Inn Tycoon Review (PC)

Inn Tycoon has the potential to be a great period piece for a medieval tavern sim. Sure enough, it has the heart, but sadly not so much a pulse to help its chambers throb and flurry. Thematically, it’s on point; it bears the aesthetically appealing medieval aura; the frothy tankards and the candlelit ambiance. Yet, there’s something missing from the pot, and it almost pains me to admit it, but it’s too noticeable to be given a blind eye.

At the heart of Inn Tycoon is a warm and somewhat radiant build ‘em up that opts to give the strenuous lifestyle the cold shoulder and, in turn, the soothing landlord experience the benefit of the doubt. With that, it chooses to exclude the painstaking process of building a successful tavern to prioritize an easier transition—a period that mainly involves watching the tavern turn on its own axis and, every once in a blue moon, funneling the cash you earn from the trade to invest in more upgrades. There are no milestones to unlock, nor are there any plot points to unravel en route to a grand climax of any sort. It’s you, a tavern, and the passing of time. And yes, it is rather dull. Or at least, it can be.

Tending to the Inn

If there was an objective to complete here, then Inn Tycoon would be a great deal of fun. The truth here, though, is that while the game does build its walls around a nonlinear format, it also doesn’t offer much for you to do. Don’t get me wrong, it offers you the chance to make a business on your own terms, but it also prevents you from accomplishing any major goals or overthrowing any business milestones.

In a typical scenario, you will place an item or two—tables, decorations, and a fully stocked bar, for example—and then wait for the coins to start rolling in. After so long, a pocketful of coins turns into a new business upgrade, and then that same graft continues. The cycle powers on, and you, simply, have the luxury of being able to sit back and watch it all take shape. The funny thing here is that, while you can make the frequent input, you don’t need to interact with the inn to make it a booming success. The world bends and weans, and you, funnily enough, have the opportunity to gawp at the bank whilst it acts on your behalf.

The good news is that, despite there being little to no storyline for you to follow, there are plenty of quality customization options and tailorable components to play around with. The tavern is, well, it’s small and lacking in charm. Yet, with a good collection of items and upgrades to unlock, it does ensure that you have something to work towards in order to turn that husk of a medieval hub into a fitting centerpiece. Sadly, however, your imagination is the limit, not the structure of the game itself.

A Few Gallons of Mead

I’d say that there’s just enough here to cure your boredom, though perhaps not enough to keep you invested for the long haul. More to the point, if you’re on the ball, you could quite easily mop up the tavern and embellish it with all of the available upgrades in just under two-hundred in-game days. After that, you might struggle to find the motivation to continue. That isn’t to say that it’s bad; it’s just that it lacks the endgame material to keep you interested after the first batch of seasonal transitions.

The building mechanics are reminiscent of OG The Sims, which, in all honesty, are a great deal of fun to work with, more so during the latter stages of the development process once your tavern has acquired a solid foundation and a well-oiled staff infrastructure. It’s still a simple tool that skips out on the breadth of a meaty sandbox palette I’ll admit, but for the asking price, it gets the job done. Is it perfect? Not at all, no. Yet, there is something awfully satisfying about it.

While there’s no denying that Inn Tycoon is a few ales short of a whole barrel, the game itself does provide a solid beginner-friendly build ‘em up experience that, while still in receipt of a few technical and graphical bugs, brings a lot of rewarding moments to the table. Maybe that’s enough to curb your appetite, maybe it isn’t. Either way, if you had your hopes set on consuming a weighty tactical sandbox-like RPG, then you might be in for a shock at how this world chooses to spin its yarn.

Verdict

While Inn Tycoon certainly scratches that medieval itch and that love of cozy innkeeper simulation, its lack of narrative-driven gameplay and depth do, rather unfortunately, dampen its overall appeal and silly an otherwise enjoyable candlelit experience. It’s a shame, too, as there are some brilliant bones here, with some contributing hooks and apt atmospheric effects to boost its overall composition. In time, perhaps, but for the time being it seems that there is still a lot to be done before the tankard is ready for public consumption, both on a technical front and as a representation of a modern business sim.

With all of the above said, if you can comb over the fact that Inn Tycoon isn’t the plot-heavy tycoon sim of the century, then you should find enough to chug here. It’s unlikely that it will keep you frothing at the mouth for a long period of time, but if you’re content with the idea of dipping into a simple time capsule for a palate cleanser, then you should find enough to line your stomach in this rather barebones medieval sim.

To answer the question of whether or not Inn Tycoon has the capacity to exceed its initial expectations — yes, it does, though not until it finds a way to add a little extra meat to its bones, so to speak. Suffice it to say that, so long as it lacks a proper structure and a breadcrumb trail for you to follow, it will remain a rather forgettable innkeeper sim without the heart of a full-fledged game. There’s potential, for sure. Here’s hoping that, with the right guidance and direction under its wing, it will amount to something a lot greater. We’re crossing our fingers, anyway.