Kemono Teatime Demo Review
Who is Studio Lalala?
This actually had me stumped for a little, as Studio Lalala has barely any online presence and only one other title available on Steam: Kamitsubaki City Ensemble–a rhythm game about AI girls who awaken after the apocalypse and can utilize song magic, reminding me a little of Reyvatails from the Ar Tonelico series, so consider my interest piqued. Beyond that though, I could uncover relatively little about Studio Lalala–just a small print note in the footer of their website describing them as “a new game label from Furyu Corporation”, who are a Shibuya-based entertainment company known for developing figurines, photo-booths, mobile games such as Alliance Alive, and video games including Lost Dimension, The Caligula Effect, Unchained Blades, and Ghost Parade.
What is Kemono Teatime?
On the surface, Kemono Teatime is a sugary pixel art visual novel with cosy vibes, gentle music, and tea-making mini game elements that tells the tale of two sisters running a cafe. Alongside the upbeat, sweet-treat-stuffed trailer at the top of the Steam page, the short blurb describes it as follows:
Relax in the world of Kemono Teatime, where animal ears are a normal part of everyday life. Here in Melodius, you can whip up whatever blends of tea you desire in your favourite cafe as you play through an adorable story.
However, much in the same way as Final Fantasy X-2 is often underestimated for its girly, peppy facade, the truth of the game goes much deeper, as you’ll see if you scroll slightly further down the Steam page and check out the full “About This Game” section. Continuing on from the excerpt above, it goes on:
Come now and live out your bestest and cutest life–down to the last drop. Though, you do know that once it’s run out, that’s it, right? It’d do you best to learn that all good things come to an end.
Meet all the Kemomimis that come through the cafe and help them wind down, spend a cute and adorable time sipping on some tea, and come to terms with their ultimate fate.
This last part is pretty crucial to understanding the nature of Kemono Teatime.
What a shame I didn’t think to scroll down and read it. Kind of.
Kemono Teatime: A Bittersweet Surprise
I mentioned above that I almost regret not reading the full synopsis, but truthfully, as someone who doesn’t mind the surprise of a far deeper story behind the pretty pink art, the only impact that had on my experience was a bit of confusion at the start of the game. I could see how it could be potentially upsetting for people who want the casual experience it presents on the tin, though, so perhaps avoid this one if you’re not feeling a game that features a pandemic, existential themes, death, or that will make you introspect too hard. It’s sort of like Hatoful Boyfriend in how it pulls the rug out from underneath you and that’s only from what I’ve seen in the demo.
What is Kemono Teatime Really About?
I won’t spoil things here, as I think Kemono Teatime’s story is best experienced first-hand with the effort it puts into its worldbuilding, characters, and careful dialogue composition. It’s true that Kemono Teatime is really about two sisters running a cafe, but I never anticipated the comfort said cafe would be providing to its patrons. Each of them is a “Kemomimi”, or a person with various animal features like ears and tails. This goes beyond the regular anime trope we know so well, though; there’s a deeper story to the appearance of these Kemomimi, and you’ll come to connect with and care about the story of every single one who walks through your door. Choosing favourites was a hard task, but in terms of visuals, character, and arc, mine is probably Mallow: a charming rainbow unicorn Kemomimi who reminds me of Princess Celestia from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. She’s high class and adorable and I was always happy to see her, even coming to learn her preferred tea and weather.
My advice to anyone picking it up is to be sure to read your newspaper and eventually listen to each radio station (once you have the opportunity to unlock the radio) at the end of every day. I think doing that was an important part of my experience that built even more anticipation throughout my playthrough, as I was keen for each night to come so I could learn more about the world beyond the safety of our cafe’s doors. You’ll be missing out of quite a bit of context by skipping over these activities and going straight to sleep.
Should I Play Kemono Teatime?
If you love heartfelt visual novels with plot twists and turns, Kemono Teatime is a fantastic choice for fans of games like Coffee Talk and Hatoful Boyfriend. I played the demo on stream and it left me speechless at the end–I had to stop and take some time to process what I’d just experienced. And maybe I cried just a little once all was said and done.
Update: Kemono Teatime officially dropped in September 2025, and you’d best believe I dropped everything to play it. Read more about my experiences here!
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How long is the Kemono Teatime demo?
Depending on your reading speed, Kemono Teatime‘s demo takes around 1-3 hours to beat. In terms of story, the demo ends on day 3.
Which characters are in the Kemono Teatime demo?
Kemono Teatime’s demo introduces us to the majority of the game’s main characters, with some featuring more than others:
- Tarte
- Macaron
- Quiche
- Mallow
- Guimauve
- Scone
- Jam
- Galette
How do you get items in the Kemono Teatime demo?
Players can acquire new tea leaves, herbs, and the radio from Quiche at the end of each in-game day. In the full game, Quiche also offers the players cute furnishings for Cafe K.
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