# Poker Night at the Inventory
**Poker Night at the Inventory** is a single-player comedy poker video game developed by [Telltale Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/telltale-games) and released on November 22, 2010, in which the player plays No Limit Texas Hold'em against four licensed video game characters: Max from *Sam & Max*, Strong Bad from *Homestar Runner*, Tycho from *Penny Arcade*, and the [Heavy](https://www.edgepedia.org/heavy-team-fortress-2) from *Team Fortress 2*.[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/31280/Poker_Night_at_the_Inventory/) • [2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) The game was sold for $4.99 on [Steam](https://www.edgepedia.org/steam-service), delisted after Telltale's bankruptcy, and returned on March 5, 2026 in a remaster by Skunkape Games.[3](https://www.engadget.com/2010-11-29-poker-night-at-the-inventory-review.html) • [2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / release | Telltale Games, November 22, 2010[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/31280/Poker_Night_at_the_Inventory/) |
| Opponents | Max (Sam & Max), Strong Bad (Homestar Runner), Tycho (Penny Arcade), and the Heavy (Team Fortress 2)[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) |
| Game type | Single-player No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament against four AI opponents[4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english) |
| Original price | $4.99 on Steam[3](https://www.engadget.com/2010-11-29-poker-night-at-the-inventory-review.html) |
| TF2 unlockables | The Iron Curtain, The Lugermorph, License to Maim, The Enthusiast's Timepiece, and Dangeresque, Too?[5](https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=4608) |
| Remaster | Skunkape Games, released March 5, 2026 on Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch at $9.99[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) • [4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english) |
## Gameplay and setting
The game is set at the [Inventory](https://www.edgepedia.org/inventory), an underground club where video game characters gather to relax and play cards. The player takes a seat at a No Limit Texas Hold'em table against the four AI opponents, each with a distinct personality drawn from their home franchise, expressed through banter, stories, and playing styles.[4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english) The engine was reused from Telltale's first game, *Telltale Texas Hold 'Em* (2005).[6](https://community.telltalegames.com/discussion/107322/the-inventory-unofficial-faq-please-read-before-posting-last-updated-july-1)
Beyond money, opponents sometimes wager personal items instead of cash when short on funds, giving the player a chance to win them by busting that character out of the tournament. Unlockables come in three types: table designs, card decks, and [Team Fortress 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/team-fortress-2) items.[7](https://theinventory.fandom.com/wiki/Unlockables)
## Team Fortress 2 items
The game's strongest commercial hook was a set of five promotional items for *Team Fortress 2*, one tied to each character plus a pre-order bonus. Valve's TF2 team noted it was the first time a game made by another studio allowed players to find TF2 items by playing it.[5](https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=4608) The items were:[5](https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=4608)
- **The Iron Curtain**, a minigun for the Heavy
- **The Lugermorph**, a pistol for the Scout and Engineer
- **License to Maim**, a badge equippable by all classes
- **The Enthusiast's Timepiece**, a watch for the Spy
- **Dangeresque, Too?**, glasses for the Demoman
Some buyers purchased the game primarily for the TF2 items rather than the poker itself, investing the $5 price and a couple of hours to earn the swag.[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) The promotion was effective: Steve Allison, now [Epic Games Store](https://www.edgepedia.org/epic-games-store) general manager and formerly at Telltale, said TF hats as a gift with purchase reliably put Telltale's games in the top 5 sellers for one to two weeks.[8](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fortnite/epic-games-store-gm-says-valves-team-fortress-hats-definitely-inspired-epics-new-fortnite-crossovers-like-getting-a-crimson-desert-skin-when-you-buy-a-game-through-epic/)
## Reception
Critics praised the humor and character interactions more than the gameplay. Metacritic's roundup called it a good bargain and a very good poker game with an unusual collection of card competitors, and noted it continued Telltale's tradition of story-driven games.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/game/poker-night-at-the-inventory-2010/critic-reviews/) Engadget's review, titled "A bad beat," found the themed lean-back poker game worth its $4.99 price but wished Telltale had made more of the concept.[3](https://www.engadget.com/2010-11-29-poker-night-at-the-inventory-review.html) The underlying poker simulation was described as flat and buggy, and repeated dialogue became noticeable after a few playthroughs.[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) On Steam, the original version accumulated 7,232 English user reviews at 89 percent positive.[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/31280/Poker_Night_at_the_Inventory/)
A sequel, *[Poker Night 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/poker-night-2)*, followed in 2013; both games faded from attention quickly after release.[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/)
## Delisting and remaster
In February 2026, Skunkape Games, a small studio of former Telltale employees who had already remastered the [Sam & Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-and-max) adventures, announced a remaster. It launched on March 5, 2026 on Steam, PlayStation, and [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) at $9.99, with the TF2 unlockables reissued.[2](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/) The remaster features higher resolution models, new lighting, gamepad support, adjustable buy-in amounts, and a rebuilt poker engine: the original poker code was stripped down and rewritten so the game now plays a far more accurate game of poker, with opponents making more informed decisions that fit their play styles.[4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english) The remaster's English Steam reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive at 95 percent of 5,885 reviews.[4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english)
## References
1. [Poker Night at the Inventory (2010 Original Version) on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/31280/Poker_Night_at_the_Inventory/)
2. [7 years after it was pulled from Steam, Poker Night at the Inventory is coming back in March, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/7-years-after-it-was-pulled-from-steam-poker-night-at-the-inventory-is-coming-back-in-march-and-yes-so-are-the-free-team-fortress-2-unlockables/)
3. [Poker Night at the Inventory review: A bad beat, Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2010-11-29-poker-night-at-the-inventory-review.html)
4. [Poker Night at the Inventory (remaster) on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897800?l=english)
5. [Team Fortress 2 news post, November 3, 2010](https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=4608)
6. [The Inventory Unofficial FAQ, Telltale Community](https://community.telltalegames.com/discussion/107322/the-inventory-unofficial-faq-please-read-before-posting-last-updated-july-1)
7. [Unlockables, Poker Night at the Inventory Wiki](https://theinventory.fandom.com/wiki/Unlockables)
8. [Epic Games Store GM says Valve's Team Fortress hats "definitely inspired" Epic's new Fortnite crossovers, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fortnite/epic-games-store-gm-says-valves-team-fortress-hats-definitely-inspired-epics-new-fortnite-crossovers-like-getting-a-crimson-desert-skin-when-you-buy-a-game-through-epic/)
9. [Poker Night at the Inventory (2010) critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/poker-night-at-the-inventory-2010/critic-reviews/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Game genres › Puzzle, casual, and multiplayer-structure genres › Card and casino video games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license