Tiny Bookshop | PS5 Review

Publisher: Skystone Games, 2P Games

Developer: Neoludic Games

PS5 Review

*Disclaimer: I was sent the code for this game on PS5 in return for a review; all opinions are mine and mine alone.

As an avid reader its my dream to own a bookshop, no matter the size or where it would be, such a cute and cosy day-to-day job. Reading has opened the world of possibilities for not just me but so many people around the world. Books can be about everything and anything, so implementing them within a video game makes the perfect combo for readers who are also gamers. Tiny Bookshop lets players attach their very own store to the back of their car and travel wherever they want to that day. It could be the beach front or even a café, it all depends on your mood and the calendar events for the locations on the map.

Tiny Bookshop takes cosy gaming to a different level, it adds that charm and quirk where players will be able to point out and recognise real titles and actually recommend them, some of which I have enjoyed reading myself. I get so many cottagecore vibes from playing, and it's one of my favourite aesthetics to say the least.

Gameplay:

There are no complicated attachments when it comes to Tiny Bookshop; the game will hold your hand and help guide you through what you need to do and how you. The aim of the game is to shock your shop and sell books based on your customers' interests. One of my main favourite parts of the game is when people will ask for help choosing a book; it's left up to me to give them what I see as a right fit. Although sometimes this proves difficult, especially when the books I need are now all sold out.

To make your shop stall more appealing, you can use the money you made to upgrade your decor, paint the door, add furniture outside, etc. Buying from different vendors across the market will give you perks so that you have a higher customer rate. Players can also interact with their surroundings; often, this helps them complete tasks set out for them, such as collecting shells on the beach. It will take a few times, but it's a nice little reward to have managed to get it done.

I started to get carried away on how much money I was making, my stock for crime books would run out super fast and when it came to buying, most of the time crime wasnt in cluded in the bundle I would buy. This is why having more bookshelves means more stock for the customers; some of them buy quite a lot of books at once. In your notebook, you will find everything you need about people you have met, stamos you have/are currently collecting and the calendar for the month. The calendar is important; you can make do with knowing different events in different locations, which will bring you more customers. Make sure you are heavily stocked when doing these.

Sounds & Visuals:

The soundtrack for Tiny Bookshop is a delightful mix of folk music and Lo-fi, which is why it's such a perfect soundtrack to sit down and study with. 16 different songs remind me of summer days and nights. I would have to say the one I enjoyed most was Evening Song, it stands out most compared to the rest and would definitely teleport me into one of my books.

The visuals are low-poly and in a very simplistic style; nothing really stands out, but as a whole comes across as a very winsome vibe. It's similar to a lot of cosy style games I have played visually, yet unique in gameplay. Developers do a beautiful job of setting the mood, rainy days actually feel like a rainy day, and when the sunsets and it becomes dark, there is a soft glow coming from the street lights that surround the tiny bookshop. Even though the designs are simplistic and there is no actual voice acting, the characters come to life in my head just through their dialogue and how they look. I guess I'm one of those people who can easily imagine these things in my mind. There were some I disliked, but that can't be helped, can it?

Overall thoughts:

If, like me, you enjoy slowing down and not having too much to concentrate on in a game, I definitely feel you will like this. There is just one issue: it does start to get repetitive, or you might find yourself money hungry and in need to make more to buy more for your store, though. Either way, I had a wonderful time playing; it certainly took my mind off the mundane things going on in my world. Why should you play:

• Books, they are awesome
• It's a cosy game
• The soundtrack is delightful
• You need some chill time

If you want to give Tiny Bookshop a try, it's available on PS5, Nintendo Switch 1/2, and Steam

Have a cosy day

↞༶↠