Ale & Tale Tavern: First Pints

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,631 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • grinding
Ale & Tale Tavern: First Pints Game Cover
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This free version includes a limited number of quests and a limited area of the full version of the game "Ale & Tale Tavern". You are in for a stunning mix of genres: a coop first-person fantasy tavern simulator in an open world, action, fishing, hunting, exploration, fun and diverse quests. And, of course, COOKING! Play solo or with friends and feed the entire world! The game…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,631 reviews
gameplay53 positive mentions
grinding51 negative mentions
  • Fun and engaging gameplay, especially when played with friends.
  • Charming graphics and a cozy atmosphere that enhances the experience.
  • Offers a variety of tasks including cooking, farming, and combat, keeping the gameplay interesting.
  • The demo is quite short, leaving players wanting more content.
  • Some mechanics, like tool durability and pricing, feel unbalanced and could use adjustments.
  • Voice acting and some animations can feel awkward or low quality, detracting from immersion.
  • gameplay140 mentions

    The gameplay of the demo is generally well-received, featuring a fun and engaging loop centered around tavern management, cooking, and customer interaction, though it is noted to be somewhat simplistic and lacking depth. Players appreciate the intuitive mechanics and potential for multiplayer collaboration, but many express a desire for more content and features to enhance long-term engagement. Overall, while the game shows promise with its core mechanics and enjoyable gameplay, it requires further development to fully realize its potential.

    • “The gameplay is simple but intuitive, and there is much to do in the demo provided.”
    • “The blend of cooking mechanics, washing, survival elements, and exploration creates a unique gameplay experience where strategic decision-making and skillful cooking are keys to success.”
    • “I actually really like the gameplay loop, and it has a lot of potential to be really good.”
    • “The game's banner and cover art suggest a cozy tavern sim, but the gameplay doesn’t quite deliver on that promise.”
    • “Asset flip + throwing any trending gameplay around with the depth of a puddle.”
    • “However, it needs more features for long-term gameplay, such as adding a bard, special events, because the game might end too quickly if there are too few features to play.”
  • graphics80 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant colors, charming art style, and cozy atmosphere reminiscent of titles like World of Warcraft and Sea of Thieves. While some players find the graphics visually appealing and well-designed, others criticize them as lacking depth or being somewhat basic for a 2024 release. Overall, the aesthetic is generally appreciated, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience, though there are calls for improvements in the final version.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and detailed environments that make the tavern feel alive.”
    • “The art style is unique, and the attention to detail brings the tavern and its colorful patrons to life.”
    • “Cozy graphics and fun multitasking to manage your own tavern!”
    • “It seems to be copying the aesthetic of gameplay from a bunch of different games without actually filling in any of the depth that those other games have.”
    • “The game is good, but for a demo it's really too short, and the graphic quality is kinda bad for a 2024's game...”
    • “My only complaint is...it's 2024....PS2 graphics had moving mouths even.”
  • grinding54 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the casual and simplistic nature of tasks like farming, cooking, and serving, others criticize the slow pacing and lack of depth in farming mechanics, suggesting improvements such as seed returns and more engaging farming processes. The game offers a variety of activities, but many feel that the grinding can become tedious, especially with resource management and item durability issues.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The durability of some of the items is a little weak, and I'm not sure, but running out of money is a real possibility. Luckily, you can get more through a few means, but it will set you back easily 10 minutes if not more depending on spawn rate and farming a little tiny bit of materials at a time.”
    • “Farming is horrible with no seed returns and the pacing is just incredibly slow.”
    • “Honestly, an enjoyable game, but it may need to fix the shop though, considering we became incredibly rich through the farming.”
  • story39 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and humorous, while others criticize it for lacking depth and being overly simplistic. Many appreciate the diverse and entertaining quests, though some feel they can be repetitive and uninspired. Overall, while the narrative has potential, it may require further development to enhance player engagement and depth.

    • “Fun game, tasks, graphics good, story line is good would recommend.”
    • “It blends tavern management with captivating storytelling, making it a must-play.”
    • “Beautifully made game with a great story line.”
    • “It's like this game tries to be and do everything but only at the surface level; nothing has any real depth to it, including the graphics, story, characters, NPCs, recipes, farming, quests, progression, etc.”
    • “I was told that the quest lines unlock some more stuff, but to be honest, the quests were too boring for me to bother with.”
    • “The quest line seems a bit unorganized, but again, this is only the demo.”
  • humor38 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its goofy and clever dialogue, particularly in co-op mode, which enhances the comedic experience. Many found the voice acting amusing, despite some rough spots, and appreciated the inclusion of humorous easter eggs and scenarios, such as quirky character interactions and funny in-game events. Overall, the game successfully blends lighthearted humor with engaging gameplay, making it a fun experience, especially when played with friends.

