Tavern Talk Review — +10 Charisma

Ah, the tavern, the most sacred of places in any tabletop roleplaying game. Countless adventurers have passed through countless numbers of inns, and the tavern has, more times than not, been the start of an epic and unforgettable adventure. It’s the beloved gathering place for parties of any size and makeup, bringing together would-be heroes of any class or creed and uniting their players over a shared storytelling experience that can make friends with people who otherwise never would have gotten along. Tavern Talk seems like it would be perfect for this.

That incredibly dramatic opening paragraph points out that the tavern is a famous aspect of fantasy storytelling, specifically in the realms of D&D and other tabletop games. But what about the tavern keeper? Have you ever wondered what it must be like being the owner of a humble business that sees a constant influx of adventurers and hands out the epic quests they go on?

Tavern Talk puts you in the shoes of this mythical person, charging you with running a tavern that supplies eager adventurers with drinks and quests to go on. More than just that, you’re the eager ear to listen to their stories, talk them though their anxieties and hopes, and guide them on more than just their next adventure. It’s a game about found family and friendship, and it very easily sucks you into its cast and storytelling, leaving you wanting for more.

As anyone who takes more than a cursory glance at Tavern Talk can probably tell, the game falls into the Visual Novel genre, meaning that the majority of the experience will be focused on dialogue, storytelling, and the exploration of Tavern Talk’s diverse cast of characters. That does not mean the game is totally devoid of gameplay, however.

As the owner of your tavern, your primary goal is, of course, to serve your patrons drinks.

More than just fancy-looking and delicious-tasting beverages, the (presumably alcoholic) drinks in Tavern Talk are actually powerful potions that help the adventurers who drink them carry out their quests.

This is primarily done through boosting Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, Constitution, and Intelligence, core ingredients in your mixing station as well as the main attributes in many an RPG game of both pen and paper or video persuasion. A character presenting as a fighter may need a drink heavy on Strength, while your obvious Rangers will ask for something a little more Dexterity-heavy. As you gain access to more ingredients, and more importantly, as the needs of your guests grow, you may branch out into more specified drinks that give sun resistance or other little effects to help them on their adventures.

The second main job of a tavern keeper is posting quests for your adventurous patrons to take on.

The way Tavern Talk handles quest-giving is really immersive, and I found it to be pretty clever. As you talk to your patrons, casual conversations about their days will reveal hints of monster activity or lost treasure in an area. After gathering enough hints, sometimes, after having multiple conversations with different patrons, you will have enough information to put up a quest on your job board.

Other patrons will come in later, see the quest, and agree to take it on. They will then ask you to prepare one of multiple drink choices for them to determine how they carry out the mission. These drinks do, in fact, affect the outcome of the mission, and as early as act one, I was terrified that I may have sent one of my favorite characters out to their death in what seemed like a quest they were under-leveled for.

There are a few more aspects to the gameplay here and there, but overall, the majority of your time will be spent talking to and learning about the game’s cast of characters.

Believe me, this is hardly a chore; Tavern Talk features 18 different adventurers for you to meet, each with their own stories that evolve throughout the game’s narrative, their own personalities, and unique designs. It’ll be impossible for you to go without falling for at least one of the game’s cast, as they’re all so interesting and colorful.

My personal favorite was Fable, and I decided as early as Act I that I would die for them.

Something I find particularly great about Tavern Talk’s characters is their designs. Not only are they incredibly diverse, spanning across multiple fantasy races and human ethnicities, gender orientations, and classes (the paladin and rogue kind, not the wealth disparity kind,) but they were also just all incredibly interesting in their visual presentation. I can’t think of a single character that I outright disliked the look of, and I am fairly picky when it comes to character design. As childish as that may sound, I struggle to play any game where the player character doesn’t look cool.

Tavern Talk, in general, is a gorgeous game to look at. IT can never be understated how much great, hand-drawn art carries a title. Beyond just gorgeous backgrounds and great color choices, the absolute wealth of expression given to each character in Tavern Talk brings the writing to life with far more personality. It makes every character encounter all the more memorable.

Tavern Talk is a cozy little visual novel full of characters to fall in love with and stories worth listening to. The drink-mixing aspect is fun, and gathering quest-related intrigue from your conversations gives you all the more reason to pay attention to the already great writing. While I do wish the game had some more economy sim or business management features, that isn’t really what Tavern Talk is trying to be, and what it is is definitely worth your time.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Tavern Talk is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch.