Heroes of the Monkey Tavern

Heroes of Monkey Tavern will certainly scratch your dungeon-crawling itch, especially if you're a fan of the seminal Dungeon Master, the game's biggest inspiration. The levels are unspectacular looking, though with the setting there's not much else that could be done and in some ways it helps with the atmosphere. The sound effects certainly help immerse you in the adventure and there's some decent music, too. Battles against a good variety of different creatures are entertaining affairs and thanks to the different classes, adjustable attributes and a variety of weapons there's plenty of options for those conflicts. The big downside to the game is its brevity, but it's fun to try again with a different assembled team. Heroes of the Monkey Tavern offers only a short adventure, but it's still a good one.

70%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

story, replayability

73% User Score Based on 226 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern is a single player role playing game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by MonkeyStories and was released on September 22, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

After countless days and nights celebrating within the infamous Monkey Tavern, our team of adventurers have spent every last penny... Their fates, however are about to change...

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 226 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

story12 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay that captures the essence of classic dungeon crawlers.
Good graphics and atmospheric music enhance the overall experience.
Offers a variety of character classes and secrets to discover, providing some replay value.

Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel repetitive, with a lack of strategic depth.
The game is relatively short, taking around 5-10 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
Limited character progression options and no meaningful story detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it suitable for casual players, but it suffers from a controversial "flee mechanic" that punishes movement during combat, reducing strategic options and depth. While the exploration and progression elements are enjoyable, the overall combat system feels unpolished and lacks the complexity found in more established dungeon crawlers. Despite its shortcomings, many players find the game fun and rewarding, especially for those looking for a lighter experience in the genre.
- “If you like dungeon crawlers and want something lite and fresh, give it a go. Minimal story (par for the course), tons of secrets, rewarding progression, and no fiddling with hunger management. It can be pretty challenging on higher difficulty, but most importantly, it's fun!”
- “The overall simplicity of the gameplay makes it a nice trip for non-hardcore gamers, especially for those who are new to the dungeon crawler genre.”
- “Once you get used to the mechanics, the combat is quite satisfying.”
- “There is a 'flee' mechanic that damages the whole party if you try to side step or back up, reducing combat to nothing more than a toe-to-toe DPS race.”
- “The result of this mechanic is that combat becomes nothing more than a gear-check with no more depth than a clicker game and virtually no element of skill.”
- “Yes, you read that right: you cannot really allow yourself to move while fighting, which is probably the core gameplay element in any dungeon crawler.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
26%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its excellent quality and atmospheric contribution to the overall experience. It is described as immersive, haunting, and reminiscent of iconic soundtracks, effectively enhancing the game's ambiance and exploration. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as a significant highlight, often recommended even independently of the game itself.
- “The high point for me was the music - it's really good.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and immerses you into the game.”
- “A very haunting soundtrack adds to the game nicely.”
- “Unfortunately, the music gets interrupted each time you go to sleep, and you go to sleep a lot.”
- “The music made me think partly of Twin Peaks, and partly Neverwinter Nights 1!”
- “The sound effects certainly help immerse you in the adventure and there's some decent music, too.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
55%
30%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it serves merely as a backdrop for dungeon crawling and treasure hunting. While the initial introduction may be humorous, the overall narrative is described as thin, with little character development or meaningful plot progression. Players seeking a rich story experience may be disappointed, as the focus is primarily on gameplay rather than storytelling.
- “Strong role-playing experience, party in dungeons killing enemies and looting treasures; the story at the beginning is absolutely hilarious.”
- “So... this is another dungeon crawler about treasure and glory with just about enough story to have an excuse to bash monsters and find treasure, but it differs in some ways.”
- “Yes, the story is simple, but it set my expectations correctly with its description and price point.”
- “There is no story, characters have no personality, but it's not unusual for an old-school dungeon crawler such as Heroes of the Monkey Tavern.”
- “For a game that opens with a story, it's lacking after the initial opening.”
- “There is little in the way of story... you enter the tower, work your way to the top, get the treasure, and it's over in approximately six hours.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
27%
8%
The graphics of the game are generally described as good, with many reviewers noting their crispness and pleasing aesthetics, though some mention repetitiveness and a lack of exceptional quality compared to similar titles like Legend of Grimrock. While the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, opinions vary, with some finding them adequate for the genre but not groundbreaking. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the dungeon-crawling experience.
- “Dungeons are filled not just with monsters, but with secrets and traps; the atmosphere is eerie, the graphics are good, and the music is great.”
- “On the bright side, the game's production is surprisingly good with gorgeous graphics, great music, alright lighting, and fluid animations.”
- “It's got the look and atmosphere that I like in a dungeon crawler; nostalgic but with better graphics.”
- “I'm drawing my conclusions around the second simply because the cover artwork is absolutely atrocious, high school art class dropout stuff; it looks bad.”
- “All of this package of utter mediocrity - especially when compared with the obvious foil, Legend of Grimrock, which is basically this game except better in every aspect - comes with a basic but pretty lackluster graphic presentation, and some horrible optimization that managed to make even this early 2000s-looking game slow down and freeze constantly on a laptop that runs far heavier stuff smoothly.”
