This post will be a review of a very atmospheric game called Saloon Simulator. Developed by Glivi Games S.A. and published by Rock Games S.A., the game is in early access right now with chapter 3 being in development.
To begin with, I have to say that the word “simulator” in it’s title doesn’t give the game justice. Usually, when someone thinks of “simulator” games, it’s just that gameplay is about a specific job related to the activity which is alluded to in the title. For instance, Supermarket Simulator is about running a supermarket. By this logic, the title Saloon Simulator is fitting, since the game makes you run a saloon. However, there is one key difference:
Story and Characters of Saloon Simulator
This game has got an actual plot with a bunch of charismatic characters and some wild action. Unlike the majority of the “simulators” it gives our protagonist a name – Cheyenne1 and a voice to go with it. Moreover, it provides us with a background as to how we have found ourselves in this predicament.
Plot
The predicament for the players begins on a train where Cheyenne is tied and is told that his debt to Mr. Locke cannot go unpaid for longer, so we’ll have to earn the money we owe on Locke’s terms now. The terms are to run the Blueberry Saloon in a very small town of Blueberry which seems to be located in the middle of nowhere. During our stay we are to get recommendation letters from six craftsmen in the town. A task that seems so trivial, yet will prove to be quite difficult to accomplish.
Upon our arrival the town feels like it was abandoned a while ago with no living soul in sight. This is where we come to an immediate impasse – there are simply not enough craftsmen to get recommendation letter from. Only through our hard labour in the Saloon the town will gradually come back to life and provide us with such an opportunity.
As for the story, it will be centred around our debt to Locke and how we have to run the saloon in Blueberry until we acquire these letters.
As for the characters, some of them may seem like a bunch of stereotypes from western stories, but I have found them even more likeable because of that. After all, none of them seems like a carton cut out but an individual who simply fulfills a certain role needed for the story.
W
At first sight he seems to be a simple outlaw who works for Locke and is here only to keep an eye on you. However, as the story progresses, we see him from other sides and it help us to see him more than a cold-blooded criminal. I won’t go into the detail here, since; a) the game is still in early access and is subject to change; b) I don’t want to spoil the fun. Nevertheless, he grew on me the more we had to interact with him.
Casey
The local mortician. She seems nice at first glance but in reality has got a few skeletons in her closet, which in a way makes her a mirror character to W. Nevertheless, she is the first of the local craftsman to write us a letter of recommendation to Locke so we can be set free.
Sherriff
At first glance he appears rather snobbish and gives himself airs, but as time passes, he opens to us as an ordinary person with his merits and demerits.
Sam
Our first client to ask for food in the saloon. Also, a gold digger. He is a very amicable fellow who genuinely believes that he can find gold in Blueberry. I will not be surprised if the story will end with him finding the metaphorical gold which we may turn the town of Blueberry by the end of the story.
Charlie
A local artist, to put it nicely. Has got a creepy side to him with his dozen of pictures which he takes in the same place and pose with every bartender who came before us, but I’ll give him a pass. All artists are a bit coo-coo after all.
Earl & Addie
The first craftsmen to return to town after the reopening of the saloon. A nice couple of a bossy businesswoman Addie and her quiet and skilled husband Earl. They sell furniture, so when you’ve got a run down saloon in your hand, we are simply destined to become good friends with this couple.
Jack
Technically, Giacomo Allegretti, but, I guess, this is too complicated of a name for the Wild West. I don’t know if I liked him more simply because of his accent but he is one of the characters who is only there for trade.
Locke
The game presents him like some big mastermind and head of a large criminal cartel, but in reality… well, he is the head of a large criminal cartel. He is not bad, he is not good. He helps Blueberry town to survive and he kills people who are of no use to him. It’s just cold-blooded level-headed business. nothing more, nothing less.
The Devil is in the Details
I cannot write about this game without marking certain world-building details that made the experience unforgettable and exciting. Some of them may seem insignificant, but in the end, all of them served their goal of creating the Wild West experience and they did a great job at it.
Prices
It’s terrifying to look at groceries prices of our modern day, the XIXth century prices, on the other hand, look very appealing today. Surely, the salaries were different, too, but the fact that the prices reflect the time does help.
Atmosthere/Aesthetics
Everything in Blueberry is tattered and worn. Nothing looks clean, especially the saloon which is supposed to be run-down. Surely, this is also works to stimulate the player to fix it and make it look brand new, still it works flawlessly. Apart from that, the excessive amounts of trash around the town serves the purpose of being resources for barter with Charlie.
Piano music
There are very few different melodies that the pianist can play but all of them are bangers. Their flow is very lively and the melodies don’t seem out of place for the Wild West.
Gameplay
Now, it would be hard to review a game without touching the gameplay which is rather varied here. There is a lot to do apart from tending the bar. At times it even feels a bit overwhelming but once you get into the rhythm, it becomes much easier. Furthermore, the game introduced NPC helpers to take care of cleaning and cooking for you which unshoulders a hefty part of your daily duties.
Bartending/Cooking
Both are simple mini-games where you have to follow the recipe in order to finish the order and be paid for it. The menu is rather simple to navigate and if you don’t rush, then, you don’t make numerous mistakes which can make you lose some of your products. Some recipes are more tedious to make than others but the variety helps making the process less monotonous over all.
Cleaning
A very simple task which was made exciting because there is a chance you find a few cents under the dust. I liked this feature because it turned another boring task into a treasure hunt.
Mini-games/events
Aside from running the saloon you can also participate in various events of questionable activities, like stealing from the train of dismantling a robbed cart. You can also help Sam search for gold. The tasks vary from day to day and are not mandatory but they do bring good money and to repair the saloon and pay your debt, you are going to need heaps of that.
All in all, I have found the game rather enjoyable and I would definitely continue monitoring it as it develops. It’s got everything a good game should have – interesting story and characters, multiple activities to choose from, saloon customisation, and great aesthetics.
As for the harder and more dull and tiring moments of gameplay, the developers are responding to the community and adjust their game accordingly. If all that I have said above seems to positive for you and it sound like I only praise the game, that’s because it is indeed this way. It hit all the marks for being wonderful for me. The only thing that sometimes comes as a bit off for me is voice acting, or better say, voice acting direction. The voice actors themselves seem to do fine but sometimes the emotions put into voices resonate with the animations in game too much, but I am more than willing to let it pass. It’s not an AAA game and it focuses on the most important parts first: gameplay and story; so I will not dwell on it any further.
All pictures are taken from: https://steamdb.info/app/2419710/screenshots/
P.S. I’m sincerely sorry for being absent for almost two month. First, I was ill and got treated antibiotics three separate times in one month. I got better, though. Then, everything in my house was crushing: had to do water repairs, buy a new TV… and then my laptop’s fan broke. I can hardly work on it now. It would take me some time to buy a new one, but I will try to use my phone and my mother’s laptop to continue writing. I do enjoy it, but my life gets in the way sometimes. I’m sorry that I cannot humour you more frequently, my fine readers, but my blog is not my life’s priority at the moment, finding a job is. Anyway, hope you have a great day (I know, I do. My life does seem to get better after everything that has happened recently).
- I needed to search its correct writing since I couldn’t remember it and found out an interesting fact. It may be common knowledge to Americans, but not the rest of the world: Cheyenne is a unisex name. I believe, it was taken to later have an option to choose gender of your character, if this ever will be an option. ↩︎
Geeky Nerd 
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