choice). There is only one possible ending. Also, the story ends before Mitra, Alren, and Twinst get a chance to meet Cors and give xir their gift. That last bit probably bugged me more than the lack of choices - I really wanted to see the meeting and how Cors would react. I suppose that will have to wait for Robo-Tea: 2ndServing.

This felt like a sweet and simple picture book in software form. It had the same bright colors and appealing artwork and music as Robo-Tea: 1 Cup, although it somehow managed to feel even fluffier than that game. There were no mentions of anything even vaguely distressing - the worst the characters had to worry about was whether they’d all wake up in time to go shopping, and whether they’d be able to find something suitable.

Mitra, Alren, and Twinst seemed to have a fairly solid relationship. All three had a crush on Cors, and jealousy did not play a part in the story. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for character development. Although Mitra was the POV character, I felt like I knew more about Alren by the end. He was a book lover and also seemed to be the most assertive one of the three.

The storytelling could have been a little clearer. It took me a bit longer than I liked to match the names up to the characters, and I noticed one small typo. I also felt that Robo-Tea: 1 Cup was more interesting overall. Still, this entry in the series was nice, and I'm looking forward to Robo-Tea: 2ndServing.

If you enjoyed Robo-Tea: 1 Cup’s gentleness and sweetness, you’ll probably like this entry in the series. Just be aware that it’s shorter and simpler, like getting one part of a larger story (which I think is probably what it is).