Taverns hold a special place in many stories:
- This is where Dungeons & Dragons players gather before setting out into the world;
- In taverns, you can find quests to slay monsters;
- You can play games like Gwent from The Witcher with the patrons;
- It is an ideal lair for all sorts of evil creatures pretending to be decent folk;
- In a tavern, you can simply relax and enjoy yourself after an epic adventure
In Tavern Manager Simulator, the player has to establish a business in a world whose style resembles World of Warcraft. The main heroine moves into an abandoned building and puts it in order. The trash is cleared, the name is given, and the time comes to welcome visitors.
Initially, only ale is on the menu. The process of pouring ale into mugs is designed as a minigame. You can just pour the drink, or take a risk and achieve a perfect result – earning extra profit. Risk brings consequences, and failure leads to a puddle on the floor and lost reputation.
After opening, a stream of customers enters the tavern. Muscular men and curvaceous women order drinks and snacks that must be served on a tray. Timely service and a friendly greeting boost the establishment’s reputation.
Customers come in all shapes and sizes:
- Goody-two-shoes who eat and drink decorously, then pay and leave;
- Alcoholics who knock back mug after mug. At a certain point, the customer passes out and has to be thrown out into the fresh air. Sometimes a loaded patron “discharges” a tight stream onto the floor, which lowers your reputation;
- Impatient rushers who want their order right here, right now. If you do not make it in time, they knock a chair to the floor in anger;
- Real slobs. They leave behind a trail of dirt and garbage that reduces the tavern’s cleanliness level.
Proceeds from sales go toward buying groceries. Money is needed to purchase tables for visitors and decorations – the latter are bought more for personal satisfaction. You will also have to pay for various upgrades, which are mostly for the soul. If finances are tight, you can take out a loan from the goblins. But I did not encounter such an issue, and therefore did not use this feature.
Wealth attracts unwanted attention. Over time, thieves start sneaking into the storage room, scooping up arms full of groceries. You need to hit the scoundrel properly over the head with a frying pan so that he prudently leaves the premises.
Running a successful business increases the reputation level. A high level allows you to upgrade the tavern. The tavern becomes bigger and more spacious, unlocking the ability to purchase upgrades. The hostess learns how to order sausages, cook soup, and fry meat. The latter two involve separate minigames. Strangely, after cooking, the first stages of the minigame disappear and only return after restarting the game.
Increasing reputation attracts unusual guests like a beggar woman and a weary traveler who ask for spare change and water, respectively. They will rush to spread news of the hostess’s kindness or greed to everyone around. A high reputation attracts noble persons. They dine exquisitely, refuse to sit in the same room as commoners, and will not enter a dirty tavern. But the rich also pay handsomely.
You also have to deal with the unpleasant side of daily routine. Did the visitors make a mess? Grab a mop and get to work! Dishes need to be gathered and washed, tables wiped down. The rustic outhouse-style toilet clogged? You marvel at the patron’s rear-end talent and proceed to a disgusting minigame. Not to mention that firewood will not chop itself, and water will not materialize from the well on its own.
Fairies become real lifesavers. They can be assigned the roles of dishwasher, waitress, or cook. The longer a fairy performs a specific job, the higher her skill level and, consequently, her efficiency. Fairy waitresses have a habit of freezing in one spot, which is fixed by reloading. Fairies work for dust, which raises questions: who produces dust on an industrial scale? From what? Alas, you will find no explanation. But perhaps the developers will address this in future patches.
The game tends to be a bit too slow-paced. It seems like your reputation is already going through the roof and you have nothing left to spend money on, yet you cannot upgrade the tavern level – you must complete all the quests. And the quests are simply tedious: sell a specific quantity of items. Once you finish a quest, a similar one appears, but with a different set. And there is no guarantee visitors will order what you need.
If the routine gets boring, you can close the tavern and go looking for adventure. The game world is not particularly large, but makes up for it with a large number of amusing references – the bonfire from Dark Souls or Shrek’s swamp.
Diagnosis
At the moment, the game is a very solid simulator. It is full of interesting references and mechanics. The gameplay is set up so that you get hooked right from the first minutes. The attention to experience-enhancing little details is also pleasing. And most importantly: it is simply fun to spend time in.
Let us hope that the developers will realize all their ambitions. They want to add new races, events, and mechanics. If everything succeeds, the game will turn out truly magical.
Pro:
- The game is addictive
- A large number of engaging mechanics
- Plenty of secrets
- Curvaceous female patrons
- Huge potential
Contra:
- Some quests make late stages boring
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