Synopsis
Become a bartender to fund your dreams, serving the Thick Table tavern's patrons, and maybe change their lives...
Warnings
The game includes animated text and backgrounds (toggle-able), and depiction or mention of: use of alcohol, violence, lewd language, swearing.
About...
The Thick Table Tavern is a fantasy slice-of-life interactive bartending game, made in Twine for the IFComp. You play as a bartender saving up for one of three dreams, collecting tips and interacting with patrons in the titular tavern. The game includes an actual bartending experience, where players are able to mix drinks with the available ingredients.
This project was inspired by simulation games, particularly VA-11 Hall-A, my returning interest in drink mixing (thanks to a former-bartending friend), and the feel-good fantasy world of Discworld.
The game currently features 2 modes: Story, with 6 different endings and 3 difficulty levels, and Arcade, with 3 types of bartending plays (Endless, Perfection, Timed). A potential future update could include recurring patrons with specific endings, and more side-stories (planned but never realised).
Awards
IFComp
- 37th place
IFDB Awards
- Outstanding Use of Interactivity: Nominated
- Outstanding Fantasy Game: Nominated
- Outstanding Twine Game: Nominated
Reviews
Definitely a game I would recommend. Whether you play around in arcade mode for a few minutes, or take some time and delve into story mode and meet the Tavern's customers, you're in for an entertaining experience.
- ArloElm
Rarely have I encountered as felicitous a coincidence between a game’s theme and my ultimate feelings on it as I have with The Thick Table Tavern, a high-production-value fantasy bartending sim.
- Mike Russo
Ok, take two parts snarky, amusing characters, 2 parts crisp custom graphical presentation, one part grind and a dash of IF. Serve over ice with umbrella, and a sense of wanting more?
- JJ McC
I think it's definitely one of the cheeriest and best-produced IFComp games, and it clearly doesn't rely on its production values only. It's a game about friendship and goals that doesn't get mushy.
- Andrew Schultz