- “The enemies are pretty generic, and the graphics aren't that great.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
8%
15%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by good graphics and a compelling soundtrack. While some reviewers note a missed opportunity for deeper atmospheric elements, the overall ambiance effectively captures the essence of a classic dungeon crawler, making exploration tense and engaging. The combination of visual design, music, and level layout contributes significantly to the game's atmospheric appeal.
- “Dungeons are filled not just with monsters, but with secrets and traps; the atmosphere is eerie, the graphics are good, and the music is great.”
- “The music and artwork do a great job creating atmosphere.”
- “It's got the look and atmosphere that I like in a dungeon crawler; nostalgic but with better graphics.”
- “There is so much wasted opportunity (laziness?) to create atmosphere with these kinds of games.”
- “The levels are unspectacular looking, though with the setting there's not much else that could be done, and in some ways it helps with the atmosphere.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find minimal value in repeating dungeon floors with different class combinations, others appreciate the challenge of hard mode and the uniqueness of various classes, suggesting a moderate level of replayability. However, many agree that once the puzzles and secrets are learned, the experience becomes repetitive, leading to a general consensus of limited replay value.
- “Still, Heroes of the Monkey Tavern has replay value and beating hard mode might give you a run for your money if you don't have the 'ideal party'.”
- “Fair little game, short, sweet, and to the point; play it with different combos, it's got a mild replay value.”
- “The replay value is high.”
- “Minimal replay value aside from doing the same set of dungeon floors again with a slightly different selection of classes for the achievements you missed. Once you've learned the puzzles and where the secret rooms are, it's just repeating it again.”
- “Replay value: virtually none.”
- “About 10 hours to play through; I do not think there is much replay value though.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, with multiple users reporting a polished experience free of glitches and bugs. However, one player noted that the presence of item duplication glitches detracted from the enjoyment. Despite this, the consensus is that the game functions well and provides a solid gameplay experience.
- “The game works 'straight out of the box' with no messing around and appears to be completely bug-free.”
- “The game felt polished the whole way through with no glitches.”
- “It is a bug-free, solid but light dungeon crawler experience that you will have fun with to the end.”
- “I found out how to duplicate items with glitches by accident seconds after starting, which removes the fun.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is inconsistent; while some players appreciate the hilarious story at the beginning and occasional jokes, others find the overall comedic elements lacking, particularly in titles like "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern," which offers little in terms of humor or narrative context. Overall, the humor can be hit or miss, with some moments standing out amidst a more serious gameplay experience.
- “Strong role-playing experience, party in dungeons killing enemies and looting treasures; the story at the beginning is absolutely hilarious.”
- “No real story, but it has a funny presentation.”
- “Here and there, there are some funny jokes, and there is one level (I haven't finished yet) that really creeps you out.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern" is criticized as a cash grab, with a price point of around $10 USD deemed unrealistic considering the game's defects and shortcomings, leading users to feel it is not worth the investment.
- “Heroes of the Monkey Tavern has a completely unrealistic cash grab price of around $10 USD. It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings of the product.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, with prices that don't match the quality of the game.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with players noting that character progression is predetermined and offers no meaningful choices. The story is described as weak, further contributing to the overall disappointment in character depth.
- “Zero character development.”
- “No player choice in character development; it's done by the PC.”
- “With a wafer-thin story, even thinner character development, and overuse of the definite article, you can do better for your RPG fix.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews indicate that grinding can be a polarizing aspect of gameplay; some players find it tedious and over-punishing, while others appreciate the lack of grinding in certain games, which allows for more enjoyable exploration and combat. Overall, the presence or absence of grinding significantly influences the game's appeal, with some players favoring a straightforward experience without repetitive tasks.
- “A good basic dungeon crawl, but don't take that as a bad thing... there is a lot of fun here, no grinding, and some interesting level designs, tough battles, few potions, but unlimited sleep and no food or water requirement swing the balance.”
- “These kinds of over-punishing mechanics are better suited for games that cater to players who don't mind grinding repeatedly.”
- “Tedious and simplistic gameplay that feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report a positive experience with optimization, noting no performance issues on high-end rigs, such as those equipped with a 6700k processor, 32 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA 1070 GTX graphics card.
- “I didn't notice any performance issues, which is the least I would expect from my rig (6700k + 32 GB RAM + NVIDIA 1070 GTX).”

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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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7h Median play time

8h Average play time

3-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern is a role playing game with fantasy and historical themes.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Heroes of the Monkey Tavern.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern was released on September 22, 2016.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern was developed by MonkeyStories.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern is a single player game.

Similar games include Legend of Grimrock, Vaporum, The Fall of the Dungeon Guardians, Legend of Grimrock 2, Ruzar: The Life Stone and others.

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern

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