As you might expect from a visual novel, Tavern Talk is a bit text-heavy. Some reviewers on Steam have complained that the game is too "verbose," but I'd be against cutting or shortening any dialogue – it would distract too much from the novel aspect of the game. If you're looking for a review from a fellow social gamer, you've come to the right place.

Tavern Talk’s story is spread out throughout the game, with each customer’s backstory only revealed as they continue to visit your bar. At first, you may find certain characters annoying, edgy, or just plain weird, but there isn’t a single character in Tavern Talk that I didn’t enjoy having in front of my bar by the end of the game.

Despite being a nameless, faceless NPC in the game, you connect with each character through your questions and your ability to concoct a damn fine potion that can provide the consumer with useful buffs. They tell you their stories, you point them in the direction of adventures, and they ask for something to help them out. It’s very much a “Don’t go alone, take this-” kind of situation. The innkeeper clearly has some trauma to work through, which comes to light early on, but the game does a good job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, feeding you little details as you build bonds with its colorful cast of characters.

The story really makes you feel like you are the "save point" of a D&D campaign. The friendly innkeeper waiting for your friends to return and telling you all about their successes… Or their failures.