GAME REVIEW – Poker Night at the Inventory (PC)

By Marty Mulrooney

Poker Night at the Inventory is a remaster of the cult classic video game of the same name, originally released in 2010. After its removal from Steam in 2019 – likely due to expired licensing and the ‘majority studio closure’ of Telltale Games in 2018 – the delisted title soon skyrocketed in value, with grey-market keys selling for silly amounts. That’s why this updated version – developed by Skunkape Games, a small team of former Telltale employees who worked on the original – is such a pleasant surprise in 2026. The Inventory social club is once again open for business!

Shortly after Alternative Magazine Online was founded in 2009, I was lucky enough to be added to Telltale Games’ press list. This gave me the opportunity to start regularly reviewing the studio’s adventure games and interviewing many of the voice actors. However, one of the few games I didn’t cover in the decade that followed was Poker Night at the Inventory; I had no idea how to play poker, and the seismic shift in genre no doubt put me off. When I was finally at a point in my life where I wanted to check it out – having brushed up a bit on card games thanks to my love of all things James Bond – it was already too late.

Following Skunkape’s stellar work remastering the three Telltale seasons of Sam & Max (Save The World in 2020, Beyond Time and Space in 2021 and The Devil’s Playhouse in 2024), the studio has now turned its hand to this quirky, smaller title from the archives… and the result is excellent. It has been given a complete overhaul, with improved visuals, tweaked AI and full gamepad support. The stars of the show – Max, the hyperkinetic rabbity-thing of Sam & Max fame; Strong Bad, the boxing-gloved hero of Homestar Runner; Tycho Brahe, the sardonic headliner of Penny Arcade; and the Heavy, the fan-favourite mercenary from Team Fortress 2 – have never looked or played poker better.

While there is no real narrative to the proceedings, the history of the venue – as detailed in the latest press release – sets the scene beautifully. The Inventory is an underground speakeasy, established in 1919 in response to an early version of the 18th Amendment that threatened to outlaw games and amusements in addition to alcohol. Over its 100 years in business, the enigmatic establishment developed a reputation for its mainstay Texas Hold’em tournaments, affectionately referred to by insiders as ‘the Citizen Kane of poker games’. Around the turn of the 21st century, the invite-only club became a popular destination for video game characters looking to unwind after hours.

Playing No Limit Texas Hold’em against these four very different personalities – as they bicker and banter between hands – is what makes this title stand out from other poker video games. The voice acting is engaging and dynamic, and it really does feel like you’re sitting at a table with other players, trying to take their money and spot their tells. Whether you’ve never played poker in your life or you’re just a bit rusty (guilty), the game does a really good job at teaching the basics while keeping things lighthearted and fun, even when you’re losing. There is even a list of example poker hands and their values available at the click of a button.

I found the default ‘normal’ difficulty to be perfect for my skill level, but there’s a ‘hard’ difficulty as well for more seasoned poker players who want a real challenge. The default $10,000 buy-in can also be raised or lowered, and your four opponents will sometimes bet with a special item instead of cash. I love the idle chit-chat between hands, as each player’s personality closely mirrors their style of play, but the frequency of this can be lowered if it starts to grate. There is also an option to turn off swearing, which I greatly appreciated when my daughter was running around in the background. There’s no better feeling than going all-in against a player with a big mouth, who you’re convinced is bluffing – I’m looking at you, Tycho – and wiping them out.

Graphically, the game is stylish and bold, conveying a true sense of time and place. There are lots of wonderful little background details to be found, and the Inventory feels like more than just a virtual poker table. The characters are brilliantly animated too, making the single-player experience feel communal and alive. I feel like I know the characters now, warts and all, and I’ve found that I play differently depending on who I’m up against. The graphics options are fairly limited, but I decided to turn on film grain and motion blur, which are off by default. This added even more texture to the overall atmosphere, further bolstered by Jared Emerson-Johnson’s soothingly jazzy soundtrack. I have no doubt this will become a comfort game for many.

Poker Night at the Inventory has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes you want to play ‘just one last tournament’ over and over again. Unlocking new decks and table felts is always satisfying, and some have hidden properties that will change the look of a specific character or even the game itself. Yet it’s the characters and their interactions with each other, coupled with the incredible atmosphere of the Inventory, that kept me – and will no doubt keep me – coming back for more. For less than a tenner here in the UK, it’s well worth taking a bet on.

8 OUT OF 10

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