Heroes of the Monkey Tavern

About

Embark on an unforgettable adventure in "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern" as you explore a perilous dungeon filled with riddles, dangerous enemies, and treacherous traps. With 8 distinct classes, multiple difficulty levels, and over 100 unique items to discover, each playthrough offers a fresh challenge. Engage in thrilling real-time battles against 22 different enemies, including 6 fearsome bosses, and uncover secret passages hiding legendary weapons and armor.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 424 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

story24 negative mentions

The game features good graphics and excellent music, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
It offers a straightforward dungeon crawling experience with a decent balance of exploration and combat.
The game is bug-free and has a good auto-mapping system, making navigation easier.

Combat is overly simplistic, relying on a 'stand still and click' mechanic, which can become boring.
The game lacks depth in character progression, with no meaningful choices for leveling up or skill selection.
The 'flee' mechanic punishes players for moving away from enemies, reducing strategic options in combat.

gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The gameplay of "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern" is characterized by its simplicity and a unique but controversial flee mechanic that punishes players for moving away from enemies, reducing combat to a straightforward DPS race. While some players appreciate the lack of complex management systems and the rewarding progression, many criticize the combat mechanics as shallow and unpolished, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game offers a casual dungeon-crawling experience, but it may not satisfy those seeking depth and strategic gameplay.
- “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, no fiddling with hunger management (thought I'd miss that mechanic because I'm so hardcore!!! ... but actually didn't). It can be pretty challenging on higher difficulty - but most importantly, it's fun!!!”
- “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. I would say it's a must to play, so don't waste time, go and buy it now.”
- “The overall simplicity of the gameplay makes it a nice trip for the non-hardcore gamer, even more so for those who are not familiar with the dungeon crawler genre.”
- “Gameplay: the combat is the area where this game is really poor.”
- “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.”
- “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
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
28%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its superb quality and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the immersive soundtrack, which is often described as haunting and reminiscent of iconic scores, adding depth to exploration and gameplay. Despite some minor criticisms regarding interruptions during gameplay, the music is consistently noted as a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's ambiance.
- “The soundtrack is amazing and immerses you into the game.”
- “The best part, however, are the music tracks, which are very fantasy-themed and add a lot to the ambiance.”
- “Artwork is fine, but what really shines is the music, which is some of the best I've heard in recent gaming.”
- “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!”
- “Music: 6.5”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
28%
8%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, described as good, crisp, and visually pleasing, though some reviewers note a repetitiveness in the dungeon designs and a lack of exceptional quality compared to similar titles like "Legend of Grimrock." While many appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and fluid animations, there are criticisms regarding optimization issues and generic enemy designs. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the game's genre, contributing positively to the overall 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.”
- “It's got the look and atmosphere that I like in a dungeon crawler; nostalgic but with better graphics.”
- “All of this package of utter mediocrity - especially if compared with the obvious foil, Legend of Grimrock, that is basically this game except better in every aspect - comes with a basic but pretty lacklustre graphic presentation, and some horrible optimisation 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.”
- “Graphic assets used are mostly the same throughout the whole dungeon.”
story
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
54%
31%
The game's story is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop for the dungeon-crawling gameplay, featuring only a brief introductory narrative and no significant plot development or character interaction. Players can expect a straightforward quest focused on treasure hunting, with little to no dialogue or meaningful storyline, which some find acceptable given the genre's conventions. Overall, while the lack of depth in storytelling is noted, many players appreciate the gameplay and art quality, suggesting that the game is more about the experience than the narrative.
- “Yes, the story is simple, but it set my expectations correctly with its description and price point.”
- “No actual story to talk of, but you get to be a hero - and that's a good thing, of course ;)”
- “Anyway, dumb name, dumb story, they know it, they embrace it, great game.”
- “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 no story, no goals... just get to the next level... it gets boring after a while.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
13%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its effective use of music and visuals, creating a nostalgic yet immersive experience typical of dungeon crawlers. While some reviewers note a missed opportunity for deeper atmospheric elements, the overall sentiment highlights the game's strong soundtrack and appealing graphics that enhance exploration and tension. Many recommend it for those who enjoy classic dungeon crawling experiences.
- “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.”
- “Visually it looks great, with cool looking monsters and the dungeon itself; also, the music is very atmospheric.”
- “There is so much wasted opportunity (laziness?) to create atmosphere with these kinds of games.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it minimal due to repetitive dungeon layouts and puzzles, others appreciate the unique class combinations and challenges in harder modes, suggesting a moderate level of replay value. Many reviews indicate that after the initial playthrough, the incentive to replay is limited, with some noting that it can be enjoyable to experiment with different character setups.
- “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
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, being described as bug-free and polished throughout. However, some players encountered glitches that allowed for item duplication, which detracted from their enjoyment. Despite this, the majority of users reported a smooth experience with no significant issues.
- “The game works 'straight out of the box' with no messing around and appears to be completely bug free.”
- “It is a bug free, solid but light dungeon crawler experience which you will have fun with to the end.”
- “My experience was completely bug free.”
- “I found out how to duplicate items with glitches by accident seconds after starting, which removes the fun.”
- “I found out how to duplicate items with glitches by accident seconds after starting, which removes the fun.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with no player choice in shaping characters, leading to a shallow narrative experience. Overall, the character development is described as minimal and unsatisfactory, detracting from the game's overall appeal.
- “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 EOB fix.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews on grinding in the game are mixed; some players find it tedious and over-punishing, suggesting it suits those who enjoy repetitive gameplay. Conversely, others appreciate the absence of grinding, highlighting the fun and engaging level designs, tough battles, and the game's mechanics that alleviate the need for resource management. Overall, the experience varies significantly based on player preferences regarding grinding.
- “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 designed for players who don't mind grinding repeatedly.”
- “Tedious and simplistic gameplay.”
- “The grinding aspect feels overly punishing and lacks variety.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Heroes of the Monkey Tavern" is minimal, with some players noting a lack of a coherent story or context for the gameplay. While there are occasional jokes and a humorous presentation, the overall comedic impact is limited, and one level even introduces a creepy atmosphere that contrasts with the game's title.
- “- no real story, more a funny presentation”
- “Here and there, there are some funny jokes, and there is one level (haven't finished yet) that really creeps you out.”
monetization
2 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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users report a positive experience with optimization, noting no performance issues on high-end rigs, such as those equipped with a 6700k CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA 1070 GTX graphics card. Overall, the game appears to run smoothly without significant technical problems.
- “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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7h Median play time

8h Average play time

3-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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