First Look: Libritopia – Librarian Simulator for PC

The simulation gaming genre can be quite the mixed bag. Sure, you could say this about most game genres, but it feels particularly true for sims. Over the years, I’ve played some really standout titles, but I’ve also encountered my fair share of duds, with some of the worst games I’ve reviewed coming from this very genre. Today, I’m checking out LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator on PC. While it shows some potential, it also has several areas that need improvement. To be clear, I’m aware that this is an Early Access title, meaning this is just a preview of what’s currently available, not the final product.

In LIBRITOPIA, you get the opportunity to create and manage your very own library. The concept itself is quite appealing, painting a picture of a serene haven for book lovers seeking refuge from the chaos of daily life. Libraries evoke an image of comfort—a world within a world where you can get lost in stories or knowledge. Going in, I was hoping for a whimsical, slow-paced adventure that would be both charming and addictive. What I found, however, was a bit more hectic than expected.

As you dive into LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator, your task is to keep your patrons satisfied with minimal complaints. Customer dissatisfaction can end your game if too many patrons walk away unhappy in a single day. This led me to a bit of surprise. I anticipated more of a simulation focus, with nuanced challenges and systems to engage with, but instead, the game plays more like a dash game, where speed seems to overshadow the intricacies I’d expect from a traditional sim.

Starting your day in the game, you’re tasked with expanding your library’s offerings and organizing the new books that have been dropped off. The process begins at your virtual desk, and soon enough, eager readers start flooding in, each looking for their next great read. Up until this point, everything was going as expected, and the simple premise felt comfortable.

Initially, dealing with your patrons can be frustrating. For supposedly well-read individuals, they often appear surprisingly clueless, asking for books that are right in front of them on sparsely stocked shelves. At the start of the game, you have a limited collection of books, and while this changes as you progress, the initial mechanics make for a frustrating experience—an experience that feels unintentionally challenging.

As your library grows, books are displayed by spine, displaying only the title. Patrons will start asking for books by author or genre, forcing you to either memorize your collection or keep running back to the check-in desk to look up details. This adds an unnecessary level of difficulty and time pressure, especially when patron patience is short and losing a customer means losing a potential save. While you can label your shelves, managing this aspect adds another layer of complexity.

Your library is divided into different zones, with areas for checking books in and out, and desks for customer queries. Surprisingly, each desk requires its own computer system, which seems like an odd choice that adds unnecessary complexity to the flow. While you can eventually purchase automated stations, the initial setup feels clunky and cumbersome.

Checking out a book requires identifying the correct item on your computer—a task made more awkward by the musical chairs of jumping between patrons and the check-out desk. For a game that leans towards dash mechanics, a simpler interface would go a long way in smoothing out these interactions.

On the aesthetics front, LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator is quite basic, with visuals that feel dated, reminiscent of early 2000s games. Sound design is minimal and occasionally mismatched, diminishing immersion. Control-wise, the game functions well, hitting the mark where expected.

Despite its shortcomings, if you enjoy dash mechanics, LIBRITOPIA might hold some charm for you. However, branding it as a “simulator” seems a bit of a stretch, misleading expectations for those seeking deep simulation gameplay. There is enough challenge to make the game replayable, yet its current Early Access state leaves it squarely in the “just okay” category.

Remember, this is an early stage for LIBRITOPIA, and it’s likely that updates and improvements are on the horizon. It’s budget-friendly, making it a low-risk investment if you’re curious to try it out. Just be prepared for a game that might not match your typical sim expectations.

This preview is based on an Early Access copy of the game provided by the publisher.