I recently got a chance to play around an hour of Busy Bar on the PlayStation 5 Pro, thanks to a review copy provided by BoardGameSet.
You can find my gameplay video, as well as my first impressions of the game, below:
Pros:
- Fast-paced and addicting arcade action.
- Silly customers keep the experience fresh and interesting.
- Local co-op for up to four players.
Cons:
- Single player can be overwhelming.
Overall:
Busy Bar is an arcade simulator where you own a bar. In order to server customers, you have to slide food and drinks across a counter.
While the gameplay may sound simple, the counters can get filled with various spills. Not to mention that some customers would sleep or dance on the counters.
In addition to serving customers, you have to clean up and collect tips. The action is fast-paced and you barely have any time to breathe during a shift.
All of this can be quite overwhelming if you are playing alone. Even if you hire computer-controlled helpers, the AI isn’t exactly great.
Fortunately, Busy Bar supports local co-op for up to four players. This is the preferred way to play the game as you are able to delegate tasks and/or assign each player to a particular area.
In between shifts, you can use your hard earned money to purchase furniture in order to upgrade your shop. Eventually, you will be able to purchase multiple bars.
Overall, Busy Bar is a great co-op game to play with friends and family. There’s plenty of content to keep you engaged for hours on end.