Developer: One More Time
Publisher: One More Time
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Tavern Manager Simulator – Review
We quite like simulation games, whether realistic or slightly goofy. Sometimes these games are nice to zone out with and they allow us to do tasks or jobs we would never get to in real life. This brings us to the subject of today’s review: Tavern Manager Simulator. This title makes it look as if you’re managing a small tavern in the World of Warcraft universe, and we were all for it.
Story
Unsurprisingly, Tavern Manager Simulator doesn’t come with an expansive narrative, safe for a bit of worldbuilding here and there that often consists of one or two lines of text you get from clients. You simply turn a derelict building into a hustling and bustling tavern that has people lining up to get a spot at one of your tables. It’s all fairly standard stuff for a simulation title, and we didn’t mind the absence of a story or a sob story as to how the tavern got into your hands. It’s simply all about the gameplay, and that’s perfectly fine.
Graphics
As mentioned in the introduction, the game reminds us of something that comes out of the World of Warcraft franchise. The color palette, the NPCs, and even the assets look rather familiar because of this. Even so, Tavern Manager Simulator looks quite good, albeit a bit rough around the edges. Inside your blossoming tavern, everything has a cute vibe, but the outside world looks a bit empty and unfinished. Nonetheless, even though the customers’ animations are a bit janky, the game looks very warm and inviting.
The menus are clear for the most part. However, the tavern upgrade menu is often unresponsive. We also heavily disliked the dialogue windows for the customers, as these looked rather cheap.
Sound
The basic soundscape is nothing to really write home about. The soundtrack is serviceable but not really amazing. The tunes never become grating or annoying, which is certainly a plus for a game you could easily sink in a few hours per session. The sound effects are basic, but they provide satisfying audio feedback for many of the game’s tasks and interactions. There is no voice acting present in the game, and all patrons just communicate via basic grunts.
Gameplay
Tavern Manager Simulator is, as the name implies, a single-player simulator title in which you manage a tavern. In this case, it’s a medieval fantasy tavern where you’ll start operating from a derelict building that slowly blossoms into a booming eatery. The offset is quite simple, and the overall experience is very soothing and satisfying.
The game progresses at a steady pace and never feels too difficult. You can unlock new workstations with your hard-earned gold pieces after reaching certain reputation goals. The game will always ease you into new dishes you need to prepare, and most customers don’t mind waiting until their order is finished. Thanks to this, Tavern Manager Simulator is a zen-like experience. While all of that sounds nice, it doesn’t mean you won’t have to get your hands dirty. Things can get a bit hectic, and you’ll have to consider doing some prep work and having sufficient resources in stock. On top of that, you’ll have to keep an eye out for thieves, beggars that drag your reputation down, or even making sure your customers don’t have to go to a dirty toilet. It’s a fun variety of tasks and mini-games you’ll play through as you prepare dishes and drinks for your clients. You can close the tavern at any time you wish and you can also open it whenever you like. During the day, you’ll get more customers, while at night things are quite a bit calmer. Your character also never needs to sleep, so you can pretty much keep playing for as long as you want, covering both the day and night shifts.
We did find it a shame that Tavern Manager Simulator is a single-player experience, as it would have been great to run your tavern with friends. That being said, the game is rather short, as you’ll probably have seen everything it has to offer in roughly ten to fifteen hours. This is still more than enough for a single-player experience, and there are a few tasks you can do in the surroundings of the tavern that add a bit of additional content to the mix. The same can be said about decorating your bar, which also adds a bit of customization to the mix, allowing you to (slightly) create the digital tavern of your dreams.
Conclusion
Tavern Manager Simulator is a relaxing simulator that will be over a lot quicker than you want it to. Nonetheless, the gameplay loop is very enjoyable, the progress is steady enough so things won’t grow stale, and the overall presentation is very warm and likable. If you’re looking for an easygoing simulator title that still has its fair share of challenges, then Tavern Manager Simulator might be what you need during these dreary winter months.
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