Chaotic Co-op Bar Simulator
Barfender Wiki
Run a chaotic bar solo or with up to three friends. Mix cocktails, serve customers, break up fights, clean up disasters, hire staff, and expand your bar. Explore drink recipes, upgrades, co-op strategies, and gameplay guides.
- Price
- $9.74
- Discount
- 25%
- Review rating
- Very Positive
- Reviews
- 214
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Latest Guides
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Waiters Guide: Hiring, Tables, and Pathing
Manage Barfender waiters efficiently by learning how to hire staff, equip trays, assign tables, and fix common Early Access pathfinding issues.
Mafia Guide: How to Handle Hussein and Protection Money
The Barfender mafia event features Hussein demanding protection money every two days. Decide whether to pay or fight off his enforcers in bar brawls.
Decoration Score Guide: Furniture Points & Stars
The Barfender decoration score determines your bar star rating, tracking furniture values and penalties inside the in-game My Bar mobile app.
Debt Guide: Bank Loan Skimming and Protection Rackets
Manage Barfender debt by understanding bank loan interest skimming, Hussein's protection extortion, and how to pay off balances cleanly.
Cleaning Guide: Mopping, Dishes, and Trash
Keep your pub running with this Barfender cleaning guide covering floor mopping, dishwashing stations, trash bagging, and clearing brawl debris.
Drink Unlocks: Licenses, Star Ratings, and Recipes
Barfender drink unlocks rely on star ratings rather than story quests. See how licenses, cocktail discovery, and menu slot expansions function in Early Access.
Bar Fights: Combat Controls and Defense Guide
Handle Barfender bar fights with fight mode combat, counter reckless throwers, defend against shakedown crews, and protect your cash from chaos.
Coffee: How to Make It and Sobering Effects Explained
Barfender coffee sobers up drunk characters and customers gradually. Learn how to prepare it using the coffee machine and cup in Proto Division's bar sim.
Solo Guide: Can You Run the Bar Without a Co-Op Crew?
Barfender solo play lets you run the bar alone using difficulty settings, flyer pacing, and hired waiters. Here is how solo mechanics and scaling work.
Upgrades: How Licenses, Expansions, and Ratings Work
Barfender upgrades dictate your drink licenses, room expansions, and staff efficiency. Here is how star ratings and venue improvements work in Early Access.
Start Here
Your Barfender Journey
Beginner Walkthrough
Read day-one cleanup steps, stock initial drinks, and open your bar doors to paying patrons.
Beer and Taps
Review how to unlock keg licenses, pour draft mugs, wash dirty glasses, and recover health.
Tavern Cleaning
Keep floors spotless with mops, empty bagged trash bins, and drag unconscious brawlers out to the street.
Difficulty Options
Tune chaos presets, toggle wiping physics, and adjust disruption frequency to match your preferred playstyle.
What do you want to do?
Explore the Wiki
Guides & References
Steam Guide: Price, Demo, and System Specs
Barfender Steam is available in Early Access. Check current pricing, free demo access, Mac and PC system specs, and the roadmap to version 1.0.
Beginner Guide: Walkthrough and Essential Tips
Our Barfender beginner guide covers day-one setup, drink pouring, managing brawls and thieves, bank expansions, and staff mechanics to survive your shifts.
Progression: Star Ratings, Licenses, and Bar Upgrades
Barfender progression relies on star ratings, decor scores, drink licenses, and venue expansions. Learn how unlocks and upgrades work in Early Access.
Upgrades: How Licenses, Expansions, and Ratings Work
Barfender upgrades dictate your drink licenses, room expansions, and staff efficiency. Here is how star ratings and venue improvements work in Early Access.
Accessibility Options and Co-Op Sharing Guide
Barfender accessibility covers difficulty options, input toggles, controller compatibility, and developer-confirmed co-op save sharing steps.
