Tavern Keeper

Tavern Keeper is a fantasy tavern management simulation combining build-up, economic simulation, sandbox decoration and narrative elements. Players take over a tavern in various fantasy regions, expanding it room by room using a flexible building system. They also decorate the tavern and manage everything from buying supplies to staffing, menu planning and guest satisfaction, turning the tavern into a place where not only drinks, but also gold flow freely - and of course, sometimes things get a little rowdy in the pub. There is a campaign divided into several scenarios in which you run a tavern in a different environment with different themes. The free mode is more conducive to relaxed building and decorating, each campaign map can be played in free mode. Additionally, there is a powerful decoration workshop where players can create their own objects and share them with the community via share codes.

Even though the game is essentially a cozy management simulation with relaxed progression and chaotic situations arising in the tavern from time to time (it is a tavern, after all), it is quite deep and rich in detail. Players must ensure they have enough competent staff and keep an eye on how quickly stored goods can spoil, how dirty the tavern is, the risk of fire, delivery times from Trading Point Shops and the risk of food contamination during cooking, to name just a few aspects. On top of that, there are temperature and noise levels to consider for guests. The decorative aspect is also crucial because guest satisfaction is influenced by the tavern's decor, which ultimately affects how well it flourishes. The guests are very diverse, ranging from immortal elemental beings and halfling philosophers to crazy orc inventors.

The tavern management is complemented by a narrative storybook system consisting of short episodes and decisions, that lighten up the management - most economic simulations tend to be rather dry, except for the Two Point series. Random events occur repeatedly, which can have either a positive or negative impact. The game also features humour and a narrator who comments on the story and events. Notably, the German version features the voice of Matthias Matschke, who serves as the narrator for the Tavern Keeper campaign - an outstanding feature even in the Early Access version. In the English version, Steven Pacey provides the narration.

From the very beginning Tavern Keeper was set to have deeply intertwined simulation systems but be approachable, light-hearted and fun. The storybook went through many different iterations but the goal to have engaging storytelling as a core part of the game was also established early on. The decoration sandbox on the other hand was a fairly late edition and caused quite a bit of additional effort but was well worth it in our eyes. It’s astonishing and we are constantly impressed by what players create in the game. The combination of all these systems really does lead to a cozy/chaotic (and hopefully charming) experience which is why we started to describe the game in such a way. - Patrick und Daniel Klug (Greenheart Games)

There are also cooking and brewing mechanics, as well as a lodging mechanic for accommodating guests, and a trading card game collection mechanic. However, the many interlocking systems can make getting started a little overwhelming. Fortunately, there are customisable game mechanics (detailed difficulty settings) for each campaign scenario, as well as a freeplay mode for creating custom challenges. It would be good to see more guest interaction options, additional lodging features (which are already planned) and more content in general, such as scenarios and story events, in Early Access. Nevertheless, the developers have a clear plan for how the game will evolve alongside the community.

Tavern Keeper was developed by Greenheart Games. This small, internationally operating indie studio has a remote structure and was founded by brothers Patrick and Daniel Klug. The studio was established in Australia in 2012, although the founders are originally from Austria. When they began working on their debut game, Game Dev Tycoon, Patrick was already living in Australia, while Daniel was in Austria. Consequently, they collaborated remotely from the outset. They considered setting up the company in either Austria or Australia, but at the time it was simply easier and less bureaucratic to start a company in Australia.

Game Dev Tycoon was released at the end of December 2012. Inspired by the mobile game Game Dev Story (Kairosoft), it also made a name for itself thanks to the clever anti-piracy strategy adopted by the developers. Patrick Klug released a cracked version of the game himself and uploaded it to torrent sites. The gameplay in this version is identical, except that as players progress, they receive a message saying that downloading a cracked version of the game will eventually lead to the developers going bankrupt. This is exactly what happens to players in the cracked version of the game - they go bankrupt as a result of piracy. Since then, the game has been expanded with numerous updates and has amassed almost 44,000 user reviews on Steam, around 95 per cent of which are 'positive'. Versions for Switch, Android and iOS followed. According to Greenheart Games, Game Dev Tycoon has sold millions of copies.

While they were still working on expanding Game Dev Tycoon, the studio began developing its second game, Tavern Keeper, in 2014. At that time, the concept of a tavern simulation game was still completely new, so the developers first had to figure out what would work and what wouldn't. In an interview with GamesMarkt, Patrick and Daniel Klug discussed the lengthy development process: "There's many reasons for the long development. Lots of prototyping, changing game engines three times, innovating systems alongside the industry and so on. In the end, we developed probably six different versions of Tavern Keeper in that time. If we knew from the start exactly what we needed to build, it would have certainly been way faster but when you work on a new game and IP, it can take a long time to refine systems until they become fun". The current core team consists of seven developers and two social media/support staff, plus other external contractors and partners.

Originally scheduled for release on 4 November 2024, Tavern Keeper was postponed following positive user feedback. The team decided to use the extra time to further improve and refine the game. A year later, on 3 November 2025, Tavern Keeper was finally released on Early Access for €27.99. This early version features a narrative campaign spanning three locations (all of which are playable in Freeplay mode), almost one hundred stories, tavern progression up to two-and-a-half stars, and the Item Workshop. For an Early Access game, the amount of content and level of detail on offer is substantial. The Early Access version is expected to last about a year (depending on feedback) and will include three additional campaign levels (Dwarves, Elves and the Capital City), extra freeplay levels and new tavern features, taking players up to a 5-star tavern. Planned additions include a dyeing system, a shop in the tavern and a more in-depth staff system with skills and upgrades, among other things.

Conclusion

Tavern Keeper is an ambitious and detailed tavern simulation. Even in Early Access, it stands out thanks to its setting, humour and combination of management, narrative and decorative sandbox elements.

Features

• Detailed tavern simulation that is both cosy and in-depth
• Many interconnected and sophisticated game systems
• Well-integrated narrative elements (with a German voice-over)