Another Bar Game? Hell Yes - Demo Coming To Steam
Fighting back the hair of the dog? Before reaching for that JD and coke, why not try the Another Bar Game demo (coming very soon) on Steam? You’re less likely to have a hangover as it’ll sober you up.
Great – a depressing game that will challenge my life choices and say I have ‘a problem’. Not at all. Sober you up because you need to be lucid to where Frank’s shoes and show the world how to multitask.
As this is a demo, let’s put aside any lengthy origin story (which is a shame as it would be nice to understand why Frank insists on wearing a wife-beater/80s hot pants combo). Instead, Another Bar Game does just what you need it to do and throws you into the action of bar management.
Fear not though, as you don’t need any maths skills or previous experience, as our hero doesn’t either. He literally walks into a bar (minus a joke or two) and offered a job waiting on the punters, serving them beer. Bor-ring. Nope – it’s Overcooked style mayhem as each stage ups the ante, and you must manage more things.
Don’t focus too much on the Overcooked reference, as it isn’t as stressful/hair-pulling but still grabs you by the nuts. I played entirely on the Steam Deck and was about to bail due to the controls not being recognised, only for the movement to be mapped to the left-handed trackpad. That’s a first! It worked well, and from the world map, I could head to the nearest bar and start my shift.
A customer will walk in, sit down and request a beer. Another Bar Game isn’t a talkie, so you have to read what they want quickly. Thankfully, a little colour icon appears above the name to indicate what they want if you miss or forget it. Then, you pick out a clean glass, fill her up, and then deliver it to Johnny Public. It sounds simple, but then that’s the intro. Before long, it’s multiple drafts, cleaning and removing the glasses and clearing up.
Between rounds, you can invest in skills such as faster running, better balance for carrying multiple glasses on trays, and faster beer pulling. There’s not much hand-holding in the game, and you will have to learn on the job, but that reflects Frank’s inexperience.
It’s a simple yet effective experience, and the art style is very nice. The music grated on me initially, but I gradually got used to it. Recognise one of the customers frequenting the bar? That’s right – Another Bar Game is from Arik Games, behind the excellent point and click, Dude, Where Is My Beer?
The release date has yet to be confirmed, but the demo should be up soon, so keep an eye out on Steam and add it to your wishlist!