Have you ever wanted to own a medieval tavern? Of course, you have. Tavern Master makes this possible.
You start with a small room, a bar, and a couple of tables and are tasked with turning your small establishment into a flourishing business. You aren’t limited to only selling refreshments. Later in the game, you can sell food and even have hotel rooms. This is a small game, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in playability if you have the imagination.
So much more than a Tavern
I’m sure this game started with a focus on selling spirits. But it has quickly evolved into so much more. You will only be counting on alcohol for a short while before you realize that selling food is the way to play this game. The bar side of the business will quickly take a backseat in the game.
I started uploading gameplay
I play video games enough that I started recording my gameplay and throwing it on YouTube. For now, I’m just playing the game with no commentary from myself. I’ll start doing that at a later time. But for now, it’s just me playing the game. Naturally, I screwed up on my first attempt, so the first episode doesn’t have sound. It will be a learning process for sure.
Below is Episode 11 which was just before the latest update.
Latest Update
On March 1st, 2023, we got the biggest update yet to the game. It included a new outdoor area across from the tavern, and even a basement! The maximum guests per day restriction was lifted from 750 per day as well. The ability to unlock snow and cold weather was also in the new update which adds to need from warmth in your tavern.
There have been a few hiccups though. There are a few game breaking bugs in the new update. Once those have been addressed I will be updating this page with more details on the new features.
Also the one man team of Untitled Studio behind Tavern Master announced a new game that he has been working on called Blacksmith Master. I will more than likely give this game a shot.
Tips for playing Tavern Master
Although this game is very relaxing, getting off the ground can be a pain. I wanted to drop a few tips here to help you get started.
Tavern Master Layout
In the beginning you want to pack the tables in as tight as possible to maximize capacity. Customers and Staff alike can walk through this setup with no problems. (Don’t mind the warning about toilets, I took this screenshot in Sandbox mode.)
How to flip the bar
I don’t know why, but it took me forever before I realized you can flip the bar. Not just rotate it but actually flip it backwards. To do so go into build mode and click on the symbol in the image below. To flip a new bar you are adding, you have to place the bar first, then go into build mode and click on the bar again. This will let you see the symbol.
Get food setup ASAP
Firstly, save your money for setting up food. Research your way to food as soon as possible and spend your cash setting that up. You will essentially be stuck in the mud, attempting only to sell beverages. It doesn’t work in the early game, as you cannot set prices. Set up the takeout window right after you get food to help with food sales.
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Once you sell food at a decent rate and start making money, concentrate on increasing your prestige. There are numerous ways of doing this. Decorations and upgraded furniture are great ways to get this done. Keep the decorating to a minimum, as too much is a waste of resources. Raising your prestige will bring in more guests every day.
Keep your stock supplied. Please be aware of the bar stock; if you run out of money and beverages simultaneously, you will have to start over or start selling furniture to make enough to restock. The same goes for food once you get that setup.
Keep the walking distances for your waitresses to a minimum. Consider your layout carefully. If your staff has to walk too far to deliver food or drinks, your customers could become angry and leave, costing you money. If you are having trouble with customers getting mad from waiting too long, consider buying the bandstand. This will increase their patients enough until you can improve your situation properly.
New floors
Throughout the game, you can unlock new floors, up to four. I typically use the first two floors as dining areas. Once you get both floors fully established, you will be making good money. I usually use the 3rd floor as my first hotel until I get the 4th floor unlocked. As soon as you get hotel rooms set up, please pay close attention to the prices you charge. The more stars a room has, the more you can charge. One floor of 5-star rooms will double your revenue. At this point, money is no object, and you can begin decorating to your heart’s content.
Sometimes, I will take the hotel out of the 3rd floor and turn it into a dining area with another kitchen once money starts to flow.
Also, save room for bathrooms that come into the game later. You will also be able to build games for your patrons towards the end of the research tree. I always forget to save room for those.
Games
Try to keep your games in the same area. You will need a games counter where customers can rent the various items needed to play the game. Keep the game counter close to the games. If you have an axe target for instance, the game will be tied up from the time a customer reaches the game counter until they arrive back at the game counter.
I have attempted to add a counter and games on the first and fourth floors simultaneously, and sometimes customers will rent an axe on the first floor and play the game on the fourth floor, then have to return the axe to the first floor. This causes the game counters to back up. So it’s best to keep all games on the same floor if you have trouble with game counters backing up. Putting a game counter on every floor does not fix the problem.
Larger Layouts
Once I have most items unlocked, I start moving stuff around. My first floor usually ends up looking like the image below. I typically don’t put a restroom or kitchen on the second floor. Instead, I set another bar and all the games there once I unlocked them. The third floor all depends on how I feel like playing the game. Sometimes the 3rd and 4th floors are all hotel rooms; sometimes, I turn the 3rd floor into a duplicate of the first floor, allowing the second kitchen to speed up food deliveries.
It just depends on how you want to play the game. If you want to duplicate the kitchen below, note that it is mirrored, so what you see on that far wall is the same on the other side. If you would like more details on the layout, feel free to ask away in the comments below; chances are, I will reply quickly.
Get Tavern Master on Steam
You can buy Tavern Master on Steam for $14.99 at the time of writing. Keep an eye out for flash sales! There is also a free demo you can play. This is a no-brainer if you like simulation and business management-type games. You won’t be disappointed. I played this game for over 20 hours within the first three days of owning it.
