Heroes of the Monkey Tavern

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 160 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern Game Cover
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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...

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
story8 negative mentions
  • Enjoyable grid-based dungeon crawler with nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic games.
  • Good balancing of classes and mechanics, providing a fun experience for fans of the genre.
  • Decent graphics and sound design, creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel repetitive, lacking strategic depth.
  • The game is very short, with a playtime of around 5-10 hours, leading to limited replay value.
  • Lacks a compelling story or character development, making it feel shallow compared to other dungeon crawlers.
  • gameplay49 mentions

    The gameplay of "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern" is characterized by its simplicity and lack of depth, with a combat system that punishes movement, reducing encounters to basic DPS races. While some players appreciate the unique mechanics introduced, such as the fleeing penalty, many criticize the overall execution, describing it as shallow and lacking engaging strategic elements. The game features only eight levels and minimal plot, leading to a mixed reception regarding its gameplay experience.

    • “The best balanced gameplay I've ever seen in a dungeon crawler.”
    • “Once you get used to the mechanics, the combat is quite satisfying.”
    • “Heroes of Monkey Tavern is what I would call a sleeper; its design and gameplay are great and have what you expect and more from this type of game.”
    • “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 crawlers.”
    • “There is a 'flee' mechanic that damages the whole party if you try to side step or back up, reducing combat to a toe-to-toe DPS race.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. Described as immersive and reminiscent of epic soundtracks, the music is often considered one of the standout features, even prompting some players to recommend purchasing the game solely for its soundtrack. While the graphics are also praised, it is the music that consistently shines as a key element in creating an engaging ambiance.

    • “The soundtrack is amazing and immerses you into the game.”
    • “A very haunting soundtrack adds to the game nicely.”
    • “The best part, however, are the music tracks, which are very fantasy-themed and add a lot to the ambiance.”
    • “Unfortunately, the music gets interrupted each time you go to sleep, and you go to sleep a lot.”
    • “The music and sound design work for what it's meant for.”
    • “A lot of the music seems inspired by Howard Shore / the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, which is fine by me.”
  • graphics31 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising them as crisp, clean, and visually appealing, often comparing them favorably to titles like "Legend of Grimrock." However, some critiques highlight a lack of originality and repetitiveness in the graphic assets, suggesting that while the visuals are decent, they do not stand out as exceptional in today's gaming landscape. Overall, the graphics are considered good for the genre, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The graphics are nice, crisp, and clean.”
    • “On the bright side, the game's production is surprisingly good with gorgeous graphics, great music, alright lighting, and fluid animations.”
    • “Graphically gorgeous.”
    • “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.”
    • “Graphic assets used are mostly the same throughout the whole dungeon.”
    • “The enemies are pretty generic, and the graphics aren't that great.”
  • story27 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal to nonexistent, with players noting a lack of engaging plot, character interaction, and meaningful narrative progression. While it opens with a brief introduction, the overall experience is described as a straightforward dungeon crawl focused on gameplay rather than storytelling, leading to a dull and repetitive experience. Despite the absence of a compelling narrative, some players appreciate the game's art and music, suggesting that the lack of story does not detract significantly from their enjoyment.

    • “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.”
    • “The game is fine actually, the artwork is good, the music nice, the combat and story... eeh, could be a whole lot worse.”
    • “Short story: I recommend the game!”
    • “The plot (which is never a strong point of dungeon crawlers) is lame even by the very low standard of dungeon crawlers.”
    • “There is no story, no goals... just get to the next level... it gets boring after a while.”
    • “For a game that opens with a story, it's lacking after the initial opening.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players noting virtually no replay value, while others highlight the potential for varied experiences through different class combinations and challenges like hard mode. Overall, the game offers limited replayability, with some suggesting it can be enjoyable for about 10 hours, but lacks significant incentive for multiple playthroughs.

    • “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'.”
    • “The replay value is high.”
    • “Replay value: virtually none.”
    • “About 10 hours to play through, do not think there is much replay value though.”
    • “Fair little game, short, sweet, and to the point; play it with different combos, it's got a mild replay value.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by nostalgic yet modern visuals, impressive monster designs, and effective music that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the combination of these elements creates a compelling and immersive environment, particularly suited for a dungeon crawler.

    • “It's got the look and atmosphere that I like in a dungeon crawler; nostalgic but with better graphics.”
    • “Suits the dungeon and gets top marks for adding the right kind of atmosphere.”
    • “Visually it looks great, with cool looking monsters and the dungeon itself; also, the music is very atmospheric.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game is praised for its exceptional stability, with users reporting a completely bug-free experience and a polished performance throughout. Players appreciate that it works seamlessly right from the start, contributing to an enjoyable and reliable 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 which you will have fun with to the end.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The reviews indicate a lack of character development, with no player agency in shaping characters, as all development is predetermined by the game.

    • “Zero character development.”
    • “No player choice in character development; it's all determined by the PC.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game features minimal grinding, offering a straightforward yet enjoyable dungeon crawling experience with engaging level designs and challenging battles. Players appreciate the absence of resource management for food and water, which enhances the overall fun.

    • “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.”
    • “The grinding feels tedious and repetitive, making the gameplay experience dull.”
    • “It's just a simple crawler with no depth, leading to a monotonous grind.”
    • “The constant grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a lighthearted presentation with occasional funny jokes, though it lacks a substantial storyline. One level stands out for its unsettling atmosphere, adding a unique twist to the overall comedic tone.

    • “The game doesn't have a real story, but it offers a funny presentation that keeps you entertained.”
    • “There are some genuinely funny jokes sprinkled throughout the game, and one level in particular (which I haven't finished yet) is really creepy.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    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.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users report that the game runs smoothly without any noticeable performance issues, even on mid-range hardware configurations like the 6700k with 32 GB RAM and an NVIDIA 1070 GTX.

    • “I didn't notice any performance issues, which is the least I would expect from my rig (6700k + 32 GB RAM + NVIDIA 1070 GTX).”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

7hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
3-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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