Musician I Admire the Most: 5 Seconds of Summer

Just like many others, my first time with 5 Seconds of Summer was when She Looks So Perfect was being played everywhere. It was melodic, enjoyable, and had that old school 2010s pop-punk feel but I didn’t cling to it as their devotee at that time. A couple of years later, everything twisted on its head when I happened to be watching a wrestling pay-per-view. One of the event’s promo songs was Teeth, and I was hooked instantly. I couldn’t believe it was 5SOS! While the sound was indeed darker, more mature, and incredibly so, it only took me a few seconds to search for the Youngblood album, and I listened to it in its entirety on the spot. This was the point where I was convinced.

From that time on, I have been a huge fan, I’ve been to almost all their concerts, and they are breathtaking when performing live. Their music has gone through so many stages over the years, and they are now combining rock, pop, and alternative elements, all the while still maintaining that raw, emotional energy that breathes life into every song. It’s not often that you come across a band that continues to challenge themselves artistically, which is why I am so impressed by their journey, from the very beginning to a remarkable band with a unique sound.

The song I've decided to share is from their latest album 5sos5.

Oooh, i'd love to see more walkthroughs of everyone's experience so my reward Idea: "A Day in the Life of My Café" (Video Edition)

Since Critter Café is all about building and managing a cosy and personalised café, this reward would allow players to create and share a day in the life of their café through a short video.

How Entries Would Be Verified & Judged:

Players record a 1-3 minute video showing how their café operates throughout a typical in-game day.

Record video including opening routines, customer interaction, puzzles, critter rescues etc. anything unique to the running of the café.

This is your video; players can narrate their video by adding captions that describe the various quirks or fun traditions your café has adopted or special critters. Consider how you storytell. Is there a chaotic moment with customers? Critter making chaos? Or perhaps a nice, satisfying day where your café's operation ran nice and smooth?

It would be cool to see the different ways you all run a café and also get a really good feel for the fun and chill vibes Critter Café creates, which might sometimes be chaotic.

The core thing in this game is your cafe. That is the heart and soul so it's super important to make it look aesthetically and functional. Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your space.

1. Café Customisation & Design

Focus on a theme! Whether you want rustic and cosy or modern and sleek, the consistency of style will make your café feel more intentional. For my cafe, I've picked brown and pink as my theme, so it can even be something as simple as colour or even an object that can determine what vibe you want your cafe to be.

Play with lighting: warm tones invite people into a space, while cooler tones can make a space feel cool and relaxed. For my cafe, I've placed salt-style lamps on tables and walls, I've also kept the same style of lighting for consistency with the addition of a few neon lights in 1 or 2 spots.

Display only a few decorative elements. Small touches, like potted plants or wall art, elevate the space without clutter. I took inspo from another creator here and created a gaming station but also a study section focusing on objects associated with that near those areas.

2. Set Up Café For Maximum Efficiency

Keep an open route around between the kitchen and tables so you don't bump into furniture running to and forth from delivering orders. Space the tables out just enough that you can navigate among the customers. I learned this the hard way when I have a rush of customers but can't get to them because of how I've placed the table in front of them.

3. Take & Deliver Orders Efficiently

Save time by prioritising orders for groups instead of continuing to run back and forth for single drinks. I take everyone's orders first and focus on the quick wins. so the coffee pouring is what I try and bash out first then if there's a cake cutting I usually save that and latte art at the end.

4. Making the Most of Your Space & Experience

Move things around often! Your café will change as you unlock new furniture and features, so don't be afraid to mix it up. Honestly, every time I think I am settled with the layout, I unlock new sofas and have to redecorate but it's all part of the fun.

Interact with your customers. Happy customers mean more rewards and a happy café. I wasn't aware of this until I accidentally clicked on a person and noticed my after-cafe summary was very positive and my critters had also levelled up a lot.

With these tips, I hope you’ll have a beautifully designed and efficiently run café in no time. Let me know if you’d like any tweaks or additions!?

Happy Cafe-ing ☕✨

My Latte art with a perfect might add!

Here is a tour of my cafe. My favourite colour is pink, and I feel like brown is such an underrated colour, but it compliments pink so well! I really wanted to have contrast with my cafe so ideally the areas with pink flooring would have brown objects and vice versa, because there was already brown wood on the upper deck of the cafe I thought the best thing to do was to compliment that. Even the wallpaper used is a nod to where and how you would traditionally see the colour brown.

Right - hear me out!

