Game: Tavern Talk
Genre: Simulation
System: Steam (Windows) (also available on Nintendo Switch & macOS)
Developers | Publishers: Gentle Troll Entertainment
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $ 17.99 | UK £ 14.99 | EU € 17,99
Release Date: June 20th, 2024
A review code was used, and many thanks to Future Freinds Games.
I had the honor of covering my impressions of the Tavern Talk demo back in October of 2023, so I was super excited to give it another go with the full game this time. Here is a rundown of what I think of it now that I’ve had several hours with it.
The Look and Gameplay of Tavern Talk
The main idea behind Tavern Talk is that you are an innkeeper who has a talent for mixing drinks. Each of these drinks can be imbued with helpful boosts to each patron’s stats in order to help them with their next task or quest. For example, if a patron asks for something to help them become stronger, you can add strength to their potion to make them more buff for a bit.
Tavern Talk plays more like a visual novel than a simulator. The drink mixing is a lot more tacked on than I thought it would be in the full release. The story is pretty linear; whenever you have a branching choice between two drinks you can serve someone, it alters some dialogue but doesn’t seem to make any big changes to the story.
Mostly, you serve your customers as the story unfolds before you, bringing new characters into your bar that you can chat with, learn more about, and gather rumors from. Once you have enough rumors for one thing, you will be able to build a quest sheet and send an adventurer out to complete that quest.
A Slight Disappointment
When I originally played the demo of Tavern Talk, I thought it was going to be a little more open on allowing you choices that alter how the story progresses, or make you compile the rumors yourself, but the game basically hands the answers to you. There is no mystery in putting the quests together and no big ways to influence the storyline.
As a visual novel, Tavern Talk is a smashing success, but as a simulation-style game, it falls very flat. If you were hoping to be able to invent new drinks, have interesting influences on the story going on outside of your tavern, or even just be able to mess up on occasion to make things more interesting, you would be sorely disappointed.
I think the most disappointing part is that you get these mix-ins that you can add to drinks pretty early, but then you basically never get to use them. You unlock new drink recipes, and then no one really orders them. Also, if someone orders a drink to give them strength, and you have two recipes for strength, there is only one the game will accept as correct. I got about halfway through Tavern Talk and never got to do anything that wasn’t al.
A Good Polish
One thing that is undeniable about Tavern Talk is how well-polished it is. I have found no grammar mistakes, no weird bugs, great animations and character designs, and the characters have a bunch of different expressions. The sound design is great, and you can pet your familiar, Andu. He’s a delightful addition to the story who works hard as your trashcan, your friend, and a helpful hand with spellcasting.
Everything that was done in this game was done extremely well. It’s beautiful, and the characters are all different from one another. They have unique personalities and voices in their dialogue. It was amazing watching them all interact, grow, and change as the story progressed.
All the characters not only feel real, though, but they are also diverse. There are all sorts of different species to see, as well as races of elves and humans. There are different ages, sizes, and types of patrons, and there is even some talk about disabilities and accessibility, not to mention non-binary representation. A wonderfully inclusive game, Tavern Talk is.
Conclusion
Tavern Talk is a unique and fun story with excellent characters, beautiful characters and scenery, and is great fun to play. However, it is missing a lot of the autonomy that I was hoping it would have. If you are looking for a fun visual novel with a great story, good humor, and amazing characters, Tavern Talk will be a five-star game in your books, I think. If you loved Coffee Talk, you’ll dig this one as well.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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