"Barista: The Game" | A triple shot of inspiration

Steve Edmiston got the idea for creating a dice-and-cards game centered on fine coffee during the long flight from New York City to home in Seattle.

"It wasn't the quality of the coffee on the flight that inspired me," he laughs.

It was the annual American International Toy Fair, where he had spent several days, that inspired him to create "Barista: The Game."

As a game designer (in addition to being an attorney and film writer) he began noodling a theme that people could relate to. It dawned on him that he was winging home to Seattle, coffee-shop central.

"I guess it made sense a guy from Seattle would come up with this idea," he says. "I've witnessed the explosive growth of the coffee culture, am familiar with the coffee giants like Starbucks and Tully's, but also with all the independent shops that seem like they are on every corner.

"I love coffee and saw how people go to coffee shops to interact with one another or run their businesses from there on laptops and cellphones. I wondered how nobody had thought of the context before."

Edmiston developed the game with Tom Phillips, his partner at his area production company, StoryBox Studios. They took their barista game to Port Townsend publisher Discovery Bay Games, which loved it.

The game made its logical debut at Seattle's annual Coffee Fest this fall and, well, created something of a buzz. Of course a coffee game percolates here, but Discovery Games looks at 20,000 coffee shops nationwide and sees a market.

The object of the game is to be the first barista to "brew the perfect coffee drink." That means being the first to match the beverage shown on the roll of four dice with cards in your hand in order to earn the most tips and become the "ultimate barista."

Each die represents part of the drink order including number of shots (single, double, triple), size (short, tall, grande), type of milk (soy, latte, breve), and type (latte, mocha, cappuccino). "Tips" are like gold. There are reversals of fortune (an order change), penalties (getting sued for serving too-hot coffee), setbacks (spilling) and opportunities to be cutthroat (rival barista messes with the order).

For the record, Edmiston, 46, drinks a triple tall Americano. Perhaps that's how he can maintain three careers.

The game costs $14.95 and can be found at Barnes & Noble stores or online at www.bn.com, www.drugstore.com or www.discoverybaygames.com.

Richard Seven: 206-464-2241 or rseven@seattletimes.com