I don’t play many digital casino games (poker, slots, blackjack, or anything like that) on my game consoles. I’ve tried to learn poker online a couple of times, but never with real money.

What got me hyped for the release of Poker Night at the Inventory — a remake of a 2010 project — was Strong Bad. Growing up, my friend group was obsessed with watching Homestar Runner videos. I even named my incense dragon, Trogdor!!!

Poker Night at the Inventory is a really well-made Texas Hold’em sim and instructor. I now sort of know which hands are better than others in Poker — something I never learned as a child because my friend lied while teaching me the different hands in poker.

The idea behind this game feels like a comedy sketch you might see at a video game convention. I started listening to the gaming podcast Get Played recently, which is a serious gaming podcast hosted by some fun personalities — Heather Anne Campbell (Rick & Morty), Nick Wiger (Doughboys), and Matt Apodaca (Comedy Bang! Bang!). The reason I’m mentioning Get Played is because they open each episode with a sketch related to the week’s topic. I can see Poker Night at the Inventory being a recurring sketch on this podcast, where different video game characters are meeting up to play poker in some mysterious backroom.

Telltale Games‘ 2010 release Poker Night at the Inventory granted entry to the masses by pitting players against four Inventory regulars: Max, the hyperkinetic rabbity-thing of Sam & Max fame; Homestar Runner‘s boxing gloved hero Strong Bad; Penny Arcade‘s sardonic headliner Tycho Brahe; and Team Fortress 2‘s fan-favorite mercenary the Heavy.

-from the publisher

Poker Faces

A regular poker game (or casino game) would be a great handheld game to play, while listening to a podcast, music, or binging your favorite mindless tv show. The colorful cast and their commentary in Poker Night at the Inventory adds an extra layer of fun to this game.

What I want to know is why this collection of characters — Max from Sam & Max,  Penny Arcade’s Tycho Brahe, The Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Homestar Runner’s Strong Bad. What brought these four together in one game? They are all from unrelated worlds. Who else was on the devs list that we didn’t get? I have so many questions about this cast. However they ended up here, these characters do work well with each other.

My dream was to play as Strong Bad, but I later realized that playing as these characters would be a waste. It’s much better to play as the silent “Player,” and listen to the rest of the table’s banter.

Poker Night at the Inventory has also been great at expanding my knowledge on the poker tables. Balatro was a great start to know what things were and what they were called — Straight, Flush, Full House — but I didn’t really learn what beats what head-to-head. I’m now learning how to win in poker, particularly in Texas Hold ‘Em.

May I Have Some More, Please…

When focusing on the Texas Hold’em gameplay, the game design is on-point. It’s already a great poker sim, but the characters add to the storytelling element. Whether you’re bluffing or have the cards to back up your bet, the commentary is what makes this game special. Getting roasted and watching them roast each other is always a good time.

Still, they could have added a little more to Poker Night at the Inventory, especially to this remake more than fifteen years later. The visuals and animations have been updated, but other than that this is pretty much the same old game. They could have tossed in some new characters to play against. That way you could see how different characters react to each other at the poker table.

I’d also like to see a more full casino experience. Why not add standard poker, blackjack, some slots, or craps? The only unlockables are new table and deck designs.

Overall Poker Night at the Inventory is a pretty simple game, but the beauty truly lies in the writing. It feels like a fun side project or assignment in bringing characters to life in a simple game. 

I love the whole idea of characters from different properties meeting up in some backroom for some illegal gambling. This game answers the question, “Where do video game characters go when we aren’t playing the game?”

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*myVGBC.com was given a review code for Poker Night at the Inventory by the publisher.