Ale Abbey, the simulation and management game about beer and religion, will release in Early Access on February 18!

In the Medieval period, many European monasteries produced beer. Brewing monks used beer not only as a beverage, but also as a means of subsistence to finance their religious and charitable activities..

As the most highly educated people of their time, they improved brewing techniques, documented their recipes and introduced quality standards, transforming craft brewing into a veritable science.

They also introduced a fair amount of religious symbolism into the matter.
For example, drinking beer during Lent was tolerated because it was considered “liquid food”. Some monastic beers were even called “liquid bread”. The equivalent of the famous French slogan “Le vin c'est de la nourriture”!

Many monasteries have continued to brew beer to this day, preserving centuries-old traditions. Some Trappist beers, for example, are still made using ancestral methods. This is the backdrop to Ale Abbey, a simulation and management video game published by Shiro in which you take on the role of a brewing monk who must master the delicate art of fermentation to produce the perfect beer.

You must manage your own divine beer brewery, from selecting ingredients to fermenting and creating new recipes. The game models the purchase and trading of ingredients from merchants according to the seasons, then the storage of these same ingredients in your larder.

The ingredients you possess, coupled with the skills and virtues of your monks, will enable you to brew all kinds of beers, from light blondes to spicy browns. You can build and expand your monastery to accommodate more brewing monks and nuns, and interact with other neighboring abbeys to exchange resources and knowledge.

In addition to your recipes and production, you'll also face a number of challenges, from keeping the Abbey clean and disciplined from monks who are a little too keen on alcohol, to bandit attacks that could disrupt your production.

The game will soon be available on Gamesplanet!