As soon as I spot Minsc and Boo in Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern's announcement trailer, I'm totally locked in. The new game from French developer Homo Ludens speaks to a lot of what I love about Tavern Keeper, only instead of feeling like a fly on the wall of the Elfsong Tavern, it's set directly in the tabletop RPG's universe.
Should my bright young tavern owner be a tiefling warlock? Maybe a half-orc barbarian? I can take my pick of the core D&D classes and races to add a bit of roleplaying flavor to what is otherwise a dense yet intuitive management sim. Even more excitingly, I'm told I can eventually tame the wild baby mimic chests hopping around the grid – which of course becomes my mission during this demo session.
Gather your party
Developer: Homo Ludens
Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBC 2027
My first mission as the would-be owner of my very own fantasy pub is to name the place. Staying on the Baldur's Gate 3 theme – my hero resembles Minthara, budget rogue edition in lieu of a paladin class option – and opt for the Blushing Mermaid. So far, so good – oh, and did I forget to mention my ghostly guide?
The former owner of this once-fine establishment still haunts its barren halls, and he's here to get me up to speed. It takes grit and determination to run the place, he says, and I can start with clearing it up so I can craft some actual furniture. Building is very straightforward, working off a grid system to help me place items, furnishings, decorations and more to give me ultimate creative freedom. I keep it simple to start: two tables and a bar counter, complete with little candlesticks to help illuminate the sparse interior (heroes won't take a pew without a light source nearby).
Next, it's time to hire some staff! Much like in the Two Point games, I must choose the right bartender and waiter by referring to a character's skills and weaknesses, represented here with four kinds of job experience: bartending, serving, cooking, and janitorial duties.
Naturally, I want the most skilled pint-pourer behind the bar, though their tricks of the trade are worth noting. Some workers are fast learners, for example, which is a great boon when training up new staff, but others have negative attitudes that kind of harsh the overall vibe of the tavern when it comes to client satisfaction. I'd rather have a grouchy barman than none at all, so I pick the candidate with the highest experience in the field. The same goes for who I hire to be my waiter. Since I'm short on coin for now – fans of D&D will note that copper pieces are the currency-of-choice, to my delight – I'm going to have to clean tables by myself.
Sleeves up
Managing your own fantasy pub is just as taxing as doling out Eldritch Blasts
My first night passes smoothly. All I have is cheap ale at the moment, but my unfussy patrons don't seem to mind. My staff go about their jobs automatically, so all I really need to do is hit the fast-forward button like in The Sims 4 and click empty tables to clean them between bouts of guests. It's pretty light work for the time being, and following each successful evening, I have the whole day to restock and redecorate the pub.
Alas, I don't get to see much more for myself in this short 30-minute hands-on session. The various management tools are rolled out progressively, including the opportunity to interact with visiting heroes (Minsc!) and listen to their tales of adventure. At some point, we'll also be able to send adventurers out on missions and get to roll the dice to see how they get on in the big bad world of D&D, though at the moment, all I have are snapshots of what that might look like.
My time with Long Rest Tavern was a brief yet tantalizing taste of what's to come, even if I didn't get to pet a baby mimic.
It turns out that managing your own fantasy pub is just as taxing as doling out Eldritch Blasts in the heat of battle, keeping an eye on ingredients and building resources rather than spell slots or potions. Long Rest Tavern is a refreshingly different way to exist in the world of D&D, and between this and third-person action Warlock, my gaming plate is looking thoroughly nerdy for the foreseeable.
