Necrobarista: The Melbourne Coffee Shop Video Game
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Necrobarista is a cinematic visual novel set in the Terminal, a back-alley coffee shop in Melbourne, Australia, where necromancers serve coffee to the recently dead. Developed by the Australian studio Route 59 and released in 2020, it blends grief, humor and espresso into a story about the last 24 hours a soul gets among the living. It also captures something real: Melbourne's laneway café culture, one of the most respected coffee scenes in the world.
Here is what the game is about, how its café setting reflects the real city, and how to make a Melbourne-style flat white at home.
What Is Necrobarista?
In Necrobarista, the souls of people who have just died get one final night, 24 hours, to stay in the world before they must move on. They spend it at the Terminal, a cozy, slightly chaotic café hidden down a Melbourne alley and run by necromancers who keep the coffee flowing and the rules of death bent but not broken.
Instead of the flat 2D art of most visual novels, Necrobarista tells its story with cinematic 3D scenes, moody lighting and dramatic camera angles, often compared to anime. The soundtrack is by Kevin Penkin.
- Developer: Route 59 (Australia)
- Release: July 2020 on Apple Arcade and Windows (Steam); Nintendo Switch in August 2021, published by Coconut Island Games
- Genre: story-driven visual novel with 3D cinematic scenes
- Later edition: Necrobarista: Final Pour, a director’s cut with new content and remastered visuals
You will not run a café simulation here. You read, watch and unlock extra stories through a keyword system. The coffee shop is the stage, and Melbourne is the soul of it.
Why a Melbourne Café Is the Perfect Setting
Setting a story about life, death and the moments in between in a coffee shop makes sense: cafés are places where people meet, linger and talk. Setting it in Melbourne makes even more sense.
The city is famous for its narrow laneways lined with small, independent cafés, many tucked behind unmarked doors or down graffiti-covered alleys. The Terminal, a hidden back-alley coffee shop with a strong personality, fits right into that landscape.
Melbourne's Real Specialty Coffee Scene
Australia's espresso culture took root after World War II, when Italian and Greek immigrants brought espresso machines and café habits with them. Over the decades, Melbourne built a culture of independent cafés where the barista is a respected craftsperson and the quality of milk texture matters as much as the shot itself.
A few things define coffee in Melbourne:
- Espresso first: drinks are built on espresso, and milk-based coffees dominate orders.
- Independent cafés: local shops rule. Starbucks famously closed most of its Australian stores in 2008, a sign of how strongly locals prefer their neighborhood café.
- Brunch culture: coffee comes with ambitious breakfasts and long weekend mornings.
- Latte art: a well-poured rosetta or tulip is expected, not a bonus.
The Flat White
The flat white is the drink most associated with Australian café culture, though its origin is hotly debated: both Australia and New Zealand claim it, with competing stories from the 1980s. Whoever invented it, it is a small, strong milk coffee with a thin layer of velvety microfoam, smaller and more coffee-forward than a latte. For a side-by-side comparison, read our guide to latte vs cappuccino vs flat white.
Melbourne Café Menu Cheat Sheet
| Drink | What it is | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Short black | A single or double espresso | 1 to 2 fl oz (30 to 60 ml) |
| Long black | Espresso poured over hot water | 4 to 6 fl oz (120 to 180 ml) |
| Flat white | Espresso with thin, silky microfoam | 5 to 6 fl oz (150 to 180 ml) |
| Latte | Espresso with more milk and a little more foam | 8 fl oz (240 ml) or larger |
| Cappuccino | Espresso with thicker foam, often dusted with chocolate | 6 fl oz (180 ml) |
Curious about the long black? See Americano vs long black.
How to Make a Melbourne-Style Flat White at Home
Ingredients for one cup:
- 18 g (about 2.5 tablespoons) of finely ground espresso coffee
- 120 to 150 ml (4 to 5 fl oz) of cold whole milk
- Pull a double espresso of about 36 g (1.3 fl oz) in 25 to 30 seconds into a warmed 5 to 6 oz cup.
- Purge your steam wand, then place the tip just below the surface of the cold milk.
- Stretch the milk for only 2 to 3 seconds, enough to add a little air, then sink the tip slightly and spin the milk into a whirlpool.
- Stop at about 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F), when the jug is too hot to hold comfortably.
- Tap the jug on the counter and swirl until the milk looks like glossy paint.
- Pour from a little height to sink the milk under the crema, then lower the jug close to the surface to draw a heart or tulip.
A rich, chocolatey espresso blend holds up beautifully under milk. Our African Espresso brings lively Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ethiopian character, while the 6 Bean Blend gives a darker, cocoa-heavy flat white. New to espresso? Start with how to make espresso at home.
Latte Art Tips for Beginners
- Start with very cold milk and a cold jug: it gives you more time to texture.
- Less air is better for a flat white. Big bubbles will ruin the pattern.
- Practice the heart before the rosetta. Most patterns grow from it.
- Whole milk is the easiest to learn with. Barista-style oat milk is a good dairy-free option.
Necrobarista FAQ
Who made Necrobarista?
Necrobarista was developed by Route 59, an independent studio from Australia. It launched in July 2020 on Apple Arcade and Windows, with a Nintendo Switch version in 2021.
Is Necrobarista a coffee-making game?
Not really. It is a story-driven visual novel with cinematic 3D scenes, set in a café. You follow the characters and unlock extra stories, rather than serving drinks against a clock.
Is the Terminal café in Necrobarista real?
No, the Terminal is fictional. It is inspired by the hidden laneway cafés that Melbourne is known for, which is why the setting feels so authentic to people who know the city.
Was the flat white invented in Melbourne?
Its origin is disputed. Both Australia and New Zealand claim the flat white, with competing stories from the 1980s, but it is firmly part of Melbourne's café culture today.
A Final Pour at Home
Necrobarista reminds us that a good café is about the people inside as much as the coffee. To bring a bit of Melbourne laneway spirit home, pull your flat white with African Espresso or the 6 Bean Blend, or explore our coffee blends. Every Feel Espresso order is roasted 1 to 5 days before delivery, fresh enough to make any barista proud.