The Hidden Art of Innkeeping

Apparently it’s the second game of the series, and although it takes place in the same world, each game tells a separate story. While guests or friends your character met in the previous game may appear, knowledge of it is not necessary. Truth to be told, it’s a small production. However, small does not mean simple, and it is clear that the developer is highly skilled at what he does, using the tools at his disposal. Game is also pleasantly complex. Beneath the RPGMaker visuals, lies a fairly advanced hotel management mechanic. I was really surprised because every time I thought, “the game should have this,” I later discovered that the game actually did have it. Negatives here are more a matter of preference than a real problem. I thought the game had a more open world structure (the goal and the rest are up to us), when in fact it's a semi-open world where progress and area accessibility are closely tied to our hotel's level. Another thing is that, in my opinion, game is too easy. I expected it to be a more challenging, especially considering that it was my first playthrough. While mechanics are well designed, it’s obvious that game is focuses heavily on the story and carefully avoids creating any problems to the player. Would I recommend it? Yes. I had a lot of fun playing this game. To be honest, I didn't expect it to be this good, so it's definitely worth the price. Yes, it has its flaws, but as I mentioned, they're more a matter of taste rather than real problems. ✅[list] [*] Although the entire game was created in RPGMaker, it is clear at first glance that the creator put his heart and soul into it. The locations are appropriately detailed and have been carefully refined. The creator really used the potential of the ‘engine’ to create it. [*] Nice soundtrack. Despite its simplicity, it suits the game well and is quite upbeat. [*] Well thought out tutorial. Everything is well explained. [*] 2 difficulty modes. Normal and relaxed, so you can play without too much stress about the deadline. [*] A nice, pleasant story. We are building a new, high-quality hotel, and at the same time, we are breathing new life into a neglected and declining village. [*] Map is surprisingly large and opens up alongside our progress. [*] Quite neat and well-thought-out inn management and upgrades. A surprising variety of options. [*] The price/length ratio is well balanced. Considering its quality, the game is quite cheap. [*] Achievements are easy to unlock but you would need at least 2 playthroughs to get all of them. [/list] 😐 New buildings, unlockable areas, and renovations are linked to progress in our story (hotel level). I would prefer to have more freedom here. ❌[list] [*] No option to skip intro in the base game (NG+ has it as an option). [*] I found the game a little too easy. I expected more challenging experience. [/list]

Played the OG, loved it. I think this one's just as great. Amazing attention to details.

I am only a few hours into the game but it has hooked me so far. I love the gameplay loop from getting up and talking with the guests to making sure their rooms are set up right, to checking them in and out. The music is very nice, I really like the music they use for the outside - I could have it running all day. It is nice that there is no timer to worry about, you can really relax and make sure you are getting everything set right for the day. I hope the game continues appease me, but so far it is a great cozy game. It feels very much different and new.

The Hidden Art of Innkeeping is a fantastic sequel to the previous game, The Lost Art of Innkeeping, and my introduction to management simulation games. After your character goes on vacation and has a less than stellar experience at the local inn, you find out that a local village has an old farmhouse that has slowly been falling into ruin. In the biggest power move one could make, you decide to buy the farmhouse and create competition for the nearby hotel by taking your acquisition from rags to riches. The gameplay and story of the the game is very similar to the previous game and those that have played it and enjoyed it will find that same enjoyment here with new challenges. You can play a standard game of 30 days, or a more casual game of 40 days to repay the loan you receive at the beginning of the game. Throughout the standard management of running an inn, you will also interact with the villagers who will provide you with opportunities to offer new amenities to guests, upgrade your hotel, and complete little side quests for them. A few of these quests can also be completed a few different ways, and experimentation is encouraged. To obtain every possible achievement in the game, you will have to play two complete playthroughs to the end. The art of the game is simple and effective proving once again why I love indie titles. The game features multiple instances of hand crafted paintings that are added to your establishment that offer the game that extra personal touch. Similarly the music of the game while it didn't stick with me long after finishing the game, provided a calming game experience without feeling repetitive or out of place. I loved that towards the end of the game, there were functions that allowed booking rooms to be easier along with other upgrades you could choose to invest in, or not. Not only were there multiple amenities to choose from by the end of the game, there were also numerous cuisine options including vegetarian options to choose from. When it came to the rooms, like the previous game you could customize rooms to suit your customer's tastes. In addition to this, you could also acquire special additions/upgrades through special guests that stay at your inn. This plays an important mechanic as you upgrade your inn and meet your quest goals. The game also provides visual cues for room/area transitions and an easy to follow tutorial that you can access at any point in the game after viewing it for the first time. The Hidden Art of Innkeeping continues to build off of its predecessor and is another great recommendation in the cozy management sim genre for me. I don't play many games in this genre and this game has found the balance between a growing quest system to expand the world, and a management system that didn't feel restrictive when doing the expert innkeeper achievement. A heavy recommendation for those looking for a cozy management simulator with a feel good story about bringing people together, and watching your surroundings grow as your establishment also grows.

such a lovely game. just as charming as the first one. love playing these and learning the stories of the guests and village residents. loved it!

I thought this was a wonderful game. The first was amazing and definitely vital to this one, but both so worth it. There's so many achievements to get, so many choices you get to make and *so* much to play. I don't have anything bad to say about this, except maybe it should be more expensive because it's for sure worth more!!

one of my favorite games

Everything about this game feels nostalgic to me, like something I would have played on the family computer as a kid. The pixel art and writing are charming, and the innkeeping gameplay is fun and had me wanting to play just one more day to see what I'd unlock. The little touches of reactiveness to choices are the cherry on top of a charming, cozy experience. My only gripe is that NG+ isn't more involved, but that's just because I love strong NG+ experiences, but that doesn't detract from the overall experience at all. Highly recommend!

If you enjoyed the first game you really must try this one. It definitely wont dissapoint. If you're new to this cute little game series you should consider this game if you like simple and cozy management games. If you like story this has a simple one, but the characters in the game are cute and you can see a few little side stories dependant on your actions. If you like going for acheivements, these are easy enough to get, though you'll need more than one play through. Personally I bought it at launch with the 10% discount and I thought it was very worth the money. I've played it twice through at about 13 hours, second play-through being quite a bit quicker than the first. You can skip some of the bigger dialogues the second time around which helped with that.

Прекрасная игра, что прекрасно продолжила первую часть, улучшив некоторые моменты из первой части и добавив небольшие нелинейности в прохождении. Приятно после среднестатистического поселения наконец оказаться на пляже, выслушивать больше возможных требований и смотреть на реальное преображение захудалого фермерского сарая, наполненного москитами, змеёй и дырами в стенах в пятизвёздочный отель, куда съезжаются разные люди. Впрочем, я не говорю, что игре нет куда расти. Напротив, я жду новую часть, если таковая появится. Надеюсь, они предложат чего-нибудь, связанное с холодом, катанием на лыжах, согревающим глинтвейном и туристическим магазинчиком.