    • “It's a fun little game with a good sense of humor.”
    • “The humorous and voice acted lines are great, would love to see more characters and know their stories.”
    • “Playing the demo version in co-op mode was both hilarious and addictive.”
  • music29 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its relaxing and nostalgic qualities, particularly in relation to the medieval theme. However, some users noted issues with audio mixing and a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally enjoyed, there is a consensus that improvements in optimization and additional music tracks would enhance the experience.

    • “The music and art style are fantastic and it's a great sign that they already have voice acted NPCs.”
    • “The music is relaxing and fits the vibes.”
    • “Great visual style and music, enjoyed the gameplay loop of cooking/serving/dishwashing.”
    • “The audio mixing is broken; you'll find that the level-up effect is volumes louder than everything else (despite setting changes), with either dead air or one (perhaps two) music tracks that only add to the sluggish feel.”
    • “The music loop is a little rough; I'm sure it is just a placeholder, but as it stands at the time of this review, it's not great.”
    • “It definitely needs better optimization and more music because the same song did get repetitive.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming and immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like World of Warcraft, with fitting graphics and engaging voice acting. Players appreciate the relaxed and fun ambiance of managing a tavern, although some express a desire for more customization options to enhance the experience further. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating environment that draws players in.

    • “The atmosphere is brilliant, evoking the classic vibes of World of Warcraft with its graphic style and ambiance.”
    • “Ale & Tale is charming and boasts a fantastic atmosphere that just sucks me right in.”
    • “Charming tavern game with simplicity and a fun atmosphere to chill out on.”
    • “Managing the tavern gets really boring and has no atmosphere!”
    • “My hope for the full version is more customization and depth, like customizing the atmosphere and getting rewarded for delivering quickly.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players noting significant issues such as frame drops and stuttering, particularly in certain environments. While some users acknowledge the game's potential and express understanding of its indie status, they emphasize the need for improved optimization settings and performance tweaks in future updates.

    • “Also, the game has good optimization.”
    • “There are no system problems except some optimization errors.”
    • “Definitely a ton of potential; with some tweaks to optimization and maybe some more music, this is going to be a load of fun!”
    • “Secondly, I found that certain optimization settings were lacking and should be included within the game itself in future updates.”
    • “My biggest complaint would have to be the optimization.”
    • “I find walking around in the forest lowers frames a lot and causes stuttering. I think a simple fix would be to have closer rendering due to the grass always waving around at any distance.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is described as somewhat inconsistent, with users reporting occasional bugs, particularly in multiplayer synchronization and quest functionality for non-host players. While some glitches and texture issues are noted, many players find the game enjoyable and believe that these problems are manageable, especially considering it is still in the demo phase.

    • “The atmosphere is fun, the game runs great, and the voice acting is good!”
    • “It's not really buggy (I only had the problem that mugs and plates were lying on the floor) and really fun.”
    • “A bit buggy with synchronizing with friends, but it is a really nice game. ❤️ I love to play it with my friends. ✌🏻”
    • “Played together with 3 people; quests were a bit buggy for non-host players, but a relog fixed everything.”
    • “Still buggy, but that's to be expected.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game is consistently described as fun and wholesome, with users highlighting its beauty and simplicity. Its emotional appeal lies in its lightheartedness and charm, making it an enjoyable experience for players.

    • “The game was fun and very wholesome.”
    • “A very beautiful and wholesome game.”
    • “It's a great, wholesome, silly game that is easy to understand and fun to play.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's impressive replayability, with one user giving it a perfect score of 10/10 for its demo and expressing optimism that the full game will offer numerous hours of engaging content. Overall, "Ale & Tale" is seen as having significant potential for replay value.

    • “10/10 demo! If the full game is as good, this will have hours of replayability.”
    • “Ale & Tale has the potential to be a fantastic game with high replay value.”
    • “The replay value is almost non-existent; once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back.”
    • “After finishing the game, I found no reason to replay it. The lack of different endings or choices really hurt its replayability.”
    • “While the game was enjoyable, I felt that it didn't offer enough variety for multiple playthroughs.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that the character designs resemble those from World of Warcraft, suggesting a lack of originality. Additionally, there is a desire for more diverse character options, particularly the inclusion of female characters.

    • “However, I hope you guys add some women as a character design option in the future :)”
    • “But the character designs are all World of Warcraft rip-offs.”
    • “However, I hope you guys add some women as a character design option in the future.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Ale & Tale Tavern: First Pints

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
1-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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