How a Medieval Tavern Game Taught Me About Customer Segmentation

I’ve been playing Tavern Master recently. It’s been out for a while, but I spotted it in the Steam sale and thought: This looks like a bit of me.

I love a good management sim, and this one was no different. You build a cosy medieval tavern, serve guests, hire staff, upgrade your space, and slowly expand into new areas like a hotel. It’s one of those satisfyingly calm games that scratches the same itch as tidying your studio or rearranging your market stall.

But then came a moment that stopped me in my tracks.

The research tree in Tavern Master - note the person requirements!

To unlock certain research levels, you have to serve specific types of guests: grey, yellow, orange, and purple. Each represents a different kind of customer, and you need a set number of each to move forward.

An event serving 80 yellow people

At first, I couldn’t work out how to serve that many purple guests. Then it clicked. The party feature I’d been ignoring was the answer. Different parties attract and please different guest types.

Serving the right people with the right thing unlocks growth.

And when I say “the right thing,” I mean something they actually value. That’s customer segmentation in action.

Guests = Personas

In Tavern Master, there are four types of guests, and three of them have distinct needs. Serving them well unlocks new ingredients and upgrades.

To serve them well, you need to understand what they want. And in business, it’s the same. Your audience isn’t one big crowd; it’s a mix of different people with their own tastes, priorities, and reasons for buying. Some might love your prints. Others come for your workshops. A few might only want custom commissions.

Understanding who they are, and giving each group a label, helps you talk directly to their needs. It lets you shape your offers, your content, and even your tone of voice so they feel like you’re speaking to them. That’s how you progress faster, just like in Tavern Master.

Why This Matters for Makers and Artists

Let’s say you’re a maker who sells at markets. You’ve got a design that appears on clothing, framed prints, and stickers. Those three products attract different people.

The stickers are perfect for kids spending their pocket money. The framed prints, especially the larger ones, are for people with more disposable income, maybe someone decorating a new home. Knowing who is who helps you serve everyone well without trying to shout to everyone at once.

That’s the heart of segmentation: understanding where to show up, what to offer, and how to communicate in a way that feels right for each person.

Serve Intentionally, Not Randomly

Here’s the simple truth. When you understand your guest types, you can plan your marketing to serve them better. And when you serve them better, you unlock growth through connection, communication, and trust.

Your tavern doesn’t level up by giving everyone the same soup.

Your business doesn’t grow by treating every customer the same.

Closing Reflection

When I downloaded Tavern Master, I didn’t expect to end the night writing a blog post about it. But that tiny moment of realisation stuck with me!

Sometimes, you don’t need to overhaul your whole marketing strategy. You just need to notice who’s already in your tavern and make sure you’re serving them what they truly want. If you’re trying to figure out who your own orange, yellow, and purple guests are, I can help you work it out and make sure they stick around for another round.