The Tavern

About

The Tavern is a single player casual role playing game with fantasy, drama and mystery themes. It was developed by Moral Anxiety Studio and was released on August 4, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Tavern" is a dark fantasy adventure game that combines elements of visual novels and RPGs. As a mercenary named Nalia, you must navigate a cruel and rotten world to earn enough coins to survive the winter and return to your children. The game features immersive dialogues, narrative battles, multiple endings, and a unique, personalized story with a non-linear plot. With branching hidden parts, the estimated playtime is between 1.5 and 3 hours.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

story13 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features an engaging story with a dark atmosphere and relatable characters, providing a unique narrative experience.
Multiple endings and choices allow for replayability, encouraging players to explore different paths and outcomes.
The art style and soundtrack contribute to a nostalgic and immersive experience, reminiscent of classic adventure games.

The game is quite short, with some players feeling that it lacks depth and content for its price.
Many choices feel superficial, leading to similar outcomes regardless of player decisions, which diminishes the impact of the narrative.
There are numerous grammatical errors and typos throughout the game, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring a gripping narrative set in a dark fantasy world with mature themes, but it suffers from brevity and underdeveloped plotlines. While players appreciate the choices that influence the story and the unique atmosphere, many feel that the overall experience is too short and lacks depth, with some endings feeling repetitive. Despite its flaws, the story-driven approach and engaging characters provide an enjoyable experience for those who prefer narrative over combat.
- “I enjoyed the pacing, the story, and the characters.”
- “The great: the storyline gripped me immediately.”
- “It is a story-driven adventure experience where your choices influence the multitude of stories that can happen.”
- “Not many options on the storyline (branches) or it is just an open world adventure.”
- “On the downside, you're teased with content, locations, and choices that never materialize - other villages you can't actually go to, missions you can't join, characters you can't reconnect with.”
- “It's brief; the third act is very hurried and the story is very convergent after the middle.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, oppressive tone, effectively creating a sense of burden and anxiety, particularly during moments of horror. The atmospheric soundtrack and intriguing worldbuilding enhance the experience, drawing players into a mysterious setting that feels ripe for a murder mystery. However, some reviewers felt that the plot twists did not fully capitalize on the strong atmospheric potential established early in the game.
- “I'd say the atmosphere of the game was its strongest point... a heavy sense of burden and anxiety from a bleak and weighty setting, with a good oppressive horror vibe in the moments where unknown evil is afoot.”
- “The first part of the game had a very good atmosphere - I bought it right after playing the demo.”
- “I'd say the atmosphere of the game was its strongest point... a heavy sense of burden and anxiety from a setting bleak and weighty, with a good oppressive horror vibe in the moments where unknown evil is afoot.”
- “Some of the choices were really tough to make; the atmosphere with the lighting and music was very mysterious, and I loved interacting with the characters who were staying at the tavern.”
- “I found the worldbuilding to be very promising; I was immediately fond of Nalia. The atmosphere suggested a murder mystery; finding out that the rest of the game is going to be this thing™ again was very disappointing.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the emotional depth of the story, particularly during key moments. Reviewers appreciate the unintrusive yet dark soundtrack that complements the mysterious ambiance and character interactions, contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong asset to the game's overall atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is great, too, with a depth of feeling - especially in the endings.”
- “Some of the choices were really tough to make; the atmosphere with the lighting and music was very mysterious, and I loved interacting with the characters who were staying at the tavern.”
- “The unintrusive, but dark music blends in well with the story, and in the end, the minimalist design doesn't hurt either.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of old Game Boy titles, with a mix of effort and inconsistency in the art style. While the developers have clearly invested time into the visuals and narrative, some users note that the graphics can be hit or miss, and there is a lack of dedicated artwork. Overall, the visuals align more with a visual novel aesthetic rather than a fully interactive RPG experience.
- “Honestly, the game will be entertaining for a little bit, and it is clear the developers put effort into the graphics and script, with a callback to games driven by text-only choices instead of a fully interactive combat system.”
- “The art style reminded me of the old Game Boy times.”
- “Honestly, the game will be entertaining for a little bit, and it is clear the developers put effort into the graphics and script (with a few grammar errors) with a callback to games driven by text-only choices instead of a fully interactive combat system.”
- “Graphics are a bit hit and miss at times.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay of "Roadwarden" is praised for its engaging worldbuilding and unique blend of game styles, though it follows a standard RPG Maker format involving exploration, interaction, and decision-making. However, some players experienced issues with the game shutting down unexpectedly after prolonged play. Overall, the mechanics serve as a beautiful complement to the narrative.
- “Recently, I played a very interesting demo: 'Roadwarden' and I liked its gameplay, the worldbuilding, and the original mix of game styles so much that I thought, 'I'll look for more about this developer.' That's how I learned about Moral Anxiety Studio and the world of Viaticum.”
- “Every other part or mechanic in this game is just beautiful filler for this little story.”
- “For me, the gameplay runtime got racked up by accident (I fell asleep with the game on), and therefore my game reached a point where it just won't let me play or continue and shuts itself down.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it seems to be a standard RPG Maker game: walking, interacting with people and items, and choosing actions.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple endings and the impact of player choices on the narrative, with 11 different ending achievements to unlock. However, players who prefer to experience a single storyline may find the need to replay less appealing, particularly if they are not interested in exploring alternative outcomes.
- “However, it doesn't rely on one playthrough, but on its replayability, which is given to the player through the fact that almost every choice they make influences the story in some way and can lead to the unlock of one of the 11 ending achievements present in the game.”
- “It seems like it has quite a bit of replay value for different endings, but if you're like me and don't like to replay narrative-focused games (I'd rather enjoy the ending I got!), it's still worthwhile.”
- “It also makes the replay value low for me, because I'm not interested in aiding the other side.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game effectively captures emotional depth through relatable struggles of the lead character and well-developed supporting characters, presenting complex moral dilemmas that enhance the overall emotional experience.
- “The lead's struggles are relatable and human, and the characters throughout the game offer opportunities for quick, well-written emotional development as well as complexity and plenty of moral gray areas.”
- “The game masterfully captures the essence of human emotion, making players feel deeply connected to the characters and their journeys.”
- “Every choice in the game resonates on an emotional level, leaving players reflecting on their decisions long after the game ends.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers praise the character development for its impressive design and facial expressions, highlighting the noticeable effort invested in creating relatable and visually appealing characters.
- “The character design and facial expressions are well done, showcasing the effort that has been put into them.”
- “The depth of character development is impressive, allowing players to form a genuine connection with the characters.”
- “Each character evolves throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
- “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a story-driven, minimalist RPG design that eliminates grinding entirely, with battles resolved through narrative rather than traditional gameplay mechanics.