Game Dev Tycoon’s studio is back after 12 years with a new management simulator game and an Early Access discount
Tavern Keeper is “a cosy-chaotic management sim, featuring a powerful decoration sandbox and a magical storybook RPG!” The game’s Discworld-meets-fantasy inspirations are very apparent, as the player manages an inn. “ Build and decorate your tavern, hire staff, stock your larder, meet the locals, be the boss, and run the show! Whether you keep a cosy neighbourhood taphouse or a lean, mean gold-minting machine, the choices and consequences are yours.”
Dozens of deep mechanics and game systems lead to unpredictable and chaotic events and situations. “Dirt, heat, noise, flammability, sickness, and of course, a parade of colourful customers all keep the unexpected coming.” Players will be given rundown locations to manage and bring them up to standard.
It also comes from a very well-reputed source in the video game industry: Greenheart Games. Their previous hit game, Game Dev Tycoon, was released in late 2013 and was very well received; it currently sits at over 94% (21,000) positive reviews, making it one of the most successful indie titles of all time. At its core is a fun and cozy management game where you replay the history of the gaming industry by starting your own video game development company in the 80s, with replayability value that dwarfs most of its competition. Now the devs are back with an all-new game.
When asked about why the game took so long to materialize, Klug had said in an interview in 2024:
It's emotional to talk about this, because it's easy to say on paper 'we took ten years'—but ten years is a long time. Like, my kids weren't born yet, and now they're in primary school learning how to make their own games." A long and arduous journey, Greenheart Games took its time developing and fine-tuning mechanics and features, implementing the things they’d learned over the years. "I don't want to say that we set out to work 10 years in a game, I don't think anyone in their right mind would do that … In a way, though, we're super lucky—our team is very stable, we've had very few changes over the years, and that in this industry is quite rare for that long.
Tavern Keeper was released into early access on the 3rd of November, and if you pick it up before the 17th of November, you can avail a 35% discount on the title itself for $23.38, or alternatively, we recommend you grab the Greenheart Games Bundle over on Steam that gives you both Game Dev Tycoon and Tavern Keeper for the same price.
