From Hops to High Heaven: A Review of Ale Abbey

Monasteries are not often a focus of stories in media, much less video games—typically just a locale with little interest paid to their inner workings. It’s a deeply personal decision to cloister one’s self to faith and a humble life with fellows that also feel a calling for a life of quiet contemplation, earnest work, and preparing a tasty brew! Since the medieval times, monasteries have brewed up many unique and historic beers to support themselves and the community around them. And now you can support their holy and slightly hedonistic lifestyle in Ale Abbey!

Sidequest was provided with a copy of Ale Abbey for PC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Currently in early access, Ale Abbey is a sim-management game where we get to make our mark as heavenly creators of divine taste. We are introduced to Brother Maltus of the Fermentine order, who addresses us as “your maltiness.” We are tasked with raising the stature of the monastery as pioneering brewers in history. Brother Maltus is our guide throughout, helping us get our bearings, along with the bishop who oversees the work and occasionally makes requests. Ale Abbey‘s staff consists of monks and nuns, called fermentines, ready to be of service to God and a good drink. With a few recipes and tools, we’re ready to start our first brew.

In the beginning we are bestowed with the knowledge of how to make light beer. At first our abilities are limited, but some tips will give us a head start. Each Fermentine has starting stats that affect how well they’ll complete a task. For example: A nun with high intelligence is better at creating a new recipe while one with more intuition is better at brewing. Every Fermentine can increase their stats and level up as they go about their duties.

The brews themselves have four traits: taste, strength, colour, and foaminess. They require specific ingredients, but if you add more of some or (later on) add extra ingredients, you’ll adjust these traits. This can improve the quality but also potentially increase the cost of the recipe. Once the brewing is complete, we get to name our brew, as a nice maraschino cherry on top.

Ale Abbey progresses as the Fermentines expand their network of ale sales. At first, we are only given the rights to sell our limited selection in one small town. By repeatedly refining and sending off our stock, we gain more renown. As this increases, we can form contracts with new cities and learn new ale recipes. Carefully managing production cost versus potential earnings is paramount. Once a storeroom is built, ingredients can be purchased from the local merchant, often at discount. Orders may come in for various festivities, and we can haggle for higher pay. Don’t be too greedy, though, or the deal may fall through. There are also the ever-present bandits that we have to pay off—sometimes with the beer itself—to ensure our precious cargo isn’t taken.

As we progress, more rooms are added piecemeal onto the existing monastery. One by one, we’re introduced to the areas where we’ll create recipes, research skills, brew batches, and, of course, allow our Fermentines respite. Cellars can even be built underground to store ale for a time—for both selling and a well-earned drink—and, depending on the depth of the cellar, age different types of liquor. As our fame increases, we can upgrade the monastery, allowing additional space to build along with new skills and furniture. Rooms of the same type can have a synergistic quality if built horizontally next to each other. It can be a hassle to rearrange the rooms for these bonuses, since the player has to sell off all furniture inside before they can demolish. Hopefully in the future there will be an option to store items for ease or possibly change the intent of an existing room.

All this building costs money, of course, along with the Fermentines’ stipends. The player can take out loans, and while the game is in early access, the terms are very forgiving: there’s no penalty for not paying them back. However, it’s fairly easy to be caught in a cycle of being low on money, only being able to create inexpensive brews that don’t sell for much, and not being able to recover profits. Fermentines won’t quit if you’re unable to pay them, and fortunately are still fed. We need to keep track of margins and consider the overall demand for certain types of beer for a city. If we oversell to one city, their demand goes down. A varied arsenal of less complex brews, with a skilled monk or nun working the stove, will slowly but surely raise the books out of the red.

Timing is another factor to consider. While ale can be stored for a certain amount of time, even aged brews will eventually expire. What looks like a day to the player is actually a week for the staff. Brewing will take a few days depending on the style and Fermentine selected, and another few days to arrive at its destination. Orders come with due dates, and deliveries need to arrive within that time frame. If they don’t, the monastery’s reputation will suffer. I would have preferred if Ale Abbey had restricted me to accepting orders I could reasonably fulfill—having to do a panicked run of earning enough to afford larger fermenting barrels a large order’s due date often veered too close to failure for comfort for me.

Charming pixel art permeates Ale Abbey‘s halls. I appreciate the 16-bit-esque art style, with the character designs a bit minimalist, but still distinct. It was easy for me to pick out particular Fermentines, and their familiarity endears them to me, especially when they’re drunk! Paired with renaissance music, the style is an absolute delight! Ale Abbey is set in the 1500s, and as such the art is heavily inspired by illuminated manuscripts. There are flourishes and tasteful borders throughout the UI, often framed inside sheets of parchment or ledgers. These accents are in soft pastel or low intensity colours, never distracting. Unfortunately, this did mean that I found some elements of the UI difficult to read.

The skills that Fermentines acquire from research or selected ingredients are shown through low-contrast colour changes, which could be difficult for players with low vision or colour blindness to discern. This could easily be remedied with a different border treatment or indicator placed next to the selected items. Some control aren’t too clear either: for example, it’s not immediately obvious when the player needs press and hold (vs. just press). Hammer & Ravens seem to be aware of this potential for confusion, as the UI explains the necessary press next to the contextual button. I would have also found a filter for beer recipes (by type or by favorites) quite helpful.

The player must tend to the upkeep of the monastery to create a smooth working environment and even tastier brews. The staff need to be looked after with clean rooms and ample lighting. Ale Abbey‘s tutorial prioritizes brewing first instead of creating sleeping and eating areas for the Fermentines. Hammer & Ravens may have meant to highlight the issue—the poor monks and nuns passing out on the floor is definitely a sight to behold. Not only do their basic needs need to be met, but their emotional ones too. Having art and plants in various rooms improves the Fermentines’ mood. They will also state when they’re feeling overworked or bored of their current task. If this happens, they need a break or a new task. If a room is well lit, tidy, and has a pleasant atmosphere, a Fermentine is usually happy to work on something for days on end. Just be sure to have a barrel of a fine drink marked for their use. It’s always 5 p.m. somewhere, right?

The current build of Ale Abbey is a fun, rewarding management sim that can be played at one’s leisure. While there are a few accessibility improvements I’d like to see, and maybe some more guidance starting out, the developers have been very responsive to feedback thus far. I have no doubt in my mind they will continue to improve and cook up new events for everyone to enjoy. I highly recommend trying Ale Abbey for yourself, perhaps after a day’s work with a cold pint in hand. Cheers!