Title: Tavern Manager Simulator
Developer: One More Time
Publisher: One More Time
Release Date: June 9, 2025
Price: $12.99 (USD)
Reviewed On: PC

Tavern Manager Simulator is here if you happen to ever get the urge to manage a tavern in the outskirts of a medieval kingdom. From serving fine wine to chasing away thieves who rob you blind, this debut title from One More Time studio gives players the job they’ve been pining for.

Game Overview: Open For Business

Tavern Manager Simulator kicks off with the player settling into what would be their new home. Unfortunately, players will find the tavern completely unpresentable, with dust and trash cluttered to the brim. Wondering how long it’s been since anything other than rats ever made their way inside, players clean up the mess and begin preparing for potential customers.

As time goes by and the tavern gains a reputation, all sorts of folk begin showing up. Whether or not these new faces are welcome is entirely up to the player, as some may be happy to spend gold coins whereas others can cause a ruckus or vomit all over the freshly mopped floor, which can then trash the clean image it took so much work to maintain. With enough consistency and positive interactions, the fine noble men and women may occasionally show up. And let me tell you, they are willing to pay a good price for some cheese and wine; so it’s always best to keep the tavern up to their standard.

As manager of a growing business, players are expected to be a jack of all trades. Not only must they cook and serve drinks, but the responsibilities of sanitation, water supplies, and chopping wood for the ovens falls on the player’s shoulders. Tavern Manager Simulator identifies itself as a cozy game but before you know it, the weight of several “hangry” villagers and a pile of dirty dishes can make any experienced gamer roll up their sleeves and sit up straight.

Gameplay

One More Time prioritized variety of content with the development of Tavern Manager Simulator and it shows throughout the eight hours I spent with the game. Every responsibility players have functions as a mini-game with challenges that decide the quality service provided to customers. The wide range of mechanics however, feel stretched thin as some mini-games really test a player’s skills whereas others feel dragged out and a waste of time.

Mini-games like the wine and beer serving were always fun to do, and I even found myself looking forward to it as it tested my hand-eye coordination. When it came to wood chopping or lugging buckets of water from one place to another, the idea of a mini-game molded into what felt like a chore.

When not cooped up in the kitchen, players are probably out serving and interacting with the locals. One way to make a name for yourself is by communicating with these customers and making sure they leave with a smile on their face. Your reputation can be hurt as well by having not so pleasant customers make a mess of the store, which then forces players to decide to kick them out or not. These folk can be either drunkards who drink until they pass out or peasants who litter and trash the tavern by simply walking to their table.

Situational encounters like these have been my personal favorite aspect of Tavern Manager Simulator as it incentivizes players to drop whatever it was they were doing to go and handle the situation, similar to how any real manager would react given the circumstances.

Final Score (3 out of 5 stars)

Players must clean, cook, and deal with the disruptive locals in order to establish a successful business in the unpredictable Tavern Manager Simulator. It strikes a balance between calm and chaotic with the variety of mechanics often piling up on one another. Some of these tasks did feel more like chores than enjoyable mini-games.

Tavern Manager Simulator is amusing and intriguing, even though there exists the repetitive activities that seem to derail a player’s momentum. I personally found myself enjoying this game a lot more with the help of an entertaining video on my second monitor to help the hours of my “shift” go by.

Featured Image: One More Time Studio