Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTavern Talk (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Gentle Troll Entertainment
Publisher: Gentle Troll Entertainment
Released: June 20, 2024
MSRP: $17.99\/\u00a314.99<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYou get to grips with the core gameplay mechanics in Tavern Talk<\/em> pretty quickly. Each patron who sits at the bar needs a drink of some description. Some of them are going to tell you what they want, while others simply hint at tipple they\u2019re eager to taste with fairly easy-to-decipher dialogue cues.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce you roughly know what your customer needs, it\u2019s time to mix the order. You\u2019ve got a set of ingredients to pour into a glass, and must balance the stats in that glass to cater to the customer\u2019s need. More often than not, the result is two or three pours of two particular ingredients, and one of another for flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The system is easy to learn, but I don\u2019t think that makes it basic. I had a lot of fun balancing brews by pouring each stat-boosting elixir into the glass for every customer I met each night and day. This is definitely the most engaging part of Tavern Talk<\/em>, and serves its purpose of breaking up the heavy dialogue sequences that make up the bulk of the rest of your time with the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you mess up a drink, you can pour parts of it away for your pet, Andu, which I think is a great little touch. The game is full of small tidbits of the fantasy setting like this, be it in the conversations you read through or the flavor of the quests you can put together. They fill out the world without you ever needing to leave the inn, allowing you to live vicariously through everyone who passes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n