When I discovered Tiny Bookshop by Neoludic Games at EGX 2022 I fell in love with this game almost instantly. Partly because of my love of books and partly because it’s incredibly charming. I got hands-on with Tiny Bookshop, and it didn’t disappoint.
Tiny Bookshop was born out of the idea of being stressed and wanting to escape it all. In the game, you play someone who daydreams of a tiny utopia and leaves behind city stress to open a tiny bookshop and join a community selling used books.
Gameplay
Tiny Bookshop is a point-and-click book shop simulator where you must stock your shop and then watch and interact with the locals as they visit. Any books you sell will earn you your income that you can use to kit out your tiny book shop as well as restock it with different genres. The game develops as you spend more time in the community and can help the locals, solve mysteries, and become part of the community.
The mechanics are all straightforward to understand and the controls were very nice to use. Part of the strategy is working out what to stock on your limited shelf space. Different customers will want different genres. In the mode between days, you can buy stock, either specifically listed or clearance stock that is more of a gamble.
The book shop itself is completely customisable so you can make it look how you want it to which is a nice feature. Speaking to the team, they explained that there may be plans to expand your tiny bookshop, but it isn’t about becoming a bookselling giant, and honestly, I’m glad. The whole charm of this game is in the rustic and small nature of the shop and its place in the town.
In the simulation mode, town residents will come by your shop and may interact with you. As day turns to night your shop closes for the day and you can see how much you’ve made. As you progress you can move to different locations to try and make more profit and become part of the community.
Art and Music
While the art style is simplistic, there is a wonderful charm in the almost painted backdrops and characters. The colour palette is also perfect and invokes further relaxation.
The music is relaxing and honestly, the whole experience was relaxing. It’s the perfect game to play when you want to unwind and escape it all and one, which I will certainly be adding to my game library. The idea of running away to a seaside town to sell books is certainly appealing and thanks to Neoludic, you can now do just that.
Tiny Bookshop Conclusions and Release
Tiny Bookshop won the most charming game award in the Indie Cup 2022, and I can see why. I have never fallen so in love with such a relaxing game before and smiled the entire time while playing it. Roll on release, I have a bookshop to open!
Tiny Bookshop is still in development with no confirmed release date although a hopeful 2024 release. It will be available on PC, Mac, SteamOS, and iPad. You can wishlist it on Steam now!
