Sooooooo… I may have stumbled across a game that feels tailor-made for book lovers: Tiny Bookshop. Think of it as the cosiest of cosy games, where instead of slaying dragons or chasing high scores, you’re stocking shelves, curating titles, and building the little literary haven of your dreams. It’s not a book to read, but it captures the joy of loving books in an entirely new way.
“Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea in this cosy narrative management game. Stock your tiny bookshop with different books and items, set up shop in scenic locations, and run your cosy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.”
some screenshots from Steam
Features of the game (copied from Steam):
Decorate your Tiny Bookshop with the items you collect. Are you into absolutely plastering it with plants? Maybe a spooky candle-lit atmosphere is more your style? Every item also has an effect on your customers and can introduce new mechanics.
Recommend the right book to the right person ~ or try to expand their literary horizon? Sometimes they just need a little help finding a book they will love!
Befriend Bookstonbury’s quirky cast of characters and help each other out! They’re friendly, promise 🙂
Stock books of different genres to satisfy the locals’ reading habits and watch your customers trickle in. Every place around town attracts a slightly different crowd, so get to know your audience and become a master bookseller!
Explore the scenic places of charming Bookstonbury-by-the-Sea and learn the ins and outs of the town. Discover its long history ~ what happened at Bookston Burgh? And who really was St. Bookston?
Discover secrets, collect items and grow your stamp collection as you explore the nooks and crannies of Bookstonbury. Who knows what else you’ll find?
My initial thoughts…
I actually played the demo for this a while back and immediately after it was over I needed more, so had been waiting in anticipation for this to release… now that it has, I have been playing this game for a solid couple of days so far and I am obsessed!
I’ll be honest—the first hour doesn’t exactly grab you, and with my expectations set so high, I was nervous it might fall short… But once the magic set in, the experience only grew more and more engrossing. The level of detail is astounding, as if the developers considered every little aspect. The story feels full, well-crafted, and truly engaging.
It’s a super relaxing game and has enough content and challenges that kept me playing way longer than I originally anticipated. I honestly planned to do some reading on the day that I downloaded it but ended up getting sucked into the game – I actually felt guilty for the book that was sitting on my desk looking at me whilst I was playing…
Another thing I really appreciate about Tiny Bookshop is its thoughtful diversity and representation. For example, the game includes characters who are POC (people of colour) and people who use wheelchairs, which makes the world feel more inclusive and welcoming.
One of the main reasons why I love the game is the fact that the books used in Tiny Bookshop are REAL, which means you can discover books that you probably wouldn’t have come across before in real life and you can also test your own knowledge on the books you’ve already read or have on your TBR. It might be just me but I was so excited to see books in the game that I’ve already read or have on my shelves waiting to be read!
I already know that I will be building up my game time ALOT for Tiny Bookshop and will be playing this for the foreseeable future!
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own bookshop, you NEED to try this game!!
Have you played this yet? If so, what are your thoughts?
Are you thinking of playing it?
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