15 years ago, Telltale Games dealt an interesting title upon the game industry with Poker Night At the Industry. Sure, it’s a poker game, but it’s an “all-star” poker game. It features the likes of The Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Max from Sam and Max, Tycho from Penny Arcade and, of course, Strong Bad. They sat around bantering while players took part in a game of poker. It’s timeless fun, even though its sequel, Poker Night 2, went even further with its own cast of characters. (Who doesn’t love Ash talking with Brock Samson and Claptrap?!)
Now Poker Night returns, thanks to the team at Skunkape Games. And every morsel of its card-dealing business is intact, complete with some tweaks. It’s still poker through and through, but the personable approach is hard to resist. Plus, once again, Strong Bad, people.
The poker plays a lot more smoother this time around, and you can actually improve the AI if you feel like taking on more of a challenge. Plus there are a plethora of unlockables, so you can craft the game however you see fit. And, of course, the banter is hilarious, though it doesn’t take long before the jokes start to repeat. There’s only so much these guys can say after all.
Again, I prefer the sequel, but Poker Night At the Inventory’s return is welcome. Its timeless appeal has been solidified even further thanks to this remaster, and it makes for several hours of fun card-dealing. And, hey, when you’re done, you still get to keep your real cash. Good luck doing that in Vegas.
With Poker Night At the Inventory, You Have To Play To Win
So, yeah, you’re jumping into a game of poker with four different stars from the video game world. The Heavy from Team Fortress 2 will no doubt be the most recognizable, especially on the PC/Steam front. But Strong Bad, obviously, has an appeal that continues to carry over into this game. Then you’ve got a smarmy Tycho from Penny Arcade, and the unpredictable Max from Sam & Max. That makes for a fun crew.
Of course, it goes nowhere fast if the appeal doesn’t stick around for long, right? Fortunately, it does. Skunkape Games does a remarkable job keeping every ounce of goodness from the Telltale Games original intact here. It still has plenty of comical banter to go around as you go through each hand, and, hey, the poker’s even better.
“But, Galadrius,” you’re saying. “It’s poker!” True. But this feels a little bit more fluid than the original game. Like, Skunkape paid more attention to the high stakes rules of poker, and it shows with the showdowns that can earn you big cash – or end your run in a hurry. Not to mention you can improve the AI behavior, in case you’re feeling really risky.
On top of that, the game has unlockables aplenty, including new playing cards, tables and extras for the player. I do wish the dialogue delved a little deeper into some of the rivalries. But as it stands, there’s more here than just dealing cards over and over again. You can earn quite a bit of stuff.
For its meager ten dollar price tag, Poker Night At the Inventory has a lot to offer in terms of gameplay. You learn more about poker, reap rewards as you keep playing, and have a good time doing it. Let’s see you try to do the same in Atlantic City, hotshot.
How’s the Poker Night At the Inventory Remaster Look and Sound?
Skunkape Games didn’t have to go above and beyond with Poker Night At the Inventory. After all, an elaborate remaster this isn’t. But they did a good job here.
The characters look great, dealing cards as they should with just the right amount of visual flair. The new tables and cards look excellent too, and the game moves at a fluid pace, allowing you to keep a close eye on everything. It’s like sitting at an actual poker table, minus the putrid smoking smell.
As for audio, the dialogue is excellent. I could listen to Strong Bad all day, even if he isn’t making fun of Homestar Runner. And the music is soothing background fare to take your mind off things. The only drawback here is that the jokes eventually repeat, so get ready for some familiar jokes a little while in.
Deal With It – No, Really, Deal
I still prefer Poker Night 2 and its more iconic cast of characters (and lack of Tycho, who, well, is Tycho). But Poker Night At the Inventory still remains surprisingly fresh after 15 years. It’s a delight to play, teaching you the elements of poker while having a good time with it. Its cast has a lot to offer (Strong Bad!), and the remaster is handled just the right way. Plus there’s a lot to unlock.
It won’t change the course of your life, but after a rough day, sometimes you just need to sit around with friends and play a game. Poker Night At the Inventory scores a royal flush in this regard. Strong Bad!
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Many thanks to Skunkape Games for providing us with a review code! Poker Night At the Inventory is available now for Steam/PC/Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch!
Need more fun with friends? Check out our first look at Marvel MaXimum Collection!
