Cozy 2027 PC game blends Baldur's Gate 3 with bar-keeping and I'm quite fond of it

Throughout your adventures across various fantasy realms, you’ll have probably stopped off at a tavern during every single one.

Whether it be The Elder Scrolls, Baldur’s Gate 3, or The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, they’re a common trope in storytelling, and now you get to run one yourself.

Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern was a surprisingly good hands-on at this year’s Gamescom, even if it did take a little time to get going.

I only got a chance to play the opening 30 minutes, but it was time well-spent as I created my character, named my tavern, and served my first round of ale.

You’re introduced to several characters very early on, including the ghost of a bard who used to reside in the tavern. He’ll help you get to grips with what you need to do to successfully run the place, including brewing the beer yourself and building beds where weary travellers can rest their head.

You obviously need money to do all of this, but the game gives you just enough to get started and you’ll start turning profits pretty quickly. That said, I did have to stifle a laugh when I thought my first shift went unexpectedly well, only to see my profit margin severely in the red.

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Like playing Baldur’s Gate 3 but from really far away

The D&D element comes into play as you coerce the adventurers stopping by your tavern to go out and undertake side-quests for you.

That’s right, now you’re the annoying bartender asking for obscure ingredients from another region.

Whether or not your heroes succeed is down to the roll of a D20, but should they prevail you’ll get a nice new addition to your menu.

Dotemu

Once you’ve got your bar looking spiffy and when your pantry is fully-stocked, you can change the time of day to night and welcome in your customers.

Serving drinks and snacks is nice and straightforward, but once the partygoers have left, you’ll need to get their table clean for your next guests.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go much deeper than that as I ran out of time, but the game has certainly piqued my curiosity for the most part.

Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern isn’t one to sleep on if you like management-style games, and if that’s not a genre you’re overly familiar with, don’t worry. I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of them either, but I found it to be very intuitive.

It’s also the second Dungeons & Dragons-inspired game that’s caught my eye this year, but I think Warlock is obviously the one with broader appeal.

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