LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator

Found this one on Discovery Queue and seemed like an interesting and fun co-op sim to me. Sadly, I'm really missing a real management aspect in the game. You don't earn any money and therefore can't really decide on which furniture to buy or which books to order. I'd love to be able to decide for myself right from the start which shelves I wanna use instead of being given level-up rewards with some choices from Day 3 onwards. It feels like you don't manage and control things yourself. Some game mechanics also seem unclear, e. g. the damaged book checkbox on return: Some books have naturally dirty covers, therefore not counting as damaged. But when you don't know this, customers get angry for being wrongfully accused of returning a damaged book. Also, NPCs just seem pretty stupid. Even when there's not even 20 books on display, literally 90% of them will ask you for help, because they can't find the book. Not like they already intensively looked through the shelves for a minute straight. Sure, it's Early Access and much stuff can still be done and improved. But for now it's neither feeling like a management game (eventhough it's the game's second tag) nor particularly round. Two nearly identical highscore modes next to a infinite chill mode without customer satisfaction feel even more odd.

Love the game, only downside is the time of day is going way too fast, please slow this down

In Libritopia, players take on the role of a librarian tasked with curating and organizing the greatest classics of world literature, offering an exciting opportunity to interact with timeless works from authors like Shakespeare, Flaubert, Jules Verne, and Machado de Assis. The game allows you to receive, sort, and arrange these iconic books in any way you see fit, providing a highly customizable experience for those who enjoy managing and building their ideal library. Customization is a key feature, as you can modify every aspect of your library. From choosing the colors and textures of the walls, floors, and ceilings to selecting the perfect curtains and windows, the game lets you create a library environment that reflects your personal taste. You can further personalize the space by decorating it with artwork, plants, and other decorative elements, crafting a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing environment for your readers. It's all about making the space feel like your own creation, and there are endless options to explore. But it’s not just the library that you get to personalize; Libritopia also lets you design your own librarian avatar. You can select everything from body type and hair to clothing and accessories, ensuring that your character feels as unique as the library they manage. You can even save multiple avatars and switch between them, adding a layer of fun to the game as you experiment with different looks. For a competitive twist, multiplayer mode allows you to team up with friends and compete to become the "Librarian of the Month," with your winning avatar displayed proudly in the library office. As the head librarian, you have the power to name your library, expand its size, and furnish it however you see fit. The game’s flexible layout system lets you place shelves, arrange furniture, and design corridors, allowing for a variety of library configurations. You can categorize books in any way you choose, whether by genre, author, publication year, country of origin, or even color. The beauty of Libritopia lies in the freedom it offers—this is your library, and you have the autonomy to organize it in any manner that suits your vision. For those who prefer a cooperative experience, Libritopia also features multiplayer mode, where you and your friends can manage the daily operations of the library together. You'll need to divide tasks efficiently, ensuring that visitors' needs are met and that the library remains a well-oiled machine. From managing book checkouts and returns to assisting visitors in locating the books they need, teamwork is essential. The game also adds a fun touch of realism by enforcing a "no cell phones" policy in the library, requiring players to maintain a peaceful and quiet atmosphere—just like a real library should be. In Libritopia, every decision you make matters, and every task contributes to the overall success of your library. Whether you're carefully curating a collection of world literature, collaborating with friends, or simply enjoying the process of building your dream library, this game offers a satisfying and relaxing experience. Its balance of creativity, management, and social interaction makes it an ideal choice for fans of simulation and design games, and its emphasis on books and literature will appeal to anyone who’s ever dreamed of running their own library. Rating: 9/10

I wanted to love this game but unfortunately i just didn't. I couldn't even complete a full day without it completely freezing and closing the game. This tended to mostly happen when i interacted with the computer to either checkout or return books. I tried many different times and in the end just had to get the game refunded.

I really love games where you can sort and organize things in your own way, in a way that feels logical and satisfying to you. I also love books so this game has been a lot of fun for me so far! I do have to admit though, that the art style doesn’t appeal to me that much. In my opinion, this doesn’t affect the gameplay itself, but of course that’s a matter of personal taste. I'm also not too fond of the sound design, but I usually listen to my own music, podcasts, or movies in the background anyway, so it's not a dealbreaker for me. You can definitely tell the game is in Early Access. I don’t mind repetitive tasks and routines at all (I actually find them very relaxing) but the rewards for leveling up feel a bit one-sided at the moment. There are very few decoration items available, which makes the library still look quite sparse and a bit sad even after 50 in-game days. More decoration options would be great! It would be much more motivating if you could design the library in a more individual and detailed way. I’d also like being able to change the colors of the rooms individually. I play on my Steamdeck and there were no issues whatsoever. So it's not just playable for PC users! All in all, I’m having a great time with the game and I’m excited to see how it develops further. Keep up the good work! P.S.: What’s the deal with that creepy person behind the trees past the fence?

