One can only imagine the sights and sounds of a medieval tavern. From travelling merchants to mercenaries for hire, most folk strolling through the door likely had a story to tell, tall or otherwise.
After spending close to ten hours with Tavern Manager Simulator, I can tell you about the time I clonked a thief on the head with a frying pan, and the numerous occasions I had to grab hold of drunkards and throw them outside. Then there was the time a beggar refused to leave, resulting in a diminished reputation. Mostly though, this simulator involves cooking food, pouring frothy ales, and cleaning up after scallywags. That, and some minor interior design.
While these may not sound like the most exciting of pursuits (there’s also a toilet to clean, and wood to chop) they help this to be a multifaceted experience; and menial duties don’t require much more than a few button presses, taking less than ten seconds to complete. It also helps that Tavern Manager Simulator is one of the more polished PC-to-console conversions of late, featuring intuitive controls, an easy to navigate UI, and a few thoughtful touches.
It’s actually refreshingly uncomplicated. You’re the new owner of a ramshackle tavern and aspire to make it one of the finest around, turning a steady profit in the process. There’s a brief tutorial to guide you through getting started, and every major kitchen upgrade also has a tutorial to teach the basics. In fact, the tutorials never really go away – this is an objective based experience, guiding you from day one until the day the tavern reaches maximum rank. This process involves saving cash for several key upgrades, all of which expand the tavern, draw in new clientele, and generally make it more attractive for passers-by.
A typical day entails ordering stock – which arrives just a few minutes later via horse and cart – running the bar, cooking food, and cleaning. Most of these processes entail a timing based mini-game, with the potential to create ‘perfect’ drinks and dishes. It’s up to you when to open for business, which is when customers start to stroll in. They place orders via speech bubbles and are generally patient. After a few minutes of dining and drinking, they then leave payment on the table, along with grubby crockery that must be washed before reusing. This results in a loop of food prep, serving, and cleaning – along with collecting water, cleaning the toilet and similar chores. As the difficulty level is easy going, if you do ever run out of food, it’s usually possible to order and receive more before customers leave.
You’ll have to contend with grubby peasants who reduce your cleanliness rating, thieves who enter through the pantry, drunkards who refuse to leave, and beggars who promise to spread word of your kindness should you give them “spare” change. It’s also possible to exit the tavern and roam around the vicinity, which includes monster sightings and references to Lord of the Rings. You may find a treasure or two if you keep your eye open.
Generally though the focus is on making money and boosting reputation to afford the next major upgrade – with over a dozen to work towards. In the meantime, there are minor improvements to splurge on, such as bigger storage areas and more crockery, along with fairy helpers who will automatically wash dishes thrown in the sink and carry food to tables. Décor can be purchased too, including Christmas and Halloween items, although most can only be placed in certain areas. Purchasing a picture to find that it can only be hung in one of three marked areas does feel a bit restrictive when it comes to the customisation aspect.
Similar restrictions appear often. Tables can only be placed in marked areas, for instance, which is presumably to keep AI pathfinding functional. This does give Tavern Manager Simulator a slightly mechanical feel, to the point of even feeling like I didn’t have complete control over my establishment.
But it’s because of this simplicity that Tavern Manager Simulator works as well as it does. That’s in the sense that it offers a fun time, and most of its ideas are handled logically – right down to being able to prepare food in advance. All this streamlining makes for an easy going, almost casual, experience with a light-hearted tone. Together with a well-paced sense of progression, this is one of the more enjoyable and engaging simulators of recent times – even if it doesn’t allow you to fully customise your tavern as you see fit.
One More Time’s Tavern Manager Simulator is out now on Xbox Series and PS5. It originally launched on PC in 2024. Published on consoles by Ultimate Games.