Ale and Tale -- Cozy Game Review

 

Just out this week, I had a chance to take a look at Ale and Tale Tavern by Scien Art Games.  Ale and Tale Tavern is a Fantasy Co-Op Tavern Sim that takes place in a cute and cozy fantasy world. I can definitely see myself enjoying this one for hours....

First impression:

For character creation there are tons of options...so many clothes. I kept it simple this round, but I could have easily wore lingerie with a bucket on my head. The sky is the limit.

The graphics were good enough, and had a bit of a World of Warcraft style to them. The world was beautiful, and the night sky...just perfect.

The directions and quest line sets you up to learn the game mechanics and figure out how to play the game. There's a merchant you talk to first, but he's not who you click on to purchase stuff. You have to click on the cash register next to him, and I found that to be a bit wonky. 

Decorating and running the inn is a good chunk of this game, and I enjoyed the rhythm of running the tavern. As you move along you gather more recipes to serve at the tavern, and you learn how to garden, hunt, and forage for ingredients. 

There is a co-op option, but I played solo, which was a bit tough to keep everything going. So far there isn't an option to get any helpers, so the running of the inn is all up to you. You can make meals and drinks ahead of time, which helps tremendously. Be on your look out though, because creeps come out at night. 

My biggest complaint with this game however is that it's only in first person, with no option to scroll out to third person. I tend to get motion sick with first person games, and this one was no exception. I could only play this one in small doses with out getting sick. I tried changing some settings and making the game very small on my screen and it didn't seem to help. 

Overall Score: 4/5

Pros: 

• Beautiful world
• Love the cozy vibe
• Tavern upkeep has a good rhythm to it

Cons:

• First person only
• Wonky NPC interactions

Ale and Tale Tavern was released September 5, 2024 on Steam.

Disclaimer: I received a key of this game free for review from https://www.keymailer.co .  This however does not affect my review or opinions. There are links to Amazon on this blog, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Coffee Talk -- A Video Game Review

 

It's been a bit since I've done a video game review, and book friends and video game friends I think will like this game.

It's set in a world where elves, orcs, and other fantasy creatures have moved into our cities and towns trying to make a life just like the rest of us.  They come to the coffee shop and share their stories while you make them their warm and cozy drink.

One of our main characters, Freya is an aspiring author and she comes into the shop every day.  She has decided the stories she hears in the shop will be a big part of her book. So she listens to the stories and gossip to give her writing the extra boost it needs. She loves her espresso, which is one of the first drinks we learn how to make. 

The mechanics of making the drinks is simple. Add three ingredients and brew. If you forget what the ingredients are you have a log in your phone that keeps them all on the bottom left corner of your screen. You start off only knowing a few recipes and learn more along your way, and if you mess up it's not really a big deal. With drinks with foamy milk tops you can practice your artistry skills with latte art.  Playing this on my computer I've found the latte art is awful, but I hear it's much better on a switch with touch screen.

Overall the atmosphere is great, with gentle music and it's always raining. So if you enjoy a no stress game with a fun storyline, and gentle rain in the background be sure to try out Coffee Talk. Once I finish Coffee Talk, I'll be sure to grab Coffee Talk Episode 2, which just came out in April 2023.

Difficulty level: Easy

Publisher: Toge Productions

Release date: January 29, 2020

Genre: Visual Novel

Available on  Xbox, Playstation (spring 23), Switch (spring 23), PC (through Steam or Xbox).

Photo Credit: Toge Presskit

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