Liar's Bar: what is the game, is it suitable for children to watch on YouTube and how is it played?

• Liar’s Bar launched on PC in early October and has become a viral hit. 
• It has been played by big streamers and YouTube channels like the Sidemen. 
• Liar’s Bar is a social deception multiplayer game for two to four players. 

A new video game that is basically Zootopia crossed with Russian roulette by way of a grungy dive bar has become one of the surprise hits of October. The indie title Liar’s Bar has gone viral online and rocketed up the Steam charts since launching a few weeks ago. 

Developed by Turkish studio Curve Animation, it recently hit a peak of 100,000 players on Steam, according to reports. The game, which mixes social deception games with stylised characters, has proven to be a particular hit with audiences on YouTube and Twitch. 

You may have even heard your kids mention the name Liar’s Bar recently and wondered what it is. Well, don’t worry I’m here to break it all down for you. 

So, what is Liar’s Bar? 

To put it simply, it is a PC-exclusive multiplayer video game that has become increasingly popular with streamers and YouTubers since its launch earlier this month (October 2024). On the Steam store page, the product description reads: “Dive into this multiplayer online experience set in a sketchy bar where the games are as dangerous as the patrons. Join a table of 4 and test your skills in Liar's Dice and Liar's Deck, where lying and bluffing are key to victory. Ready for a night at Liar's Bar?” 

It features cartoony anthropomorphic animal characters like a pig in a vest shirt, a female fox, a Rottweiler-style dog with a gold chain and a bull in a polo shirt - think Zootopia but darker. The game is currently in early access - which means it is not yet fully completed and developers are still working on it. 

But it has already taken off in the weeks since its launch on October 2. It has over 10,000 reviews on Steam - holding a Very Positive rating - while big YouTube channels like Sidemen and VideoGameDunkey have shared videos playing it/ commenting on it. 

How does Liar’s Bar work? 

It is a multiplayer game - so your kids may be playing with their friends, or more likely watching streamers play it - in which two to four players take part in deception games. Players will either play ‘liar’s deck’ or ‘liar’s dice’ - a card game or a dice game - and there is a Russian roulette element (for the characters in the game, not 

The card game is not too similar to Cheat (which you may know by a more fruity language name), in which you attempt to get rid of all the cards in your hand, bluffing along the way. Players have to decide when to call someone’s bluff and if you are caught cheating, your virtual character will then ‘shoot themselves’ - and the aim is to be the last one standing. 

On the game’s Twitch page it adds: “Outsmart your rivals, survive deadly rounds, and see if you can be the last one standing!” 

Why is it so popular? 

It is a simple idea and it is extremely fun to watch others play. To see your favourite streamers sweat as they decide whether to risk calling a bluff as the tension grows higher and higher as the round goes on makes for really compelling viewing - in a daytime TV game show kind of way. 

Also it is pretty cheap to pick up on Steam right now - with a price tag of just less than £6. 

Is it suitable for children? 

On its Steam page it has the following guidance for mature content: “This Game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: General Mature Content.” It features violence in the form of the Russian roulette mechanic, which sees a player character shoot themselves after getting knocked out of the game - albeit is not overly gruesome and grisly. 

It might be worth watching the game in action before deciding whether your children can play or watch others play it. 

Have your children mentioned Liar’s Bar - or do they watch streamers play other games right now? Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].