Wartales adds Sim Management through The Tavern Opens DLC

Wartales gets a new management simulation mini-game in its latest DLC offering, The Tavern Opens. The new DLC is out now on Steam.

In this DLC, players get to own a tavern, which they could purchase at any time in the game for only 1 gold, and manage it to produce passive income and food for their party.

If the game’s party and camp management isn’t enough for you, you can get your hands dirty with some business work in this new DLC. The Tavern Opens adds a new layer of management simulation to the game, allowing players to build their business from the ground up.

In their own tavern, players will be able to hire employees specifically for the business. However, they can also assign their party members to take up jobs behind the counter. Even pack animals, like dogs, can be assigned to the tavern as additional security.

Enterprising players will find that this new Wartales DLC will make their travels safer in the long run. Aside from a steady source of income, sometimes the tavern can experience oversupply and provide the adventuring party with enough food to last them a new rest.

Wartales new DLC “Mostly Positive” on Steam

Wartales’ new DLC The Tavern Opens currently sits at “Mostly Positive” on Steam, with fans appreciating the added content but are dismayed with how the management mini-game is seemingly an odd fit to the rest of the game.

Obviously, the gripe of most of the fans of the game isn’t that the DLC’s content doesn’t fit in thematically with the rest of the game. In-universe, the new mini-game, in fact, fits like a glove and is believable, and thus doesn’t compromise immersion in any way.

However, many fans noted in their Steam reviews that the game’s balance is heavily affected by the tavern’s steady flow of income. In our Wartales Review for the base game, we explained how the game’s difficulty ends up becoming trivial starting in the midgame. The tavern completely adds to this problem, as the steady income and occasional boon of supplies make the game a lot easier.

Meanwhile, some fans also took issue with the new mini-game’s integration in the game. Currently, progress in the tavern management sim isn’t real-time. Instead, time only passes in the tavern when players take a rest in the game. For some endgame players, their parties are already too strong that they don’t really need to take too many rests. This stalls their progress in the tavern completely. As this DLC is compatible with existing saves, this becomes prevalent.

There are also those who took issue with how the player could start their own tavern for only 1 gold, which is completely imbalanced. If done right, the tavern will start producing several dozen gold right away for the player, which makes early-game money management somewhat trivial.

In general, however, fans appreciate the new content and the depth it adds to the game. It’s not as good, as impactful, and as deep as Pirates as Belerion, Wartales’ first DLC, but it’s a welcome addition nonetheless.

Besides, who wouldn’t want to get the opportunity to run their own medieval tavern? That premise alone sells itself. You could get the DLC right now at 10% off from its base price of $12.99 on both Steam and GOG.com.