Developer: Hammer & Ravens
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: Simulation, Strategy
Publisher: Shiro Unlimited
Ale Abbey is a money-making tycoon game. This game was developed by Hammer & Ravens and published by Shiro Unlimited. Ale Abbey is currently in Early Access on Steam. Ale Abbey is a unique blend between a strategic and a tycoon that is able to immerse the players into the world of brewery.Â
Ale Abbey transports the players to the past into a time when monasteries were compelled to become breweries. Within the game, players are ‘owners’ of a brewery, where we hire, build, and sell our brewed ales to make a profit. The game does a great job of replicating the lengthy brewing process. It is well-detailed on how each ingredient is added to recipes. Ale Abbey is a tycoon game, yet it goes beyond by adding several details to the game to make it seem realistic. Players are required to brew and manage a monastery. Players have the ability to maintain and construct the various rooms in the monastery. Like any other tycoon game, when managing the monastery, you will also keep satisfactory levels for the staff that you hire. The game invites the player to keep a balance between the workers and meet the production goals to succeed in the business.
Ale Abbey does a great job at showing real-life interactions that illustrate how to run a business. These include such things as pricing, naming and overall running of the brewery. Players are able to immediately sell their ales or let them ferment to increase their value and quality. Later on in the game, you might even be faced with dealing with bandits that pose a threat to your sales. These elements require players to think strategically and ensure everything works out well.
The controls for Ale Abbey are extremely simple, and everything is explained with a simple and easy-to-understand tutorial. The controls are mainly point-and-click and allow for easy navigation and interaction within the game. As there are many things to manage in the game, the easy controls make the game flow a lot more easily. The game itself can get complex and complicated quickly, but it keeps the player interested. Ale Abbey has a very neat and detailed UI and design which makes the game extremely easy and attentive to follow. You are able to see the satisfaction levels, the brewing status, your profits and losses and many more. Tips and tutorials allow for smooth gameplay as they guide players through the complicated process of brewing. The simple controls allow the players to focus on the strategy within the game without having to be bogged down by the controls.
Now, the art style for Ale Abbey is very charming. It’s a pixel art style that creates a sense of a classic simulation game. Each character, such as the nuns and monks, is created distinctively, increasing the personalities of the staff within the monastery. The game adds its own lively and whimsical charm that brightens up the atmosphere. The art style is simple yet pleasing to look at, with a historical appearance to it. The music is also so immersive as it has an old-timey vibe.Â
Something I enjoyed about the game was how dynamic the recipe system is. Unlike other games, most recipes provided tend to get players to throw in a bunch of ingredients to make simple items. However, in Ale Abbey, you are able to create new, distinct recipes which can be unexpected. However, some of the brewing mechanics were not entirely explained, which led to some confusion on how to actually age ale. Besides the mechanics, the upgrades seemed plentiful and had several options for the players to choose from where they could easily benefit from the profit. There is so much to do in the game, and you are able to manage everything in an organized manner. I do love how you get given tasks by the bishop, and each task given has a little ‘story’ to it. Some tasks are a lot more lengthy than others, but it makes the game much more fun.
I would say that some things which could be improved would be the cleaning and lighting in the monastery is too repetitive. Rather than having to do it manually by players, you should be able to hire staff which can automate that process. The game is currently in early access, so with its full release, I do hope to see some achievements players can work towards, allowing for more objectives. The game itself is good, but I found that after a few hours, it did get a bit boring, so it’s more of a game that’s better to pick up when wanting to play something easy.Â
If you are looking for a money-making tycoon game where you get to manage a monastery and brew ales, then this game is just for you. Explore various recipes, build rooms, hire staff, and complete tasks given characters. The game features a lovely pixel art style capturing a historical era that keeps the player immersed. So, be sure to check out Ale Abbey!
Overall: 6/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
