A guard walks into a tavern

A guard walks into a tavern casts you as a royal-appointed guard who teams up with an imp to put up bounties and dispatch heroes against strange events and prowling monsters. Beyond the hard work and side jobs needed to make ends meet, you must keep faction reputations steady enough to avoid being fired, or assassinated.

It is a narrative-driven simulation with management elements, and each playthrough draws its storyline at random from three main stories, each with four endings, plus close to a hundred side stories. The guard's job means handling bounties and making decisions whenever people come to you, while the tavern itself lets you take on heroes, play the equipment market and keep the factions on side.

There is more to do than work: you can fish on the job, raise a family and manage household affairs, and explore the city's black market, arena, casino and the mysterious places hidden in the sewers. Reaching endings, collecting butterflies and unlocking decorations all carry special branches and extra benefits into the next playthrough.