Narrative choice video games have continued to grow in recent years. Since the high times of Telltale Games, the likes of Life is Strange (a favourite of mine), and the space opera trilogy, Mass Effect there has been a slew of games that allow us to make important choices on our adventures.
Dialling back the gameplay but keeping the stories just as encapsulating are visual novels, a popular sub-genre that has some big hitters including Phoenix Wright, Doki Doki Literature Club! and Danganronpa to name a few.
Sips and Sonnets is a new cosy visual novel that takes place in countryside England, taking us to Ms. Meadows' tea shop to learn about her, her poetry and her customers' stories.
I’m not a tea drinker, but decided to immerse myself ready for my playthrough. Ready for Ms. Meadows story I picked up some fruity tea bags on the weekly shop and got cosy with my Steam Deck.
Sips and Sonnets is a visual novel full of heart, but with so many of its kind out there, what makes this tale of tea and poetry stand out in the library? Here's our spoiler-free review.
Story - Poetry in Motion
Sips and Sonnets is an unashamedly British video game. The locations, the characters and the games two core themes - tea and poetry are textbook countryside England.
UK/Saudi studio, Blue Tango Street's new visual novel is a short tale of friendship, community and loss. The studio's website states they're "geared towards creating games enriched by our life lessons, our passion for fun, and the importance of play as part of the human experience", and without giving too much away the inspiration for the game came from the developers PhD research into ‘neuroscience of learning’.
Granny/grandma/nan/nanna/nanny (depending on where you're from in the UK!) Ms. Meadows – voiced by Bethan Dixon Bate, voice of Vlaakith, Cashguard Helenia and others in Baldur's Gate 3 – and her tea shop, Meadows' Tearoom are the stars of this short 2-3 hour story.
Very much an agony aunt for her customers, each new tea shop patron looks to you as a voice of reason and how you direct their life decisions is in your hands. As Ms. Meadows welcomes village regular Ollie, as well as temporary residents including Adam to the tea room, there's plenty of interesting tales from both parties. There's a good range of dialogue choice that impacts the game's outcome, which can lead to one of three endings. During my 2.5h playthrough I rarely found any of the conversations dull or uninteresting, as they all contributed to my discovery of Ms. Meadows and her former career as a journalist. The slight low point of the story was speaking to the nurse who takes care of elderly Ms. Meadows of an evening, her character felt like they could have been more integral to the story.
It would be very difficult to avoid giving any spoilers by saying much more about Ms. Meadows and her clientele. However, I will say your memory capacity - and in turn, our tea aficionado, Meadows' memory - will impact your sonnet finale.
Completing the game up to three times unlocks a new chapter of author's notes. You can also save on multiple slots at any time if you want to change your decisions.
Gameplay - A Mild Brew of Chatter and Chums
As with most visual novel games, there's little to say on the gameplay. Just like its peers, smooth transitions of dialogue from one line to the next, yet Sips and Sonnets is fully voice-acted.
Though, the game does have a few other activities that involve: brewing one of eight teas to perfection for our lovely customers; filling the blanks in lines of poetry to create our sonnet; and talking to customers about tea-related artifacts from Ms. Meadows' journalistic travels.
My playthrough was on a Steam Deck, with the game offers full Deck support including bespoke touch screen controls. I also used a mouse on my Deck dock and the game played flawlessly either way.
Visuals - Like a Picture Postcard from the Cotswolds
Sips and Sonnets is an absolutely gorgeous visual novel. Watercolor-inspired art makes Meadows' Tearoom and the small number of other locations we visit look beautiful. Each one very much looking like a painting postcard you'd pickup in a British seaside or countryside hamlet store.
The characters are all well-drawn and deliver excellent facial expressions and actions despite the limitations of the genre. Conversations between Ms. Meadows and the mysterious nurse in particular are amplified by her mellow mannerisms.
Also, Sips and Sonnets features a tea making guide book to assist the player in brewing the perfect pot of the world's second most popular beverage. It's a lovely and pretty little read, with some interesting facts about the eight teas offered in the tearoom.
Audio - 14 Lines of Rhyme and a Charming Soundtrack
Fully voice-acted, the quality of performances in Sips and Sonnets is great. Ms. Meadows steals the show with tremendous levels of a variety of emotions. However supporting characters including Ollie - voiced by Lenval Brown from Disco Elysium – also execute their roles admirably.
The acting is complimented by a charming soundtrack of music that made me want to relax and put the kettle on. The handful of tracks never outstay their welcome in the few hours you will spend in the tea room.
Conclusion - Blended Bliss
Sips and Sonnets tells the heartfelt tale it sets out to. A story of growing old, being a cornerstone of a small community and how easily you can leave a print on a strangers life. Full of wisdom, Ms. Meadows character is triumphantly acted and she kept me engaged from the start, to the end of the 14 line sonnet my choices contributed to.
I can comfortably recommend Sips and Sonnets. For a budget price, Blue Tango Street's British visual tale is very much worth a few hours of your time.
A harmonious soundtrack, gorgeous painting-like graphic design and a short, yet memorable story which will stick with me. Well, at least until I alter my choices for my second and third playthroughs. I best get the tea leaves in the pot, hadn't I?
Sips and Sonnets releases on September 12 2025 on Steam. This game was played on Steam Deck for review, with full bespoke touch screen support included. Thank you to the developer and publisher for providing a code for the purpose of review.