Co-Op Guide: Multiplayer Setup, Saves, and Team Roles
Barfender co-op lets up to four players run a chaotic tavern together. Here is how multiplayer works, how to share save files, and manage your crew.
Solo Guide: Can You Run the Bar Without a Co-Op Crew?
Barfender solo play lets you run the bar alone using difficulty settings, flyer pacing, and hired waiters. Here is how solo mechanics and scaling work.
Beer Guide: Unlock Tap Kegs, Serve Drinks, and Heal
Barfender beer guide covers unlocking tap kegs, serving bottled lager and amber, washing mugs, pricing drinks, and healing through tavern brawls.
Cocktail Recipes: Mixing Guide and Drink List
Check verified Barfender cocktail recipes, mixing steps, shaker mechanics, and drink discovery tips for Proto Division's co-op bar management sim.
Coffee: How to Make It and Sobering Effects Explained
Barfender coffee sobers up drunk characters and customers gradually. Learn how to prepare it using the coffee machine and cup in Proto Division's bar sim.
Drink Unlocks: Licenses, Star Ratings, and Recipes
Barfender drink unlocks rely on star ratings rather than story quests. See how licenses, cocktail discovery, and menu slot expansions function in Early Access.
Bar Design: Layout Rules, Decoration Points, and Flow
Optimizing your Barfender bar design prevents staff pathing bottlenecks, keeps walking lanes open, and hits decoration milestones without causing gridlock.
Bar Expansion Guide: Costs, Loans, and Room Unlocks
Barfender bar expansion allows players to purchase neighboring properties. See exact room costs, bank loan steps, level requirements, and UI tips.
Bar Fights: Combat Controls and Defense Guide
Handle Barfender bar fights with fight mode combat, counter reckless throwers, defend against shakedown crews, and protect your cash from chaos.
Cleaning Guide: Mopping, Dishes, and Trash
Keep your pub running with this Barfender cleaning guide covering floor mopping, dishwashing stations, trash bagging, and clearing brawl debris.
Debt Guide: Bank Loan Skimming and Protection Rackets
Manage Barfender debt by understanding bank loan interest skimming, Hussein's protection extortion, and how to pay off balances cleanly.
Decoration Score Guide: Furniture Points & Stars
The Barfender decoration score determines your bar star rating, tracking furniture values and penalties inside the in-game My Bar mobile app.
Mafia Guide: How to Handle Hussein and Protection Money
The Barfender mafia event features Hussein demanding protection money every two days. Decide whether to pay or fight off his enforcers in bar brawls.
Waiters Guide: Hiring, Tables, and Pathing
Manage Barfender waiters efficiently by learning how to hire staff, equip trays, assign tables, and fix common Early Access pathfinding issues.
Arcade Machines: Placement, Gameplay, and Roadmap Plans
Barfender arcade machines bring retro entertainment to your tavern. Here is how to unlock the cabinet and what developer updates reveal about bar games.
Review: Chaotic Co-Op Sim Gameplay & Verdict
Read our Barfender review to see how this 1-4 player co-op bar sim handles drinks, brawls, solo balance, and Early Access management mechanics.
Updates: Patch Notes and Early Access Roadmap
Track all recent Barfender updates, from patch balance fixes and difficulty settings to the official Early Access roadmap through 1.0.
Difficulty Settings: Presets and Custom Rules
Barfender difficulty settings include Cozy Nook, Chaos Control, Total Mess, and custom toggles that let you adjust chaos and rules mid-game.
Streamer Mode: Twitch Setup and Chat Features
Barfender streamer mode links your Twitch channel so chat viewers spawn as bar customers, vote in polls, and trigger custom tavern chaos.
The Game at a Glance
What is Barfender?
Barfender CO-OP Bar Simulator is an indie tavern management game developed by Proto Division and published by Rock Paper Publisher. Designed for one to four players, it puts you in charge of a wrecked establishment where you must serve drinks, keep rooms clean, handle street threats, and survive frantic daily shifts.
A typical shift involves pouring beers, mixing cocktails, bussing tables, and washing glassware while mopping spills and breaking up fights. Between shifts, you invest profits through smartphone apps to purchase furniture, expand into neighboring properties, hire automated waiters, and build up your star rating.
Explore All Guides- Developer
- Proto Division
- Publisher
- Rock Paper Publisher
- Platform
- Windows PC / macOS
- Genre
- Indie / Simulation
- Positive Reviews
- 95%
- Co-op Players
- 1–4
- Drink Menu Slots
- 16
- Early Access Release
- Oct 12, 2026
Choose Your Topic
Find Your Next Guide
From your first shift to expanding your bar and connecting Twitch, choose the topic you need.
Beginner Guide
Learn the core shift routine: take orders, prepare drinks, serve customers, clean up messes, and break up fights. Discover how leveling unlocks equipment and missions as you grow your bar.
Drag passed-out patrons to the street, bag loose trash, scrub floor stains with a mop, and set counters upright.
Order free starter amber beer and potato chips through the AMart phone app and place them into the mini fridge.
Configure drink prices within the optimal green range on the Menu app and buy starter seating from the store.
More details
Pour drinks, wipe sticky tables, wash dirty mugs at the sink, and use trays to deliver multiple orders at once.
Co-op and Player Count
Run your bar alone or play online with up to four players. Share the work of serving customers, cleaning disasters, and keeping fights under control.
Groups of up to four players connect online through Steam lobbies with direct friend invites on Windows and Mac.
Crews divide shifts across bartending, serving orders with trays, dishwashing at the back sink, and crowd control.
Host save files can be copied from the local SaveFiles directory and transferred between teammates to swap hosts.
Progression and Bar Expansion
Licences unlock through Star Rating, and earned licence unlocks remain available even if your rating falls. Expand into neighboring properties and check the Property app for outstanding purchase requirements.
Follow the opening guidance from Billy to establish drink service and work toward the initial star milestones.
Visit Banker Bilo to take out a starter loan and purchase the adjacent commercial property for 650 dollars.
Tear down the separating wall, apply paint to bare surfaces, and arrange seating to increase patron capacity.
More details
Reach Bar Level 5 and accumulate 1,500 dollars to buy the second major interior expansion through the Property app.
Difficulty Settings
Change your save's difficulty and game rules through the Difficulty tab in Options, with most changes applying the following day. Cozy Nook disables customer puking and several disruptive visitors for a calmer shift.
Removes customer vomiting, thieves, the wandering hobo, and visits from Hussein for a relaxed serving experience.
Provides moderate customer volume with occasional spills and standard tavern disruptions for balanced play.
Delivers fast customer orders with maximum disorder, frequent brawls, and intense multitasking demands.
More details
Difficulty options can be adjusted mid-save, taking effect automatically at the start of the next working day.
System Requirements and Performance
Check the minimum Windows and macOS requirements, including 8 GB RAM and 2 GB of storage. Explore the Render Scale option with AMD FSR to improve performance on less powerful hardware.
Requires Windows 10, an Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-6300, 8 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1060 or RX 580 graphics card.
Runs on macOS 12 with Apple M1 architecture, integrated graphics, 8 GB of RAM, and 2 GB of storage space.
Features AMD FSR render scaling between 50 and 100 percent to boost frame rates on entry-level systems.
Free Demo
Try the free Steam demo before buying the full game. The demo supports single-player and online co-op, with drink service, demanding customers, and bar management.
A dedicated demo can be downloaded directly from the Steam store page without buying the full base game.
The demo includes both single-player mode and online multiplayer lobbies across Windows and macOS platforms.
Demo players receive a promotional retro arcade cabinet on the second morning to place on the tavern floor.
Updates and Roadmap
Catch up on official changes to drink menu capacity, progression, difficulty, and performance. Explore planned Early Access additions, including expanded staff roles, food preparation, and deeper bartending mechanics.
