Dirt and gravel crunch softly under the soles of your feet as you make your way up the little-traversed path, leaning forward slightly as it gently slopes uphill. As you reach the crest, your gaze settles on the charmingly quaint building in front of you. Weather-worn fliers, wanted posters and long sprawling vines litter the buildings exterior while cobwebs glazing the patio eaves, drawing your eyes upwards.
The sign greets you with a crooked smile of sorts, lazily drooping by a hinge. A firm gust sets it in motion, a soft groan coming from the rusty hinges that were, more or less, looking worse for wear. The horns crowning the ale barrel sway warily in the wind. You pause mid-step, unsure if the sign will give up the ghost at that very moment. You’ve had worse luck. It holds, however, and you focus on the delicate lettering gracing the aged wood, splintered and swollen from time.
“Ale & Tale”
Axe meets wood as you work diligently to remove the barricade, the blanks splintering with ease. Carefully, you toe them aside, clearing a path for the large door. This was it: Your Dream. Your Passion. You take a breath, hands trembling against the rough wooden grain before giving the door a firm push, a loud creak, rewarding your efforts as it swings ajar. Dust swirls about the floor of the dark, desolate tavern, floorboards creaking with years of disuse. With the flick of a match, light burst forth from the center of the room, a small smile playing across your lips at the challenge that lies before you: Restoring The Ale & Tale Tavern to it's former glory.  You firmly grab an old disused broom that had been leaning on the wall, laced with delicate webbing. You grip it firmly in your hands, setting to work. By this time tomorrow, you'll be serving Ale to wary passers-by. Just you wait and see.

It's time to get cracking. There's so much to do before you open for business.

Ale & Tale is the first indie title developed by Scienart Games. Customize your adventurer, and get thrust into a beautifully crafted and surprisingly large world full of stunning graphics, beautifully bold colors and a fun cast of characters to match. With a dream of re-opening the Ale & Tale Tavern, work to rebuild the once thriving establishment while learning to multi-task serving food and drink, as well as taking care of your newfound business. Manage the garden, fish in the lake, gather wild crops, and fight a slew of enemies to keep your investments safe. Don't forget to put that broom to good use if you've got a customer or two a few mugs too deep in ale- it's better for you in the long run! Decorate and upgrade the tavern, setting out on adventures in between your working hours. There is a ton to see and do in Ale & Tale, and while not perfect, it has a TON to offer.

Character customization is a little basic, but functional enough.

Character customization however, falls a little short with choices on offer. There is a fairly wide range of options available to players, but it's presented in what I would likely call one of the most unfriendly formats I have seen. Instead of each style item being selectable, each color of the item is a different item number. I find this approach quite outdated and inefficient, as being able to select any given item then select from an available color pallet really is the far more efficient and player friendly approach. This is the case with each hair style and piece of clothing. Beyond a standard gender choice, there is not much in the way of customization, falling short of being able to change things like face shape, eye shape, or body types. Again, far from perfect, not very optimal, but functional no less. It still affords players with at least some vague sense of agency and personalization, though this is an area in the game I really wish had more attention to detail.  Hopefully this will be slightly more streamlined in the future, and perhaps made a part of the "new game experience" as well, as currently you go through the main menu to customize your avatar. It would be nice to see an option to change clothes in game, as well as acquire additional styles amidst your adventure.

Ale & Tale is beautiful to look at, day or night. 

Graphically, Ale & Tale is a SHEER JOY- mixing just the right combination of realism with a good heft of bright and bold cartooniness. The area surrounding the tavern is bustling with enemies and wildlife. Explore the forest, lake, windmill and other locations. I had low expectations when, at a glace, it seemed that this game primarily revolved around rebuilding the tavern and serving customers. You will be MORE than pleasantly surprised with the vast amount of freedom you have to play, roam, explore, and make deliveries. The world is astoundingly beautiful, and while I wish there were some additional points of interest littered around at random as small treats to encourage you to explore, I can't be upset with what we are given. The bold colors pop and give everything a heap of character. Hopefully the developers will decide to build on this in the future, as the graphical style of Ale & Tale is by far one of it's greatest strengths.

With a dash of tongue-in-cheek humor, and some charming voice acting, NPCs are often quirky and fun. Scarecrow is a delight, and introduces you to gardening basics.

While the world around you is vital, how you traverse it is just as important. The controls feel fluid and perfectly intuitive. Keyboard and mouse controls are a near mindless pick-up-and-play, as are game pad layouts. If at any point you've played any kind of first person survival craft or simulator title, you will feel more than right at home. Items are easy to use, place, and manipulate. Placing and rotating furniture and decorations is really a breeze, though I do wish the placement guides sis allow for a little more freedom when placing some items like tables near to walls. However, ultimately it is forgivable, as i becomes readily apparent that this is for ease of pathing for your tavern guests. Speaking of, while most of your tavern patrons will babble away in something VERY akin to Simlish, players will find themselves pleasantly surprised that the main cast of NPCs are fully voiced. This really was welcome, as I expected nowhere near the quality that the folks at Scienart Games managed to pull together, as the voice actors are a real joy to listen to.

There's plenty to do before you start welcoming customers- be sure you have the Tavern neat and tidy! You'll have to clean it on a regular basis!

Not only is the voicework pleasant to listen to, but the musical score is really above and beyond what I expected.  While it is nowhere near as CONSTANT as I would like, there are some wonderful moments where your ears are treated to some of the most beautiful tavern-style music I've ever heard. This mixes with some more ambient noise, patrons talking, and the sounds of nature around you. Crickets fiddle through the night and birds sing amongst themselves in the day. All of it makes for a wonderful earful of sound that is sure to delight. It makes for some fantastic immersion in the world of Ale & Tale, and that is all too welcome.


A simple but enjoyable minigame that is just the right length. Keeping your stock of mugs and dishes clean is vital.

There is SO MUCH to see and do, it may feel overwhelming at times. You really are encouraged to move along at your own pace, though once patrons start lining up, you better get a move on! Learn how to make ale from scratch, cook different traditional tavern fare, and tidy up after your customers. The more they eat and drink, the more you have to do, learning how to prepare in advance, and keep up with supply and demand. While I was unable to partake in multiplayer during my review, this game is set up for some wild fun with friends, as up to 4 of you can live out your dreams as a tavern-keep, juggling various duties to keep all the cogs in the machine going!

Besides zombies, wildlife may pose a threat to your additional ventures.

Overall, Scienart Games has put a whole heap of love and passion into Ale & Tale. While yes, there are absolutely some shortcomings I do sincerely hope thy work on in future updates, the base of the game itself is very solid, and gives players a lot to enjoy. Beautiful design, stunning visuals and well-implemented controls really heal bolster this fantastic game. Even with some of the weaker areas still in need of some polish, there is a stunning amount of obvious thought and care that really helps carry it through, and speaks very candidly to players. For a meager asking price of $14.99 USD, you really cannot go wrong, especially considering this is not for an early access title. At the end of the day, it's well worth your time to dip a toe, and get the chance to explore the beautiful world of Ale & Tale for yourself.

Ale & Tale is currently Available on the Steam Marketplace for $14.99 USD.