When Chorus decided to continue the story of the Coffee Talk universe, it became obvious that one of the most important things to keep in mind was never losing the relaxing atmosphere that the music helped create in the previous games. So it was no surprise when they approached me again to create more chill, jazzy music. Seeing how Coffee Talk and Coffee Talk Episode 2 were so loved by players for their comforting experience, including the music, we decided to stick with what worked best: jazzy tunes and lo-fi chill hop music to listen to while drinking warm coffee in the middle of the rain.

The request was simple: create brand-new music, while also bringing back and remixing some tracks from previous Coffee Talk titles. The new music is there, of course, to bring fresh warmth to players’ ears. At the same time, I loved the idea of revisiting some of the more popular background tracks from Coffee Talk and Coffee Talk Episode 2, reusing and remixing them to create that sense of connection to past titles and keep longtime players engaged. Even during the remix process, as I revisited those older tracks, I loved how they could offer new perspectives with just a few careful changes and additions, allowing players to continue their musical journey with something both familiar and new.

At the same time, I also came up with a new musical idea when I first saw that Coffee Talk would now take place in Tokyo, something I had never really tried before. Since the new café is set in Japan, I thought, why not bring some Japanese influences into the music? Instruments like the koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen felt like perfect additions to incorporate into chill music. And that’s exactly what we did! I may not have experience playing traditional Japanese instruments myself, but I really put a lot of effort into researching, finding the right sounds, and building the right compositions and musical direction. Through this, I wanted to capture an authentic feeling and create a deeper cultural connection. I’m really happy with how it turned out, and I hope you’ll feel the same. Also... have you noticed the names of the Japanese lo-fi tracks? What do you think? ;)

But it didn’t stop there! The Japanese cultural essence is really strong in this game, I would say, and that feeling became even stronger when we started exploring music that defined Japan’s 80s culture, and realized it would fit Coffee Talk Tokyo perfectly.

This all started when Kris suddenly asked me if we could add city pop music alongside the lo-fi soundtrack. My immediate thought was: why not! Fun fact, we actually already experimented with city pop vibes in Coffee Talk Episode 2, specifically for Rachel’s in-game music album. So continuing that direction for this new title felt completely natural.

With the help of other members of the Toge Productions audio team, we managed to create a complete city pop album, and I’m honestly really proud of how it sounds. I still love how both lo-fi and city pop can beautifully coexist throughout the game, creating a unique musical bond during those quiet, cozy moments. It may not create exactly the same relaxing feeling as the lo-fi album, but it offers something different while still giving you that same sense of comfort... hanging out with people in cozy places, sharing stories over coffee.

That’s all from me. It has been exciting work for an exciting project. This new concept has sparked my creativity all over again, and I truly hope it brings even more excitement and curiosity to players as they experience Coffee Talk Tokyo from beginning to end.

I hope you all enjoy the new music in Coffee Talk Tokyo. 🎵🎵🎵

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We came up with these themes at the same time as we were coming up with characters: as much as our characters are all individuals with many different backgrounds and issues to sort through, we also wanted them to be united by some shared worries and desires.

Our themes have evolved quite a lot over time, and the various ideas we considered are still reflected in some of the game’s arcs: the meaning of a soul, the search for a home, remembering and forgetting. 

But as we went back and forth between characters and plot, we realized there was one overarching idea that kept coming up: the theme of change.

In 2026, the changes wrought by the pandemic are still close behind us. At the same time, the planet is changing in ways that we as a species are struggling to control; the political and technological systems are changing in unpredictable, sometimes scary ways; and of all countries, Japan is no stranger to fast-paced change, some of it accepted, some of it actively resisted to this day. 

Of course, as much as large society themes are touched upon in the Coffee Talk series, small-scale human stakes remain its bread and butter. But there too, we found that the idea fit.

Change, at the end of the day, is at the heart of every story, both fictional and real. The stories we remember about ourselves, the stories we tell our friends and loved ones, are all about moments of change, big and small, transformations that renew us somewhat and add another layer to who we are.

In that sense, Coffee Talk games have always dealt with change: moments of crisis, moments of hope, difficult decisions to be made. In Coffee Talk Tokyo, we decided to take it one step further.

All of our characters are facing, in some way, a critical moment. Some of them are dramatic, such as the edge between life and death, or between childhood and the teenage years. Others are more mundane: entering retirement, taking a step back from overwork, reconsidering a dysfunctional flat share. In all cases, though, the characters are faced with a change they cannot entirely control, and they have a choice: to find their courage and accept it, along with its hardships, or to refuse it, at the risk of stunted growth.

As before, it is the player’s responsibility, through comforting brews and insightful conversations, to soften the transition and ease the characters into taking that next step.

We hope you enjoy assuming, for some of you once again, the role of their friend and guide!

And in our next devlog, we’ll introduce you to the phenomenal group of people who took these themes and gave them visual life: our artists!

Coffee Talk Tokyo Team 💛

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