I wishlisted this game because I was curious about the concept and bought it because it was for sale. I haven't put more hours into it because I have a job. It's very fun to play. Obviously, it has not nearly enough mechanics to keep play for too much longer, but the potential is there. In case you are still updating it and taking suggestions, it would be interesting to see some different cover layouts (to complicate devolution mechanic), I guess you're probably working on an economic system to complement exp., but if not, it's a must. It would be interesting to see some synopsis and reviews somehow implemented, increasing the learning possibilities. Different size books would be nice too, and some variety in NPC interaction. Obviously more shelves could be useful too, and different rooms with different purposes. And boxes, PLEASE add boxes. Looking forward to seeing more of what you can do with this game! EDIT: It is also necessary and should be priority to improve performance as much as possible, my Library is not so big yet it's starting to feel more and more uncomfortable (stuttering when picking up books, mostly, but FPS are inversely proportional to the amount of books too). I could personally use more sensitivity as well, and I haven't found an option to adjust FOV. I loved the tablet update, as well as the client database. Donation day could be rebalanced, it's a bit tedious. It is, however, a better game compared to a few updates ago, so thank you for that!

I know the thought of running a library doesn't fill many people with joy, but I'm a weirdo, so this suits me down to the ground. It's a slow, relaxed game about ordering books, putting books on shelves, tidying books, repairing books and answering requests for books. In other words, this is a game that revolves around books. I like books and I like putting things in order. I can spend ages arranging what goes where and what order everything should be in. Order by name, by title, or by genre? This can be followed by the occasional panic over having too many books and not knowing where to put them all! But most of the time it's pretty chill. I just put a podcast on and spend some time hanging around some books. If that sounds nice to you too, you'll probably love this.

After falling in love with Tiny Bookshop, I decided to google if there were any other bookshop adjacent games. I found this, and honestly I love it. It seems to have everything you'd see in a real life library, including very dumb patrons. For instance, there is a registration station, in which your patrons can fill out info to get their library cards, and it’s mostly automatic although occasionally filling out name, today's date and getting their picture taken is just beyond their capabilities, so you have to do it for them. Also, there are "help" stations, in which you can help your patrons find a book they want but can’t find in the library (they’ll either ask for a specific author, a specific title, or a specific genre, and as you level up they’ll ask for between one and three books). Sometimes it's on the shelf and you grumble and hand it to them. Sometimes, you just don’t have the author or title they’re looking for, and in the first few levels, you can just tell them that. They’ll get mad and stomp off (occasionally throwing a book at you that knocks you over - the first time that happened I burst out laughing because it’s accompanied by a hilariously titled achievement). As you level up, though, eventually you can add their request to the library computer, and you will get what they want within a few days. When that happens, you can call them the next day before you open the library and they'll come back to get it. At first you have to run your own checkout desk and the separate book return desk, but as you level up, you are given “automatic” versions of those, which are run by new employees. There are so many additional decorations you can add to your library, including rugs, plants, paintings and eventually reading tables in which your patrons can read the books they've found. You can also paint pretty much everything in your library to the colors you want. You have an office, which has a computer, a coffee machine, and more shelves. You use the computer to open or close the library, choose your rewards when you gain a level, request specific books for your library and schedule a “donation day” in which you can give away duplicate copies of books you have in the library, and as you level up you can also expand your library, adding more space for everything in it. There is a dock behind your library, in which you can put damaged books in a wire cage to send them off for repairs, as well as four docks: new books, returned books, repaired books and requested books. I saw negative reviews talking about how these patrons are the dumbest sims NPCs ever, so I recommend playing this game in "relaxed" mode if you want something with zero stress. There is a “survival” mode in which you have to keep your patrons happy or you get fired, but the other mode is more my speed. You can take your time with everything, from sorting books, finding books for patrons, clearing the tables, whatever you need to do. The patrons have infinite patience so you can go at your own pace. All that said, this is a strong recommendation for this game. It's in early access, but so far I've seen zero bugs, and I've played it for nearly 17 hours.

Bom, o jogo é bom é divertido, porem muitos bugs, e a comunidade do discord sinceramente resolve nada, pois a gente reclama, pede suporte, e simplesmente não fazem nada e quando fazem simplesmente dizem que o problema é o driver da amd/nvidia, desde de quando uma empresa ao inves de consertar o problema e ir atras da solução prefere mais botar a culpa no driver do usuario? poise alem que do mais existe muitos bugs que t orna o modo sobrivencia impossivel, ao chegar num certo nivel começam a pedir livros que não tem, nem mesmo o sistema de pedir livros é eficaz, pois não da pra pedir todos os livros faltando, sendo assim o modo sobrevivencia impossivel de passar, e sendo obrigado a passar no modo relax. O jogo em si é bom, porem é mais estressante que relaxante, eu espero que essa nota que irei dar ajude em algo, pois o jogo em si os desenvolvedores não tão se importando com os feedback mas sim com dinheiro, oque é triste pra uma empresa que ta iniciando com um jogo de acesso antecipado, pois sendo assim o jogo facilmente irá a falir, então espero mesmo que pensem no que estão fazendo e escutem o feedback dos players

Surprisingly addictive. Relax mode is a great way to unwind.