My Thoughts on: Tiny Bookshop (a Casual Game)

Oh, where do I begin? This game is lovely! I love the artistry, the colors, and the calmness I feel when I start getting into the game. I missed the opening scene, but I enjoyed watching the car travel through various landscapes to reach its destination. I liked the colors and how the scenes around change with time. The background music was lovely too!

The main character is driving into the beautiful, little town of Bookstonbury!

When we arrived in the town of Bookstonbury, we settled along a pier that looked promising. The area is home to a lighthouse, too! It reminded me a little of Lake Michigan and the lighthouse we have out there, but it got me thinking whether we had a lighthouse out this way, or if I'm getting my memories mixed up with something else. Overall, it was a cute little spot! As I moved around, I discovered other small shops nearby.

I picked up a buoy as decoration and even poked at a seagull, which I loved! The seagulls were very chill about it, too. I loved the space where you can go up to read facts about the local animals in the area. It reminded me of the local kiosk and marker spots along walking trails at local parks.

I have one in mind now, located in Miller near the Aquatorium, where you can learn about the local area, including native wildflowers, insects, plants, and a bridge that leads to a small island.

(I just checked some old photos—and the area is, of course, Marquette Park!

I don't know why I blanked on that! The little kiosk area I was thinking of is over by Calumet Lagoon, and it's called "Bridging Nature + History: Patterson Island."

The name of the island is Patterson Island! I remember learning some history about the area during a work project, and it was a beautiful place to be. I remember not being afraid of the bees as they flew around, which is something for me, as I am afraid of bugs.

The trees, the nature, the calmness of the air as the sun beams down on the water. It's a gorgeous park, and I highly recommend anyone in the area to check it out and spend some quality time! I'm long overdue for a relaxing day at the park anyway.)

But anyway, the area in the game is beautiful! The customers are lovely and unique as well! Just passersby and different residents who apparently learned and knew about my arrival long before I got into town, which isn't a problem! Both Tidle and Fern said that there hasn't been a new move into town in a long time, so seeing someone come in is a big deal! It's a big deal that Fern interviewed my character for the local newspaper, which happens to be the cutest interaction in the game so far!

I made little Fern blush; he seems so sweet lol.

The gameplay is super casual and enjoyable as well! I felt a bit lost trying to understand how the book sales work, but I blame myself for talking during Tidle's explanation and not reading the directions more carefully to grasp things fully. But selling didn't seem that complicated! I got a box of free books, which everyone loves! You can't go wrong with that. The other boxes of books seemed pretty cheap, too, so I hope to get those soon. I'll also check out the flea market in town to see what other books and trinkets I can find to decorate my little camper.

One of my favorite parts was decorating! I repainted my camper blue because I think blue is a charming color! There are black accents along the side. I bought a cute little cactus to sit outside on a table, so when people come to check out the place, they can sit and read next to it. Then, they can sign their name in the guestbook to say they were here! It's a charming and cozy little spot. I appreciate the game developers for letting us decorate our shops and make them our own. I enjoyed that bit of time in the game, as well as being able to rearrange my books by color!

I had a great time playing this game, and I think anyone looking for something relaxing to play after work or a long day will enjoy it. Thank you to Steam for featuring this game on my homepage, which allowed me to discover it, read about it, and try it out because I was curious and looking for something new in the cozy range to play. Thank you to the developers for making this game! You all did an excellent job! I will continue playing!

See you then! Check out my website, YouTube, or Twitch for the full part 1 playthrough and tell me what you think!