More Than Just Tea

Delicious: Emily's Tea Garden is about Emily, an ambitious young woman who wants to open a business selling tea. However, the best thing about this product and its story is that it's more of a journey than other products of this type. Unlike other games, where the protagonist opens up a small business and you need to work your butt off to help it grow, Emily has to work her butt off just to make enough money to open up her small business. This storyline allows for a lot of variety in gameplay, as you start at a barbecue place and help out at a lot of different establishments along the way. This jumble of various game types makes this product a true gem.

As I said, Emily wants to open a tea garden. She wants to buy land in Dolphin Bay, but she doesn't have the money. Luckily, her Uncle Antonio has a friend, Hank, who owns a business in Dolphin Bay. Sadly, Hank's wife is in the hospital and he needs extra help as she recovers. This is where you'll begin your journey.

Flippin' Steaks

Hank owns and operates the Western Barbecue Grill. Now, on your first day, running the place is practically child's play. The menu consists of root beer floats, milk, and nachos with two different kinds of sauce. Customers will wander in and either sit down to eat or come to the counter and order to go. You'll need to give them time to decide - I know I can never make up my mind - and then when their order appears above their heads, simply click on the items to load them on your tray (in the bottom left corner) and click on the customer to serve them.

If the customers are seated, you'll need to wait for them to finish eating. They'll then come to the counter to pay, at which time you can ring them up and clean their table. If the customer is ordering to go, it's much more simple and faster. As soon as you hand them their bag, simply click on the register to take their money.

This being a business sim, you can of course get combo points for performing the same action twice in a row. Another way to get more money is to ring up two customers at once while they're standing side-by-side at the counter. Making money is both fun and rewarding and you'll always feel like going back to see if you can beat your old score.

Long Hours

One of the major differences between this product and others of its kind is the length of your workday. Some games it feels like you're working a two second shift, so right when you're getting into the groove of things, the day is up. In this game, the workday is long, which I actually prefer. It makes it easier to establish a rhythm and gives you a greater sense of satisfaction when the day is over.

A New Direction

While the game I've described here may sound like Diner Dash, Delicious: Emily's Tea Garden actually makes a significant effort to change the formula up and step out of the Diner Dash's shadow. Originality is something we don't see often in this market and Delicious deserves a solid recommendation. This is a must-have.