Released on August 13th, 2024, Tavern Manager Simulator by One More Time offers a cozy escape into the world of tavern management. After clocking in 10 hours of gameplay, I’ve delved deep into its offerings to see what this simulation has on tap. So, does it serve up the perfect pint, or is it just froth? Let’s pour over the details and find out.
Trailer
It’s hard work, being successful
Tavern Manager Simulator doesn’t boast a deep, intricate story. Instead, you begin with an abandoned tavern, break in, and start transforming it into a thriving establishment. The game introduces new tasks through brief tutorials, which often feel like variations of previous ones. Despite this, there’s a genuine sense of progress as you gradually build your reputation as a renowned tavern keeper.
Your role encompasses every aspect of tavern management—pouring pints, cooking meals, stocking shelves, cleaning tables, and even unclogging toilets. This variety creates a strangely satisfying gameplay loop.
Reputation System Woes
One area where Tavern Manager Simulator falters is the reputation system. As you serve customers and complete tasks, you earn reputation points. Engaging with customers can also boost your reputation, but this aspect feels somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, you earn only one reputation point for chatting with customers, who all seem to repeat the same lines.
While you can cut off customers who’ve had too much to drink, doing so results in a significant reputation penalty. If a customer gets so inebriated that they vomit in the bar, you face yet another reputation loss. The kicker is that one of these actions—cutting off a customer—has a clear payoff in terms of maintaining order, while the other—dealing with the aftermath of excessive drinking—feels like an unearned frustration.
Mini-Games and Tasks
The physical tasks are presented as engaging mini-games. For instance, when pouring a pint, you use a gauge with red, amber, and green zones. Holding down the left mouse button, you aim to pour the perfect pint. While it can become repetitive after the hundredth pour, the process remains oddly gratifying.
A Journey Through Stylized Art
The game’s aesthetics are a vibrant homage to beloved RPGs, drawing clear inspiration from titles like World of Warcraft and Torchlight. The character designs and environments boast a rich, stylised quality that evokes the charm and fantasy of these classic games. Each character is rendered with exaggerated features and vivid colours, creating a visually engaging experience that feels both familiar and fresh.
The bright, cartoonish palette and whimsical design choices contribute to an immersive world where every corner seems alive with detail. The exaggerated proportions and bold colour schemes enhance the game’s playful and light-hearted tone, offering a delightful contrast to more realistic or gritty designs seen in other titles.
Discovering the game’s handful of Easter eggs was a delightful experience. For instance, stumbling upon Shrek’s swamp hidden within the cosy setting was an unexpected treat that added a fun twist.
I personally love the art direction of the game, especially when you look past the AI-generated content. The vibrant and whimsical design truly enhances the gameplay experience.
Restart Required: Tackling the Game’s Sticky Issues
Having spent time with the prerelease version of Tavern Manager Simulator, I expected to encounter a few bugs. After revisiting the game post-launch, I was pleased to see that most of the issues I encountered had been resolved.
One More Time has been actively engaging with the community on Discord, working hard to resolve issues and replicate any faults players report. Their efforts have paid off in many areas, but one stubborn bug remains.
A key feature of the game is hiring fairies to help with various tasks, but these helpful creatures tend to get stuck or stop performing their actions altogether. Initially, I thought the issue was related to pathfinding, as the fairies seemed to get trapped by furniture. However, after repeated occurrences, it became clear that this was a persistent problem. Unfortunately, the only workaround I’ve found so far is to restart the game, which can be frustrating.
Artificial Ale: Remove the Beer goggles
AI plays a noticeable role in the production of Tavern Manager Simulator, and not always to the game’s benefit. The promotional materials, as well as some in-game visuals, heavily rely on AI-generated images. Unfortunately, the integration of these AI visuals in the game feels out of place, disrupting the otherwise cohesive aesthetic.
The use of AI extends to the voiceovers as well, with about 5-6 different character voices clearly generated by AI. While this could add variety, one particular voice stands out for all the wrong reasons—it’s a voice that’s become all too familiar from TikTok, and hearing it repeatedly in the game can feel oddly unsettling, even to the point of inducing a bit of digital déjà vu.
Perfect pint, or is it just froth?
While I had some mixed feelings about Tavern Manager Simulator at times, it ultimately proved to be a surprisingly enjoyable game, especially in short bursts.
The game allows you to customise and organise your tavern to your liking, yet the progression can sometimes feel erratic. Unlike a system where you earn reputation to move up to the next tier of tavern, progression relies on completing a series of tasks, such as “Serve X amount of Meat.” While these tasks are straightforward, it’s frustrating when the game doesn’t align with the reality of running a tavern where people don’t just come in for meat.
This randomness can be a bit of a time sink and may feel frustrating at times.
Despite these quirks, I’ve found myself getting lost in the game’s charm. I’d often pick it up for a quick session, only to find hours have flown by. The immersive role-playing experience is genuinely engaging.
I’m eager to see how Tavern Manager Simulator develops over the coming months and how the developers tackle the remaining issues. It’s encouraging to note that they’ve already begun addressing some of the AI-generated visuals, both within the game and in their marketing materials. With these updates on the horizon, there’s potential for the game to refine its experience and become even more engaging.
6/10
