Tiny Bookshopis an incredibly charmingindie gameall about fulfilling the fantasy of being a nomadic bookseller in a small seaside town. The narrative life sim is hands-down one of themost relaxing gamesI’ve played in years, expertly balancing simple mechanics with surprising depth.
The title transports players to Bookstonbury, where they have just moved to open a small bookstore attached to the back of their car. As the seasons pass, the town and its residents come alive, embracing the player as they gradually become an integral part of the community. Though the general gameplay loop is easy, it’s far from shallow, and the title as a whole is something truly special.
The Art Of Running A Tiny Bookshop
Stocking, Decorating, & Recommending New Reads
Each day begins with a thumb through theBookstonbury Review, seeing any current events around town and perhaps buying a few boxes of used books to resell. One of the first things I noticed when I started playingTiny Bookshopis that it almost feels like - at least in a very loose sense -the coziest deckbuilder in the world.
Before I head out for a day of bookselling, I essentially build my deck by choosing which books I stock and how I decorate my shop. Because of its portable nature, the shop can be set up at a myriad of different locations around town, and each location’s client base has different tastes. Depending on where I’m going, stocking primarily preferred genres, which the game has seven of in total, is key to a successful day.
Decorations themselves also affect sales in a way thatfeels extremely deckbuildery: scarier decor, like skulls or candelabras, increases Crime genre sales, for example, while more scholarly pieces tend to help sell Classic books. Other pieces have more complex interactions, such as an item that activates sales bonuses whenever someone declines a book recommendation.
Recommendations are the key gameplay component during the work day itself. Customers will ask for something with varying levels of specificity - one may just want a good love story, while another could be looking for a tragic story with a political message written by a woman within the last century. The books in the game are largely real, which is a stellar choice -there was immense joy to be found in stocking or recommending a book I love in real life.
Bookstonbury Has Literarature Lovers Of All Ages
Becoming Part Of A Community, One Book At A Time
There are ten locations in total where players can set up shop across Bookstonbury, from a windy lighthouse to the parking lot of the local mega mart. Several faces will quickly become familiar, like Tilde, the retired bookshop owner and absolute heart and soul of the community, or Klaus, the history nerd and songwriter whose up-and-coming band grows in popularity with that player’s help.
That’s one of the best parts ofTiny Bookshop’s worldcrafting:I felt like I was genuinely a part of the Bookstonbury community. I was able to make a positive impact in several ways, from supporting the band to helping fund a live theater space. All the characters feel lovingly crafted, which makes helping them - whether it’s aiding in a project or just finding their next great read - immensely satisfying.
The small town changes throughout the year, with annual events and gorgeous seasonal landscapes. These events endeared me even more to my neighbors, with dialogue filled with introspective, emotional vulnerability and small but heartwarming moments, like helping Harper - the young, inquisitive girl who frequents the shop for nonfiction books - not be scared in a haunted house.
The general aesthetic of the game is a bit reminiscent ofUntitled Goose Game, with somewhat nondistinct customers, but in a way that’s a stylistic choice. The eight main residents all have detailed portraits, however, and the environments in which players park each day and the shop’s decor have much more detail.
Tiny Bookshop Is A Gripping Read
A Seaside Fantasy That’s Hard To Put Down
I had been looking forward toTiny Bookshopfor years, andit absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I didn’t expect there to be nearly as many detailed interpersonal elements, such as multifaceted decorating, or just how utterly serene it would all be.
While there are avenues in which players can optimize their bookshop, I was never tempted to min-max in the way I often can with manygames in the genre, such asStardew Valley,while playingTiny Bookshop. Making money does move things forward in some ways, allowing for better decor and other important purchases, but it was never enough of a concern to activate the profit-driven, to-do list-making part of my brain. Instead, it was a purely relaxing experience.
It may be too slow-paced and casual for some, but I think almost any player can find something worthwhile in the game. The laid-back soundtrack matches perfectly, the oceanside vistas are incredibly tranquil, and the work done each day is almost meditative. Each day is only a few minutes long, demanding the presence of mind and creativity while also not overstaying its welcome.
Beyond my enjoyment of the game itself,Tiny Bookshopalso reinvigorated my love of reading. The books on my in-game shelves reminded me of so many good titles I haven’t read in a while, and gave me the strong urge to pick up a book each time I concluded a play session.Tiny Bookshopisn’t just amanagement life sim- it’s a love letter to the literary arts.
