Deadwater Saloon is a management simulator game made by Creative Storm Entertainment. A demo was released in 2022, to be followed by a full release on September of that year.
You play as the owner of a saloon, the sole landmark on an otherwise dusty, isolated cattle trail. Along with the West's many dangers- weather, outlaws, volatile townsfolk- you must contend with more usual problems; staying supplied, pacifying customers, and keeping your stress low enough you don't shoot your brains out. The growth of a town around your establishment brings more trouble, but also more opportunities. Can you survive long enough to become town mogul?
Fans of the game may want to check out Deadwood, the TV show that inspired (though is not legally affiliated with) it.
This game includes the following tropes:
- Cuteness Proximity: Presumably the reason that pets lower Stress.
- Early Game Hell: Though Deadwater Saloon is not an easy game in general, the beginning is by far the hardest part. You can't actually sell anything (because you haven't researched stuff yet), the businesses that lower Stress aren't around yet, and your stats will be so low that you only have a small chance of succeeding at any skill check- even those stats you specialize in. Even experienced players will have used a lot of their starter money before the saloon starts turning a profit.
- Everyone Has Standards: The narrative notes whether the saloon sells vices other than alcohol, such as drugs and prostitutes. One event involves the owner of an opium den offering the saloon free drugs as an advertising gimmick, and refusing them will boost the PC's Reputation and Town Opinion.
- Guide Dang It!: Like bars in Real Life, most of the saloon's money will be made off of drinks, the research and supplying of which should be prioritized over food. The game doesn't tell you this.
- Hate at First Sight: Played straight in early builds of the game; new arrivals' opinions of the PC were randomly generated, so someone s/he'd never met before could be a "Nemesis", someone who slandered them daily and (if the arrival was a merchant) viciously price-gouged them. If the only alcohol seller in town was generated this way- well, too bad. For this reason, the mechanic was nerfed so that new arrivals couldn't dislike the player too much.
- It's Up to You: The townsfolk won't fix the road blockages starving them to death unless you make them.
- The sheriff will be of no help fending off Chip's gang, although this can be excused because of genre tradition and allowing the player an opportunity to be awesome.
- One Stat to Rule Them All: Savoir Faire plays a part in every social interaction. Points in it can be the difference between a successful playthrough and one that ends with the PC being thrown out of town.
