Originally released in 2010 by Telltale Games, Poker Night at the Inventory was delisted from Steam in 2019. This 2026 remaster has been handled by Skunkape Games, a small group of former Telltale employes who also worked on the Sam & Max series. In short, it is amazing this game has been re-released given the wide cast of licensed character opponents. In additional to Steam, it also available on Playstation and Switch.
Poker Night at the Inventory is a straightforward, nothing fancy, single player Texas Hold’em simulator but don’t let these basic descriptors distract you. The gimmick comes from the “these characters should never been in the same room” roster and the humor that ensues. Sure, if you play long enough, the repeated lines can become eyerolling but it can generate some chuckles the first couple hours of gameplay.
Max, Strong Bad, Tycho, the Heavy from Team Fortress, and you, the player, all compete to the win the pot. As far as Texas Hold’em goes, you can bet, fold, raise, or go all in; this is all par for the course. However, after playing for a while, each character’s personality also bleeds into their play style. For example, the Heavy bets the most aggressively while Tycho has no problem calling you out for playing passively. If you play long enough, each character will also bet a signature item from their respective series when they cannot pony the initial buy-in. If you then knock out that character, you get that item which is tied to a Trophy and featured in list of collectables. Further, it is also possible to unlock items for use in Team Fortress 2, a really cool cross-feature.
Although the main highlight are the jumbled personalities, this is an addicting, thoughtful poker sim. For example, if you fold, the player has the option to jump into a new hand right away or can watch as the AI finishes. The UI is clean and the entire experience can be played with one hand. Plus, there a couple difficulty settings if you want to squeeze every last bit of content. Also, if you take note, you might be able to tell if a character is bluffing by subtle animations or quips. It is also cool seeing how they all gasp when you go all-in. These little touches make this poker sim hold up well even if you are unfamiliar with the cast.
Personally, not having played the original, I was sort of expecting to play a few rounds, get a laugh or two, then move on with my life. Instead, a couple hours flew by on my first play through, I wanted to collect those extra items, and appreciated the personality put into the entire presentation. Even though Strong Bad and Penny Arcade might not be as popular now as they once were, this is still a good, funny, and well-respected poker simulator.
Even if you are slightly curious, I recommend picking it up because it is probably only a matter of time before it gets delisted again. Also, if this title got re-released, perhaps a remastering of the sequel, Poker Night 2, is also in the works…
SCORE: 8/10
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