What’s Cookin’?: Pokemon Cafe Mix is a Perfect Example of Weaponized Cuteness

It’s no secret that cute and “wholesome” games are enjoying a mainstream cultural relevance that’s probably the biggest we’ve seen so far. Between Animal Crossing New Horizon’s domination of the gaming landscape for months post-release, and even events like the Wholesome Direct, it’s clear that folks are in search of cute games to take their minds off the impending end of the world.

But, while playing Pokemon Cafe Mix, I began to really see the insidious nature cuteness in games can have. This trend isn’t new–Dia Lacina pointed it out when we discussed Animal Crossing earlier this year. Cuteness, like anything else when it comes to creating a product, is a tool, and can be used benevolently, or for darker purposes. In the case of Cafe Mix, it’s definitely a smokescreen for more dastardly practices. 

In Cafe Mix, you get to start your very own little cafe where your customers are all various types of pokemon. They range across generations, and there are special ones that will only visit you during events. You serve them treats that are pokemon inspired, from Litwick themed hot chocolate, to sandwiches that look like Digletts. Thanks to the art style, and general design of Pokemon, your customers and wares are absolutely adorable.

To assemble these cute confections, you have to connect pokemon shaped icons to earn points and break down challenge ingredients like sugar cubes, nuts, honey, etc. If you don’t meet all the criteria for each order, you either have to start again, or purchase 3 more turns using the game’s premium currency: golden acorns. If you start over, it consumes a heart, which regenerate over time. There are also various power-ups you can use to get the recipe made. 

You can earn power-ups & golden acorns in-game, but it’s slow going. Power-ups come from completing daily challenges or progressing far enough to receive in-game gifts. But due to Cafe Mix’s less than precise method of connecting pokemon dots, it’s easy to burn up acorns either through purchasing more turns, or running out of lives, which also costs acorns to replenish. 

Now, it might seem easy to say, “oh, well it’s a mobile style game, that’s how they operate,” and you’d be right. But this isn’t just any old mobile microtransaction machine. It’s specifically a Pokemon branded game, and it goes out of its way to make sure you want to keep playing, all by being cute and inoffensive. 

Think about it: in times like these, when a new fire is added to the inferno 2020 has become everyday, who doesn’t want to retreat into something cute and comforting? I love the idea of running a nice little cafe with my pokemon friends. It’s relaxing and makes me smile to see the soft-edged art. I want to keep pokemon coming back for more, and to add new friends to my staff. But I can’t do that if I’m not advancing, and so far, I’ve had to spend money to advance at the pace I want to. 

I’m not going to say how much I’ve spent on Cafe Mix, because it’s honestly an embarrassing amount. Working in games, I’m aware of microtransactions and how predatory they can be, so I figured I’d be fine playing this. But I was wrong because I underestimated how much I wanted a cute, chill experience, and how efficiently Nintendo would play on that. 

When I’m in the zone, whipping up treats for my customers and building new relationships with pokemon pals, it’s all I want to be doing. So when I hit a roadblock, it becomes all too easy to smash the “buy more turns” button until I’m out of acorns. And then what’s $5? I can skip a coffee or something this week, right? Rinse and repeat until I realize how much I’ve spent and shut the game down before it eats me out of house and home. 

Now of course, the choice is always in my hands. Nintendo isn’t forcing me to the eShop to buy more acorns. But they are creating an experience that makes it that much easier to justify it, because gosh, aren’t pokemon just the cutest friends? The world of Pokemon is so vibrant, and the mainline games continuing to be turn-based RPGs leaves a lot of room to wonder what other kinds of interactions humans and pokemon could have. It’s screaming for a coffee shop AU, and Nintendo delivered with Cafe Mix, but we have to ask: at what cost?

Looking at my bank statement, I can tell you it’s not going to be cheap for anyone taken in by the warm atmosphere and pitch of getting to cook and make coffee with your pokepals.