Taverns make up some of the most evocative locations in fantasy. From the Green Dragon in The Lord of the Rings, to the Prancing Pony in, well, The Lord of the Rings - taverns are the backbone of many a fine fantasy tradition. Even in games, you can't beat going to the pub. Reaching the Friendly Arm Inn in Baldur's Gate feels like a milestone, and Skyrim's Bannered Mare marks the start of plenty of quests. Tavern Keeper brings fantasy pubs and inns to life by putting you in charge of one - and it's getting a demo you can play for free soon.
Tavern Keeper sets you up as the owner of a small pub in the middle of nowhere in a fantasy village. From there you'll build it up, making management decisions and designing the look of the place, until you can afford to eventually move to a bigger location in a better, busier town. One key thing that Tavern Keeper understands is that sandbox games like this need to let you play in the sand, and by including a design mode where you can fully decorate your inn to your heart's content, it lets you do that.
Comparisons have been drawn to Stardew Valley but probably the game that I'm drawn to most when looking at Tavern Keeper is Theme Hospital. The simulation side of this pub game is filled with little moments that have the potential to derail your inn and send your career down interesting and chaotic paths. That said, the game's developer promises that you'll always have the tools on hand to deal with any crises that crop up - or you could just let everything burn down, it's your pub after all.
If you've ever looked at Barliman Butterbur and thought you could do it better, you don't have to wait long to give it a try. As part of the upcoming SimFest event a Steam demo will be made available for players to try. You can play the Tavern Keeper free demo from Monday July 22 to Monday July 29. If that sounds like something you'd like to try, you can head over to the game's Steam page to add it to your wishlist ahead of its fourth quarter 2024 release window.
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