Fantasy pub sim Tavern Keeper finally entering early access after 11 years of development

Tavern Keeper will finally enter early access on Steam on 3rd November, following 11 years of development.

The fantasy pub sim from Greenheart Games is the studio’s follow-up to the hugely popular Game Dev Tycoon, and merges tavern management with RPG tropes as players serve dwarves, orcs, and humans alike.

The game is narrated by British actor Steven Pacey, perhaps best known for his role in the ’80s sci-fi series Blake’s 7, but more recently heard in video games like Dark Souls 2 (as The Rat King) and Black Myth Wukong (as the old monkey), as well as TV series House of the Dragon and Love, Death & Robots.

Judging from the trailer above, Tavern Keeper has a British, Two Point meets Fable sort of vibe, despite coming from an international team. If you’re keen to try it out before its early access launch, there’s an updated demo available on Steam now ahead of Steam Next Fest later this month.

“After 11 years we’re ready to open the doors to our follow-up to Game Dev Tycoon. Our hybrid management sim, witty RPG and decoration sandbox game Tavern Keeper, will launch into Early Access in November,” said Patrick Klug, director and co-founder of Greenheart Games. “It’s been a long journey, and we’re thrilled that players can soon experience what we’ve been crafting for them over so many years.”

Eurogamer last went hands-on with Tavern Keeper back in 2019, when contributor Johnny Chiodini described it as a “really loving, mischievous game”.

“It’s clearly made with a great deal of reverence for simulator games and the fantasy genre, but there’s a delightful sense of humour at play that makes it more than the sum of its parts,” wrote Johnny.