- BGG rating
- 7.5
Café: EXPRESSO
- 1–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,257
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Café
2020
Rules assistance for Café
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Café
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Café is a board game released in 2020 for 1–4 players, 20–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Rôla and Costa and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Layering.
Expansions
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About the game
During the reign of King John V, Portugal was a major European power. From Brazil, the king ordered Sergeant Melo Palheta to travel to French Guiana to formally establish the Utrecht Treaty of 1713 and to secretly bring coffee seeds to Brazil. The Sergeant was successful and by 1800 Brazil was one of the largest coffee producers in the world. In the early 20th century, coffee from Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola and Timor is largely appreciated in Portugal and inspires the appearance of prestige coffee shops in emblematic locations that attract the elite. Through dedication, hard work and skill, the Portuguese 20th century witnesses the birth of one of the biggest coffee industries in the world. In Café, 1 to 4 players represent coffee companies that from plantation, drying, roasting and distribution try to create and control the best supply chain of coffee. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Publishers
- GaGa Games
- HUCH!
- Maldito Games
- Reflexshop
- Mayfair Games
- Neptuno Games
- Rawstone
- Lord of Boards
- Across the Board
- HOT Games
- Funbox Editora
- Boardgame Mall
- Bohemian Games
- Sylex
- Djama Games
- PYTHAGORAS
- Upgrade Games
Questions and answers
Café supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Café is 20–45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Café for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Café has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Café belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Layering. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Café are: Rôla and Costa. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Café as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.