There were so many demos available during Steam Next Fest, but none quite grabbed me the way Tiny Bookshop’s demo did. As someone who lives and breathes books in every form, I knew that I had to try this game out for myself. I can easily say that I am so glad I did, as it exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait for the full game to release.
I had already been eyeing up this game for some months now, as a game all about owning my little bookshop sounded like the idyllic escape I needed from the busy everyday life. Playing this demo felt like the perfect wind-down game after a long day, and was the relaxing, cozy experience I needed to help lull me to sleep.
The art style is incredibly charming, and almost feels like a blend of two, especially the way that the 3D animations walk through the 2D backgrounds. It’s a beautiful combination of painterly and clay-like. The watercolor aesthetic of the backgrounds really helped add to that lo-fi sleepy feeling that comes with being in a bookshop.
The art style and calmness reminded me a lot of Old Man’s Journey and other relaxing games, which made me love it even more.
Stress Free Management
There are plenty of games that incorporate resource management, or the game is built around that fundamental concept. For Tiny Bookshop, this is just one of the mechanics that you will have to work with. However, from what I experienced in the demo, it is a much calmer experience than some of the resource management games available. There are no severe punishments, no game overs for not having the store exactly to a customer’s liking. Instead, the customer will just come back the next day, or the day after, to see what new stock you have.
The way you purchase stock in Tiny Bookshop has a feeling to it that reminds me a lot of a deck builder, with the stats for each genre reminding me of a roguelike. The way you can set up your bookcases a certain way and decorate the bookshop with certain items to get a higher multiplier is very clever, and not something I expected from a game like this.
Overall, I cannot wait for the full release of Tiny Bookshop, and it will be a day one purchase for me. As someone who adores books in every sense of the word, this game is a dream come true. The characters you meet along the way are fun and charming, each with their own personalities and favorite genres. There are multiple locations to set up your tiny bookshop, with great soundscapes to provide a relaxing experience while you wait for your customers to sift through the stock.
I can’t find a single fault with this demo, and I can’t wait to see what the full game has in store for me.
