CAFE 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~

This VN gives me a dilemma; it seemingly DOES have what I should enjoy, however it felt as if the actual story just got completely excluded from the game lol. I was excited for this due to the intriguing premise and prologue, but then once the story was supposed to begin (or so I thought), I was under the impression that the actual plot just got skipped until the sudden ending XD. The idea is very nice, I love the story concept and the "system" of getting the endings, the mystery itself is quite decent too. I've seen plenty of critism on the art, but honestly that didn't bother me, I actually liked that "silly old manga artstyle", the music is great too. I'm just not a fan of how elements of the plot that interested me the most barely got any screentime (which was seeing how the protagonist adapts to the circumstances and deals with the mystery in detail), additionally everything was too rushed for my preferences. On top of that, the cliche characters and awkward writing rather didn't make it better, despite nice potential. I certainly still did enjoy parts of it and feel bad for giving it a bad review but the game's way of presenting the story unfortunately didn't impress me, e…

Cafe 0 is an amazing short visual novel which explores the differing story-lines of its patrons. It's similar to Coffee Talk in the sense that you get to explore the reactions of the character at first in the sense of a waiter/ patron reaction, but then you get to go back and groundhog day your way into figuring out how to figure out what the best course of action is to really understand what brought you where you are and how to change your fate. It is definitely a visual novel I would recommend and I still want the rest.

CAFE 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~, developed by ROSEVERTE MYSTERY and published by ROSEVERTE, is a moody and introspective visual novel that blends supernatural mystery with emotional character drama. Rather than relying on spectacle or complex mechanics, the game focuses on atmosphere, memory, and choice-driven storytelling, presenting an experience that feels quietly unsettling and deeply personal. From its opening moments, the game establishes a dreamlike tone, inviting players into a liminal space where life, death, and unresolved regret intersect. The story begins with Marin Umino awakening in an unfamiliar café, greeted by a calm and enigmatic waiter named Sui. With no memory of who she is or how she arrived there, Marin gradually learns the truth: she has died. Café 0 exists as a space between worlds, offering her one final opportunity to revisit the last seven days of her life. This structure immediately reframes the narrative as a journey through memory rather than a straightforward mystery, encouraging players to reflect on how small decisions and interpersonal dynamics can ripple outward into irreversible outcomes. The café itself becomes a symbolic anchor, a quiet and neutr…

Just couldn't get into the story at all. And I tried.

1/10

I like how you have to figure out how you died and see how the people around you were involved in it. The story was good but I feel like it could have been longer. There wasn't enough character development for me to get attached to the characters. Overall I enjoyed it.