As a fantasy IP full of choices, iconic characters, complex classes, and more, Dungeons & Dragons is a natural fit for the video game industry. The brand has had real success, too, with Baldur’s Gate 3 being one of the most acclaimed video games of all time thanks to its beloved cast and an immense level of player control. There are other D&D projects on the way, too, such as a title from Disney Dreamlight Valley dev Gameloft and another from Dispatch studio Adhoc, with the latter centered around Critical Role’s Exandria setting. Summer Game Fest added to this list with Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, while Steam’s Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern is yet another example of a D&D experience to look forward to.
The other games are expected to be full of action, with Warlock proving as much in its initial gameplay. What sets Long Rest Tavern apart from the other D&D games that are in the works is that it fully embraces being a cozy title. It still feels heavily inspired by the property it’s named after: players do dice rolls to determine the fate of adventurers, and they’ll encounter iconic characters from the franchise. However, they’re role-playing as a tavern owner as opposed to a hero, building their own restaurant from the ground up and serving whatever travelers stop by.
Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern Release Date, Feature List, and More
Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern is an upcoming tavern-themed game set in the iconic Dungeons & Dragons universe, scheduled to release on Steam in 2027. Instead of embarking on dangerous adventures, players will experience a different side of the fantasy world, managing a tavern and serving the adventurers who pass through its doors.
- BUILD your ideal D&D cavern from the ground up via a Sims-like grid system.
- MEET famous Dungeons & Dragons characters as well as some unfamiliar faces.
- COMMAND adventurers to fight monsters and collect rare ingredients and decorative items.
- DESIGN your ideal menu by combining fantastical ingredients to discover new meals and beverages.
- MANAGE your tavern’s staff to successfully keep visitors fed, maximizing renown and profits.
Tired of going on adventures? Build and run the finest tavern in the coziest corner of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Let heroes face danger, while you turn their tales into your fortune. Every legend needs a long rest.
Long Rest Tavern’s Building and Dice Rolls Are a Perfect Hybrid of D&D and the Sims
With so many games letting players live out the more “exciting” lives of adventurers with Dungeons & Dragons, Long Rest Tavern is refreshingly relaxed. In both tabletop D&D campaigns and other forms of media based on the classic Wizards of the Coast game, returning to a tavern between adventures is the norm. This particular Steam game, being all about these tavern rests, means the tavern itself has to feel homey, and there’s no better way to accomplish that than by having gamers create it themselves. They’ll do this via a top-down grid system, placing every decoration carefully to tell environmental stories within each room, or to optimize the layout for efficient service.
In between expanding and redecorating the tavern itself, players will command adventurers, sending them out to complete quests—think about the way that Sims go to work throughout each day in EA’s hit franchise. This is where the iconic dice rolls come into play, as luck will determine whether the NPC heroes successfully slay monsters and return with valuable loot. Said loot can come in the form of new, rare ingredients to use in cooking and brewing, or neat decorations to further personalize one’s tavern. Longtime Dungeons & Dragons fans will surely love sending existing characters on tasks, and these being a simple dice roll as opposed to turn-based or action battles should keep the cozy game vibe intact.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Long Rest Tavern’s Business Mechanics Follow Genre Classics
With the ingredients players gain from adventuring, they’ll be able to discover new drinks and meals, creating whatever menu they see fit for their shop. They’ll mix and match rare and common ingredients in the brewery and cookpot to collect recipes, deciding what they will serve and not just what the shop looks like. And once they have their ideal menu, they’ll need to hire and manage their staff, giving players further control over the ins and outs of the tavern. With everything in place, gamers will have to handle the dinner rush.
When large groups of adventurers join the usual civilians inside the tavern, chaos ensues, as players will have to deal with a ton of varied orders as efficiently as possible. This is where smart staff choices come into play, as while the business in the common room may look like Overcooked, it will take care of itself if the building has been well-designed and the right people are serving customers. If players successfully satisfy their guests, be they commonfolk or adventurers, they’ll maximize their profits and boost their renown. With more money and fame, players will be able to expand their tavern, and they’ll have more people to serve on top of that.
As if all this wasn’t enough, players have access to what looks like a very detailed character creator. Not only will they choose their OCs’ appearances, altering skin, outfit, and hair colors, face shapes, headwear, and facial hair, but they’ll be able to pick from some different classes and races, too. The shop can also be named. With so much control clearly being given to players, it’s easy to imagine Dungeons & Dragons: Long Rest Tavern succeeding at its goal and allowing players to live the life of a fantasy shopkeeper.
- Franchise
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Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
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1974
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
