What if the scariest creatures in Filipino folklore weren’t here to haunt you, but to serve you coffee in Balete Brews? Christian Quinzon and the indie dev group Seven Sardines give life to that what-if.
That’s the whimsical world of Balete Brews, a charming new game where tikbalangs cook your meals, manananggals prep your drinks, and a kapre’s giant hand might help wipe down the tables.
In this cozy café sim, our so-called monsters aren’t here to haunt you—they’re just your co-workers and customers in a mythical coffee shop.
“May nag-bring up lang ng idea na what if ‘yong mga mythological creatures kaysa ‘yong nakakatakot, what if friendly pala sila?” shares Christian Quinzon, one of the game’s developers.
“Nagse-serve sila ng kape sa mga ghost para pumunta sa langit nang peacefully.”
In Balete Brews, you manage a restaurant where mythical beings serve drinks to spirits on their way to the afterlife. It’s spooky, it’s sweet, and it’s full of Filipino culture—from the food to the folklore.
It’s also the first commercial game from indie dev group Seven Sardines—a name born from dorm life and a dream.
“Kaming developers, since high school kami friends. Kaya Seven Sardines ‘yong name kasi seven kami no’n na may dream na mag-game job and lahat kami dormers. Sa dorm ‘di ba siksikan, so seven sardinas,” Christian laughed.
While the original crew was seven strong, life happened. Different paths, different priorities—but four of them remained laser-focused on game development.
“Nag-college siyempre nag-iba iba ng focus. Kami pa rin talaga ‘yong mahilig sa development and sa games,” he added.
“Friends talaga kami na sobrang sakto lang ng talents and skills.”
Together, they poured everything they loved into Balete Brews: Filipino culture, game nostalgia, cooking, and yes—mythical creatures with a heart.
Inspired in part by Restaurant City, the beloved Facebook game from the 2000s, Balete Brews lets you build and expand your own café, serve unique dishes, and level up through creative twists and magical mishaps.
“Basically you will build your cafe, you will build your restaurant and mag-serve ka ng customers,” Christian said. “Siyempre may twists and turns along the way. Nando’n ‘yong malaking kamay, si kapre ‘yon.”
The hardest part? Deciding what not to include.
“Siyempre kami marami kaming ideas, very creative. It was really hard to trim down the middle ground. The sweet spot between the features that we love and the features that players would love.”
But if Balete Brews gets one thing right, it’s heart. It reimagines Filipino folklore not as something to be feared, but embraced—with charm, creativity, and coffee.
Because in this world, even the aswang just wants to know: “One sugar or two?”
Watch the full interview here:
