How much and when to brew
A larger batch yields more beer, but it occupies tanks for longer and may not find its buyer in time.
Economic strategy · browser prototype
A brewery management game
A strategy game about growing your own brewery. The player plans batches, watches tank capacity and stock freshness, finds buyers and decides where to invest the earnings: equipment, research, new beer styles, staff or brands.
In developmentThe core loop already runs in a browser prototype; content, balance and artwork are being developed now. The interface is currently in Russian, and “A brewery management game” is a working title.
Workshop and hallTwo live scenes: production and a tasting hall with a host and guests.
Full loopFrom batch planning to sales, income and growing the brewery.
Its own mechanicsAn original computer game with its own rules, not a digital version of the Pivarium board game.
TypeScript and Pixi.jsIsometric graphics and animation right in the browser, with saved progress.
01 — Core loop
What the player does
This is not an idle clicker where you simply wait and collect coins. Every batch goes through a production chain, resources are limited at each step, and how the player allocates them shapes what they can do next.
Plan the batch
Style, volume and packaging — kegs, bottles or cans. Cost, expected revenue, margin and spoilage risk are shown before launch.
Brew
The kettle and the brewer are busy while brewing, so there is almost always less capacity than you would like.
Ferment
The batch occupies a fermentation tank for several in-game days. The number of tanks limits how many batches run at once.
Package
The packaging line fills the chosen containers. It can be sped up by buying equipment.
Stock and freshness
Finished beer keeps only for a limited time. Old stock loses freshness and has to be written off.
Sell and deliver
Buyers offer different prices and volumes. Delivery is by customer pickup or a carrier.
Income
Revenue minus ingredients, energy and water, packaging, tax, wages and other costs.
Grow
Equipment, recipe research, new styles, staff and brands — and the next cycle plays differently.
↺ Back to planning
The diagram shows the steps one after another; in the game they overlap: while one batch ferments in a tank, the next one is already brewing and finished beer waits for a buyer in the warehouse.
02 — Decisions
Why the choices matter
The interest comes from clear trade-offs rather than the number of buttons. Every decision costs something — money, time, an occupied tank or a missed buyer.
Freshness and storage
Beer cannot be stockpiled forever: shelf life depends on packaging, and surplus goes to disposal. Warehouse security lowers the risk of partial theft of finished stock.
Who to sell to
Buyers come and go. The batch card shows in advance who is ready to buy and whether you will make it in time.
What to invest in
Paying cash or taking credit, upgrades and maintenance — every investment competes with the others. Equipment wears and can break down.
Who does what
People have skills and specific jobs. A technologist researching a recipe is not available for anything else at that time.
Which styles to unlock
A new recipe costs money and the technologist’s time, and its value depends on the market. In the game, for example, porter is valued by restaurants and shops, while Double IPA pays off through special fresh-beer deliveries.
Brew another batch — or sell existing stock first and free up the tanks?
- Brew nowA fermentation tank is tied up for several days while finished beer keeps ageing in the warehouse.
- Sell firstThe line sits idle for a while, but the stock goes out fresh and the money can fund equipment or research.
- What you see before decidingThe new-batch card shows cost, expected revenue, current buyers and spoilage risk before you press the button.
03 — Prototype
What already works
The prototype runs the whole loop — from batch planning to sales and growth — and remembers progress between sessions. The player’s main working tool is the new-batch card.
The calculation comes before the launch
Before brewing, the player chooses a style, batch volume and packaging. The card immediately shows:
- the amount due, including any missing ingredients;
- the cost and what it consists of: ingredients, energy and water, packaging, specialty malts;
- expected revenue and margin after all costs;
- quality, ready time and spoilage risk;
- which buyers want such a batch and whether it will reach them in time.
Locked items are styles and packaging still to be unlocked through research or purchase.
An isometric workshop with kettles, fermentation tanks, a filter, packaging line, ingredient storage, warehouse, lab, workshop bench and loading bay; equipment wears and needs maintenance.
Animated staff walk around the floor to their equipment and workstations.
A production chain: plan → brew → ferment → package → warehouse.
A warehouse with freshness: shelf life, write-offs and protection against partial theft.
A market: buyers, orders, delivery by pickup or carrier.
A “Company” section: finance, people, equipment, development and brands.
Research costs money and time: unlockable styles include porter, Double IPA, APA and German pilsner.
Saved progress: batches, money and research are restored after a page reload.
04 — Tasting hall
A separate scene for guests
From the workshop the player can switch to a tasting hall. It is not a menu with a button but a live scene of its own, with a bar, tables, a host and guests — and a separate promotion tool.
How an evening works
- The player picks a theme, for example “Meet the brewery” or “Dark beer night”.
- Beer for the evening comes from real stock; fresh stock of the selected styles is required.
- Number of guests, ticket revenue, preparation cost and time are shown before the start.
- The host is a hired employee with a wage who serves guests automatically — no restaurant micromanagement or kitchen.
- An evening brings income and promotes the specific brands that were presented, not a permanent bonus to everything.
05 — Development
What is being worked on
The aim is a game that stays interesting rather than merely long: play time is not padded with waiting or repetitive grinding. New content is added when it gives the player a new choice.
Gameplay
- A classic brewery as a self-contained stage with a clear entry point for new players.
- New events, beer styles and production options.
- Challenges the player can recover from — no random game over.
- Overall balance of the economy and pacing.
Art and presentation
- Final equipment layout in the workshop.
- Artwork and restrained animation for the warehouse, market and “Company” section.
- Visible scene reactions to new recipes, brands and upgrades.
- Translation of the interface into other languages.
06 — How it is made
An author’s concept and AI tools
The game is one of the applied projects of Anton Konnov’s laboratory. Its concept, architecture and development follow the author’s own design; AI tools are used for engineering and for processing the artwork.
- Concept and architecture
The economy, production, warehouse, market and growth are designed as one connected system in which every step has a clear cost.
- Programming
Work is split into small tasks with clear criteria. Modules, tests and fixes are written with AI tools — Codex, Claude and the laboratory’s local models.
- Art and motion
Equipment and scene images were generated and hand-selected. Staff walking motion was transferred with neural tools on the lab’s own GPU server.
- Verification
Automated tests of the economy and saves, followed by a review of the live scene in a browser on desktop and mobile screens.
07 — Related
Other projects and materials
Other games, applications and method write-ups produced in the same laboratory.
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