Bear and Breakfast is the first game from Gummycat Studios, and it’s making a bear-y big impact on the management sim world. It was published by Armory Games on July 28 on PC, and is currently slated to come to the Nintendo Switch later this year. In Bear and Breakfast, you step into the paws of Hank, a teenage bear who lives in the Valley, a once-bustling tourist destination that has been completely abandoned. As wildlife make their way back into the area, Hank, along with his friends, stumbles across the ruins of an old resort. Here, you’ll meet Fin, a shark with Pawn Voyage, a company with vibes as shady as the forest floor. Fin will enlist you to get the resort running again, sending you on a journey of restoration, hospitality, and the life of a B&B manager—tinged with spooky undertones as Hank works to unravel the mysterious and dark history behind the forest.
Most of your time, however, will be spent playing host to those ever-picky, ever-wasteful humans who eventually come to stay in the Valley. There are five regions that need to be restored in the Valley: Timber Crossing, The A24, Highlake, Winterberry, and Pinefall. You start in Timber Crossing, and each new resort will be increasingly difficult to decorate—at least, to your guests’ approval. Each guest will rate the cabin they stayed in, and trust us: those humans can get pretty picky. You’ll need to book a certain number of guests and achieve specific rating scores in order to complete quests and progress through the story. Despite the upbeat artwork and seemingly-straightforward story, it can actually be quite easy to get lost in the many activities of the game, but we’ve got you covered: here’s how to play Bear and Breakfast like it’s on EZ Mode.
One Man’s Trash is Another Bear’s EPIC TREASURE
Scavenging for inventory is one of the most important things you do in Bear and Breakfast. This may surprise you, but building an empire of five thriving resorts requires a lot of resources. These include a number of forms of wood, metal, stones, and more. To acquire these resources, it’s critical to explore every nook and cranny of the Valley; whether it’s a woodpile that will continuously stock you in lumber, or a chunk of porcelain that was invisible were it not for a map notification, taking the time to scout out resources will pay off big time in crafting and decor opportunities. And that’s what Bear and Breakfast is all about!
You should also keep an eye out for discarded trash from the humans, like apple cores or cans or their DVD copy of Batgirl (no, that last one is not actually an item in the game). While these items are worthless to your guests, to Hank, they are valuables, and one of the game’s currencies. He can collect these materials to trade for more useful, practical things at Nook’s dumpster. To access Nook’s dirty little shop, all you need to do is bring him a sandwich.
Most games, especially management sim RPGs, tend to start with small inventory spaces, but that’s not the case here. Hank can carry a huge number of items, and there’s a nifty Bear Stash located near the Pawn Voyage van that has infinite storage space. Plus, items stored in one Bear Stash can be picked up from any location on the map; if you put a valuable into the bear stash at A24, you can take it out again at Pinefall.
Also, it’s worth getting to know and paying attention to your map. The latter will point out with a sparkle where materials may be hiding, while the former will help you quickly navigate areas of the Valley to collect said resources.
This is a B&B, not a nude beach
Here’s a short, simple thing to follow, especially in the early-game: be sure to keep Hank equipped with clothing at all times. Hank has a big heart, and wouldn’t hurt a fly, but the humans who come stay at the resort have trouble seeing past his fur, and they will freak out if they see Hank in his bear-thday suit. Somehow, even a simple pair of jean shorts and a hat is enough to trick the human guests into thinking that Hank is one of them. As you attract more guests to your resort, and as your reach expands through the different areas of the Valley, word will get around that you’re a friendly bear.
Also, for what it’s worth, nothing bad actually happens if a human does see Hank in all his natural beauty. A scared face emoji will pop up above your guest’s head, but it won’t set back your quests. But hey, this is the hospitality business. It’s bad taste to cause your guests discomfort.
Ready, Set, Focus!
As we mentioned before, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by quests in Bear and Breakfast. Between main story quests, sidequests, keeping guests happy, and maintaining existing resorts while building new ones—it’s a lot. Fortunately, Bear and Breakfast gives you a handy-dandy journal early in the game, even before you meet Fin. This journal will help you keep track of what you need to do, even when things feel too overwhelming to follow. To avoid feeling like that, we recommend focusing on one thing at a time. Quests related to the main story should take priority, but for the completionists reading this, try limiting it to all quests in a specific region. No moving on to Winterberry until you’ve gotten as far as you can in Highlake.
Another great way to stop yourself from being too overwhelmed by tasks? Don’t do them! No, we don’t mean you should neglect your guests; rather, you should hire your friends to do your work. As you explore the Valley, you’ll meet many memorable critters. While most of them will initially give you a quick sidequest, some can take over certain responsibilities at your resorts… for a fee, of course. The mark of a good manager is delegating instead of taking on everything yourself, so start hiring today.
Designers, Make it Work
When you go about restoring and renovating, it is imperative you think ahead about what you intend to create. Not only are you limited by what resources you have and what blueprints you’ve unlocked, you’re also limited by the amount of space in your resort. Bear and Breakfast uses a grid for easy organizing, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can only design so many rooms in a building, and only fit so many decorations in a room. Knowing your plan of attack can help make sure you’re only crafting the items you need, and not wasting any resources or floor space. A great way to improve your decor score without sacrificing square footage? Focus on carpet, rugs, paintings, and other wall items. Fortunately, there are a thousand ways to customize each resort, keeping it on-theme and your guests happy.
However, it’s important to be deliberate when crafting (or buying) items in Bear and Breakfast, as nothing in the game can be sold. If you made a lamp that doesn’t suit a room, or have a duplicate item, your only option is to either destroy it or relocate it to another resort (assuming it fits the vibe there instead).
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And there you have it! With this guide, you’ll be running a five-star resort in no time. We hope you enjoyed your stay, and have a relaxing time playing Bear and Breakfast on EZ Mode.
