For someone who adores everything to do with books, Tiny Bookshop was and is the perfect title for me. It had everything I wanted in a game, especially one that was going to be all about running your very own bookshop.
Tiny Bookshop
Developer: neoludic games
Price: $19.99
Platform: PC (reviewed), Nintendo Switch
MonsterVine was supplied with a Steam code for review
When I first started playing Tiny Bookshop, and I was still learning the ropes, there was a hint of roguelite to the game, namely, through the way you choose what genres to put on your shelves. It’s entirely up to you how many books of a certain genre go up on your shelves, but it doesn’t always mean they’re going to sell. On top of that, there is a limited number of shelf space unless you buy some little cubbies to store a few extras in. So, you have to choose wisely. As I’m someone who storms through tutorials and then wonders why I’m struggling, the same thing happened here. I thought that it was completely random as to what the customers would choose genres, but Tiny Bookshop has a bit more rigidity than I initially gave it credit for.
While there is the element of randomness from the boxes of books you buy via the newspaper (which tells you your stats of how many books you sold the previous day, and if any community events are coming up), there are also elements within the planning phase that make it much easier to stack your bookcase according to need and want. You can also get modifiers that come in the form of returning customers or items that you use to decorate your bookshop.
What surprised me the most about the gameplay loop is how much of a story resides in each area you visit. You are given a journal, which prompts you to interact with certain items or people, and you can even pet a dog and adopt them! The little stories I came across while selling stories to someone else were heartwarming and incredibly charming. The characters were lovable, all with unique, brimming personalities. From Tilde to Harper, there was something to love about them all.
Tiny Bookshop is a Cozy, Painterly Book Lover’s Dream
Combining the coziness with the painterly art style, the music, and the sound design, I couldn’t have found a more relaxing game within Tiny Bookshop. It was everything I hoped for in a game of this title, and even helped introduce me to new books that I may not have considered previously! Every book that enters your shelves is a real book title, accompanied by a synopsis that you can read, allowing you to embark on a journey of discovery alongside the customers browsing the shelves. It’s such an intuitively designed game, and I can’t wait to work on getting every last achievement.
The Final Word
Overall, Tiny Bookshop was absolute perfection, and everything I could have hoped for as someone who loves books as much as I do. It had such a gentle atmosphere and was very stress-free to play. I’d love to see some DLC released for this title or a follow-up.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
