Tavern Keeper Review (PC)

Tavern Keeper sets the scene for a perfect storm—a fiendish management sim that not only paves the way for infinite customization possibilities, but for a trove of outlandish opportunities and lore-riddled myths, eccentric characters, and fantastical villains. It takes that same basic blueprint that we’ve encountered a dozen or more times before, and it single-handedly adds an entirely different dimension to the fold. D&D? Check. Cozy tavern-keeping mechanics? Check. A flurry of ever-evolving scenarios and a weighty offline campaign, to boot? Check, check, and check.

In most cases, you would typically mop up all that there is to do in a shopkeeping sim, and then hang your coat elsewhere to start anew. In Tavern Keeper, however, there is more for you to return to. And I don’t just mean a few additional stages, but an entire tapestry of worlds to decorate, management tiers to ascend, and multi-choice crossroads to revert back to. See, Tavern Keeper isn’t a one-and-done ordeal; it’s a blistering affair that keeps you coming back for a second tipple of grog, if not through its natural ability to sweeten the pot with copious amounts of activities, then with a cask of embellishments that allow you to wax and expand till your heart’s content.

To say that Tavern Keeper feels like a good step in the right direction for city-building games just wouldn’t be giving it enough credit. No, it’s a lot more than that; it’s bewilderingly entertaining, and not to mention teeming with all of the perfect crossbreed components of a cozy management game. And if that isn’t enough to sway your temptation, then allow us to fill you in on the other snippets that flesh out what is, in all honesty, one of the most engaging hand-crafted build ‘em ups in the taproom.

Taprooms Aplenty

Tavern Keeper sets you up with a chain of ambient and thematic dioramas to work with. Similar to how most business-oriented keeping sims work, it provides you with the keys to various husks—worlds in which enchanting patrons and diverse environments flesh out the borders—and tasks you with transforming each and every minor aspect into flourishing nodes and quality taproom spaces. There are options, too—choices that you can tailor to either help create a cozy cubby for a reading space, complete with board games and other fitting pastimes, or to transform humble roots into densely packed ale houses, complete with the riffraff and frequent inferno.

For a relatively small indie game, Tavern Keeper has incredibly deep pockets. By that I mean, it takes full advantage of its canvas size to maximize your creative output. There are hundreds, if not thousands of set pieces and thematic synergies to create, and an in-depth tool that effectively allows you to tweak and ponder most, if not all of the elements in your tavern. What’s more, the career mode features a wide array of scenarios and locations, with each section possessing its own characters, curveballs, and general rules of play. Think Two Point Museum, but with old-school inns and candlelit spaces. That, in short, is Tavern Keeper, in a nutshell. And you know what? It is utterly glorious.

Thankfully, there is a huge amount of content to tuck into here. From absurd in-game challenges to weighty campaign missions, multi-choice crossroads to unique sandbox DIY projects. Suffice it to say that, as far as replay value goes, Tavern Keeper has more than enough to keep you chugging tankards for hours. Moreover, as it’s still in its teething period, it’s highly likely that there’ll be more material to carve through in the near term. But, that’s another story for another time.

First Call

At the heart of Tavern Keeper is a cozy and ambient experience that touts a D&D-inspired aesthetic and a ton of tactical detail that, while still a headache to take onboard during the introductory session, grants you permission to explore a myriad of curveballs and disasters. To further illustrate the game’s depth, the campaign itself also provides enough breathing room for you to embellish kitchens, bedrooms, and an entire staff roster, all of whom have their own abilities and tasks to cater to alongside your own. And then there are the events, seasonal festivities, and original objectives, which of course serve only to frost the cake, really.

If it looks as if I’ve spent the last several minutes taking about how good Tavern Keeper is, then that’s because, honestly, it is as good as it sounds. It isn’t for everyone I’ll admit, as it does share an unnatural fixation with chaos and caveats. That said, a few random wildfires hardly make for a bad experience. Is it cozy? Yes and no. Is it immersive? Absolutely. And that’s all that you need to know, truly. The wealth of content speaks volumes, really.

For a game that has been under the hammer for over a decade, you ought to be pleased to know that it isn’t in receipt of any poor audiovisual nodes. With little to no major game-breaking bugs or bad habits, Tavern Keeper is, in all honesty, a clear-sailing affair that just feels both buttery smooth and satisfying to watch unfold. I can’t complain about any of that, either.

Verdict

Tavern Keeper brings the best of multiple worlds to light in an expansive quarter-building innkeeper sim that not only feels irresistible to carve through, but surprisingly rewarding to complete over a drawn-out period of time. And to echo, there is a lot of bang for your buck here, with thanks to its inclusion of a lofty career mode that fosters numerous scenarios and bulky expansions, and its workbench schematic that allows you to explore and experiment with countless synergies and DIY blueprints. Honestly, I can’t bring myself to complain about any of that, as it more or less hits the nail on the head on all fronts.

Tavern Keeper certainly feels like an easy sandbox game to recommend to both newcomers and veteran taproom patrons alike. Heck, even if you’re looking for a D&D-inspired build ‘em up that pays homage to the eccentric spirit of an all-time cult classic, Tavern Keeper ought to give you enough of an incentive to keep you splurging on rounds till last call. If all else fails, then you should still consider dipping your toes into Greenheart Games’ love letter to sandbox games. It’s warm, inviting, and oh-so more-ish. Need we say more? The next round is on you.