Best Served Cold

“A cocktail of mystery elements, engaging characters, and some drink mixing makes for a refreshing treat for the right audience”

“All in all, Best Served Cold delivers a unique blend of detective storytelling and bartending mechanics, creating an experience that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Its strategic approach to conversation and investigation challenges players to think critically, while its richly developed world provides a compelling backdrop for the unfolding mystery. The game’s noir aesthetic and atmospheric visuals enhance its immersive quality, making each interaction feel meaningful. While some pacing issues (in story and gameplay) and minor technical inconsistencies exist, the game succeeds in crafting a memorable journey through a world of secrets and deception.”

“Best Served Cold is an investigative visual novel which merges bartending detective work to create a novel cocktail.”

“Overall, Best Served Cold is a must-play. Every second with this game has been nothing but a delight. The developers have clearly put a lot of effort into delivering a smooth experience, and you can see it everywhere in the game, from sprites to music to even the mini-games.”

“If you like detective adventures with Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot style, you will definitely enjoy Best Served Cold. It offers quite interesting detective cases, even with a little drop of alcohol.”

“Best Served Cold masterfully blends tense detective work with inventive bartending mechanics, delivering a stylish, immersive noir experience. While the lack of voice acting is noticeable, its rich atmosphere, compelling characters, and smart gameplay make it a standout indie gem.”

“Best Served Cold has its merits as a story, but its poorly built gameplay keeps the title from being more than a mere curiosity. More time in the fridge would have made these fine drinks ice-cold — the final product, however, highlights its flaws more than anything else.”

“If you like the detective genre (e.g. you loved franchises like Ace Attorney), give Best Served Cold a chance: you are the bartender of a ‘speakeasy’, an establishment that illegally offers alcohol during the prohibition era. Your job is to please the customers so you can loosen their tongues between cocktails... while solving murky murder cases. Combine clues from conversations and make your own deductions. The title has a good storyline and a nice, well-rendered art direction that makes you really feel like you're behind the bar of an illegal bar, among jazz music, smoke and ice clinking in the glasses. A must try.”

“Best Served Cold is a digestif. A perfect palate cleanser to play after a larger more involved experience. Some elements don't quite compliment one another, and there is certainly work here to improve the recipe. But these characters and world are strong enough to carry those shortcomings. While it isn't a perfect cocktail, the writing and world elevate a mechanically simple experience into something narratively fulfilling. If you enjoy murder mysteries, and 1920s vibes, pull up a stool at the Nightcap - stay a while, and soak in the ambiance.”