As a graphic designer, day time, and by night maybe a potential gamer you could say to begin with, I could not help but be attracted to the beautiful loading screen that gets shown whenever you are on your way to the critter sanctuary, just such a thoughtfully designed piece of art comes before you-a swirling mass of purples accented with an odd retinue of glows from whites and blues. Purple, in particular, has a fascinating psychological effect—it’s often associated with creativity, calmness, and even a touch of mystery. It’s no wonder this screen is so soothing to look at.

The glow at the centre adds a focal point that feels almost meditative, pulling you in while the soft, gradient colours around it create a sense of peace. Colour psychology like this can make a game like Critter Café feel all warm and cosy. It's not just a functional loading screen, but rather it feels like a moment of pause, to breathe, to feel immersed in the world. To me, this little loading screen is one of the minute details that really set the tone for an adventure and makes this game feel so magical.

Emerald Bay Beach puzzle! In this one I rescued Quillpuff!

So, this is going to be super random (and I hope this bit of text doesn't count towards my word count) but I have been binging romance novels and I just finished watching Culinary Class Wars on Netflix and I now am a big fan of Chef Edward Lee lol so my submission is more on the romance side. Don't worry though, this is all PG!!!

The Critter Café glittered under the sunset on the shore of Gold Leaf Isle, its storefront images shimmering like warm sighs of spiced apple cider, laughter and a universe of cups of tea and coffee. Inside, Taylor sat alone at the counter, her sketchbook open but untouched. She wasn’t sketching tonight—not yet. The otherworldly world of a cosy café, the cheerful glow of fairy lights, and the smell of cinnamon had put her into a dreamy state of daze.

Edward Lee slipped in quietly and was the sort of fellow who caught people's eye with his cool poise. The clean sheen of his chef's jacket glowed even in the dimness, but tonight he wasn't in the kitchen, cooking. He’d lived for months, repeating the mentoring of chefs in culinary competitions all over the island, but the coffee shop had been his refuge—a domain where the food was familiar and there lingered a sense of possibility in the air.

He caught sight of her as she came through the door, when her loose hair flowed at her back, streaming down her shoulder, dancing around the movement of writing implements against the surface of her lips absently. Taylor was magnetic without trying, a quiet spark amid the lively café. Edward approached, sliding onto the stool beside her with a casual smile that still managed to disarm her.

“Do you always draw this seriously, or is this just your warm-up? he asked, his voice low and velvety.

Taylor glanced at him, her cheeks already warming. “I—uh—was just thinking. About the way this place feels. Cosy, but alive. Like anything could happen here.”

Edward tilted his head, intrigued. “I like that. I think that’s why I keep coming back. Mind if I sit here?”

She shook her head, smiling softly. “Not at all.”

Their presentation passed like a calm run of the espresso machine in the back. He shared with her the course of his career as a chef, in how cooking, and food was his means of communicating without language. She described the extent to which she'd always felt more at ease depicting the other folks' fictional universes than creating her own. There was a forced draw between them, a flash neither could dismiss.

The clock read eleven-thirty, and Biscuit, the café's raccoon cook, shot onto the countertop, spoon at the ready. “Alright, everyone! We’re counting down to midnight, but first, a challenge! Ed, what about a shot of culinary magic to set the mood?

Edward turned to Taylor, his eyes dark and inviting. “What do you say? Let’s make something unforgettable together.”

She stopped, her heart racing, but the look in his eye—steady, sure, even slightly dangerous—pulled her under. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Off the counter, it was claustrophobic, their bodies bumping in a shared motion as Edward guided her arms through the steps needed to make a deeply rich, decadent chocolate soufflé. His voice toned in her ear, and it brought chills down her back. “Gentle, like this. You don’t need to rush it—just feel it.”

Taylor laughed uneasily nervously, her hands shaking, when he brought his over hers to support her. “You make this look so easy,” she murmured.

"It's not a matter of being perfect," he whispered, and his voice became softer, more intimate. “It’s about enjoying the process.”

And then, as the soufflé was finished and waiting for its finishing touch, Edward turned to her, their faces touching. The noise of the café seemed to fade, leaving only the heat between them.

“Midnight’s close,” he said, his voice a whisper now. “Do you have a New Year’s resolution, Taylor?”

She met his gaze, her breath catching. “Maybe to take more risks.”

The café erupted into applause at the stroke of twelve, but Edward's gaze remained fixed on the clock. Just do it now, he whispered, and before she could reply, he brushed into her, his mouth meeting hers in a kiss as gentle and long as the snow falling on the window.

By the time they tore apart, Taylor was gasping, her cheeks hot, but for reasons quite unrelated to the sunshine of the coffee shop. “Happy New Year, Edward,” she said softly.

"Happy New Year", he said, in a low voice, as he lingered his hand over hers. “Let’s make it unforgettable.”

I am screaming?! the anticipation?!!! I hope you like my little entry :)