The Great Coffee Caper brewing for Steam release

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Cozy retro-styled top-down animal mystery coming soon for Windows and Mac

Animals have lots of things to worry about, from inclement weather to dangerous predators to dwindling natural habitats. Anthropomorphic animals, on the other hand, have much more human concerns to deal with – perhaps none more so than who stole the java in Everyday Magic's upcoming The Great Coffee Caper. 

Yes, there may be no murder or missing anipersons to investigate here, but when you're an owl, a lack of coffee is serious business! In fact, the whole town is gripped in terror one "dark and stormy night" when a monster with a "tall top hat and spine-chilling roar" arrives to steal all the coffee beans from the Cup of Joe café. It's up to Detective Hootsworth and his diminutive but eager and capable assistant Charlie Mouse to search for clues, question the other animal inhabitants, and "engage in fast-paced clue battles" to figure out "hoooo dunnit" and catch the thief.

The Great Coffee Caper's presentation is as unusual as its premise – at least, unusual for 2025, as the top-down pixel art aesthetic is more reminiscent of the old Game Boy Color RPGs. Designed to be a "cute and cozy" experience, the game allows players to freely explore a charming, vividly autumnal "retro-inspired world" filled with clues and "delightful and humorous townsfolk" to interrogate. The gameplay won't be entirely leisurely, however, as some evidence can only be attained by first defeating "sparks" in the environment, using Hootsworth's magnifying glass in a kind of whimsical arcade minigame. The developers refer to it as "akin to the bullet hell genre," but it looks to be a very gentle one, as teased in the introductory trailer. 

When we'll get to solve The Great Coffee Caper remains a mystery for now too, but in the meantime the game is already available for wishlisting on Steam for Windows and Mac.