Recent updates expanded active drink menu capacity from 8 slots to 16 slots to accommodate wider offerings.
Beverage licenses now unlock through star ratings and stay available permanently even if your rating dips.
The Early Access roadmap toward the Spring 2027 1.0 release includes dedicated cleaners, bouncers, and bartenders.
Twitch Integration
Link your Twitch channel through Streamer Mode to let viewers join your bar as customers. Twitch integration runs in the host's game, with connection status visible in the main menu, multiplayer lobby, and pause menu.
Navigate to the Streamer Mode section within the Options menu from the main title, lobby, or pause screen.
Authorize your Twitch account to connect directly to the game without using third-party broadcast overlays.
Confirm that your streamer status updates from Connecting to Live on the integration menu display.
More details
Set viewer arrival frequency, order caps, and voting preferences for channel polls or standard chat votes.
Quick Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Barfender solo without other players?
Yes, Barfender officially supports solo play with combat damage and chaos event frequency that dynamically scale down for single-player shifts.
How many players can join a Barfender co-op game?
Barfender supports one to four players online through Steam lobbies and direct friend invites.
What platforms is Barfender available on?
Barfender is available on Windows 10 and macOS 12, featuring full controller support for PC gamepads as well as DualShock and DualSense controllers.
Do drink licenses reset if your star rating drops in Barfender?
No, once a beverage license is unlocked by reaching a star rating tier, it remains permanently unlocked even if your rating dips later.
Can you disable the mafia visits from Hussein in Barfender?
Yes, players can turn off visits from Hussein and his crew using custom difficulty settings or by selecting the Cozy Nook preset.
How do you share a co-op save file in Barfender?
The host can copy save JSON files from the local AppData folder and send them to a friend to paste into the same folder path on their PC.
Where will you start?
Learn drink recipes, plan your bar upgrades, or prepare for co-op with friends.
Barfender · Platform: Windows PC, macOS · Developer: Proto Division
Keep exploring
Cocktail Recipes: Mixing Guide and Drink List
Check verified Barfender cocktail recipes, mixing steps, shaker mechanics, and drink discovery tips for Proto Division's co-op bar management sim.
Bar Expansion Guide: Costs, Loans, and Room Unlocks
Barfender bar expansion allows players to purchase neighboring properties. See exact room costs, bank loan steps, level requirements, and UI tips.
Coffee: How to Make It and Sobering Effects Explained
Barfender coffee sobers up drunk characters and customers gradually. Learn how to prepare it using the coffee machine and cup in Proto Division's bar sim.
Progression: Star Ratings, Licenses, and Bar Upgrades
Barfender progression relies on star ratings, decor scores, drink licenses, and venue expansions. Learn how unlocks and upgrades work in Early Access.
Debt Guide: Bank Loan Skimming and Protection Rackets
Manage Barfender debt by understanding bank loan interest skimming, Hussein's protection extortion, and how to pay off balances cleanly.
Decoration Score Guide: Furniture Points & Stars
The Barfender decoration score determines your bar star rating, tracking furniture values and penalties inside the in-game My Bar mobile app.
Mafia Guide: How to Handle Hussein and Protection Money
The Barfender mafia event features Hussein demanding protection money every two days. Decide whether to pay or fight off his enforcers in bar brawls.
Arcade Machines: Placement, Gameplay, and Roadmap Plans
Barfender arcade machines bring retro entertainment to your tavern. Here is how to unlock the cabinet and what developer updates reveal about bar games.
Beer Guide: Unlock Tap Kegs, Serve Drinks, and Heal
Barfender beer guide covers unlocking tap kegs, serving bottled lager and amber, washing mugs, pricing drinks, and healing through tavern brawls.
Drink Unlocks: Licenses, Star Ratings, and Recipes
Barfender drink unlocks rely on star ratings rather than story quests. See how licenses, cocktail discovery, and menu slot expansions function in Early Access.