Tiny Bookshop

Developer: Neoludic games

Release Date: To be announced

Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea in this cozy narrative management game. Stock your tiny bookshop with different books and items, set up shop in scenic locations, and run your cozy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.

Tiny Bookshop is a cozy management sim about running your own portable bookshop from a trailer on the back of your car. I can’t express how pleased I was that the peaceful atmosphere was complimented by engaging systems, allowing me to live a fantasy that I never knew I had.

The game is not heavy on the management systems, or at least not from my time in the demo. This, in my opinion, is a good choice, allowing the player to fully absorb into the relaxing vibes. I didn’t feel the need to min-max everything, optimising my shelves in an attempt to wring my customers dry. Instead, experimentation felt key in these early stages.

On a daily basis you are able to manage your inventory, decor and location in order to sell as many books as you can in the most aethetically pleasing way posible. The books that you place on your shelves determine the chance that a customer will find a book that they like in the given genre they are looking for. If they successfully find one, they will continue looking, picking up books until they find no more that they like. While this is of course RNG, it feels so clever and realistic to the shopping experience. Sometimes you will go into a shop with something in mind and nothing speaks to you, or sometimes, you will find way more than you expected. Throughout the day as your shelves get depleted, it will naturally be less likely that your customer will find the book that they are after, but there is still always a chance.

Although it is RNG, we can affect the outcome somewhat with the choices we make and it still feels very nice when you succeed. In my case, one lady picked up 10 books. That was 10 coin flips in a row, except luckier as the 50% chance got lower every single purchase.

If the pleasing aethetic and breezy management wasn’t enough, there are more mechanics to the game. Visiting different locations is essential to build up your knowledge of the area. Meeting people will give you leads on new areas and events in the town. Reading the paper will allow you to buy more books as your stock runs dry, as well as decorations. I love the inclusion of the paper, not only as it narratively makes a lot of sense but it is also, on purpose or not, makes the game even more ‘feel good’ by being an eco-friendly business.

Finally, every book you have on your shelf is an actual book, written in real life. Chances are, you have read some of them. One fun way that the game plays with this is that throughout the day, customers will ask you for recommendations. They will tell you a genre, mood, preference, or specific things that they want or don’t want from a book. Then, it is up to you to scour your shelves, reading the descriptions to find a good match. Of course once you sell the book it is gone, so if you think that you have the perfect match for some one, you ought to hope no one has snatched it up in the meantime.

I went into the Tiny Bookshop demo expecting a pleasant way to pass half an hour but I got a lot more than I expected. It is an instant wishlist from me while I look up the price of trailers and have a peak at Facebook Market Place for book bundles, contemplating a pivot to a travelling librarian.

Demo Length – 30 mins
At a glance
+ More to this game than I expected, while not being too complicated.
+ Aesthetically pleasing.
+ Lo-fi vibes.
+ Especially fun for book lovers.
+ Recycling.
+ Bookshop fashion.