Sneak Peek: Librarian Simulator – Libritopia (PC Edition)

The simulation game genre has always been a bit of a hit or miss. Sure, you could make that argument about any game category, but sims seem to showcase this more noticeably. I’ve tried some fantastic ones over the years, but there have also been some real disasters—games you could slap a “Sim” label on despite their dreadful quality, and somehow, they get a pass. Today, I’m diving into LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator on PC. There’s a certain charm to it, but it leaves quite a bit to be desired. Keep in mind, I’m not going all out to critique here since this is an Early Access review, reflecting the game’s current state, not what it might eventually become.

In LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator, you get the opportunity to create and manage your own library. The concept sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Libraries are those cozy havens where book lovers and students alike find refuge from the chaos of everyday life. I anticipated a whimsical, relaxing experience—something laid-back yet engagingly addictive. What I got, however, was more of a frantic dash game experience, which wasn’t exactly what I signed up for.

In the game, your main task is to cater to your patrons’ needs without getting too many complaints. If you can’t provide what a customer wants, they’ll leave unhappy. Collect enough of those disgruntled patrons in a single day, and it’s game over for you. If this was labeled as a Dash game, it would have been fine, but calling it a Sim dilutes the essence of what a true simulation should be—rendering the title somewhat misleading. We’re turning the librarian role into a stress-fest, and while there might be some accuracy there, it’s doubtful that’s what players are looking for.

When you start your day in LIBRITOPIA, you can add new items to your library and collect any books that have been returned overnight. You begin from your computer terminal, which strikes as a bit odd, and soon enough, a flood of book enthusiasts descend upon your library eager to be satisfied. Up to this point, everything seems in line with expectations, so it wouldn’t be fair to complain about the setup.

Here’s where things start getting quirky: your clientele, supposedly well-read, are surprisingly clueless—almost comically so. You start out with a mere twelve books on your shelf, and yet, patrons will stroll right up to the shelves, pretend to browse, and then request the very book that’s sitting directly in front of them. This might be forgivable in a room brimming with countless titles or unsorted stacks, but with so few books available, it’s a bit ridiculous. As the game progresses and you collect even more titles, this problem morphs into a different conundrum that I’m not sure the developers intended.

Once you expand your library with more shelves, books are sorted with only their spines visible. This setup means a patron might ask for an author or genre, and unless you’ve memorized your entire inventory or are prepared to consult the check-in desk constantly, things can get crazy. This setup is somewhat smart but takes up time and dwindles away at customer patience. As you can’t afford to rack up impatient patrons, this mechanic feels unnecessarily cumbersome.

Your library also includes various zones like check-in and check-out desks, but the need for separate computer systems for each remains baffling. If we aim for realism, combining these functions makes way more sense. Waiting areas are a thoughtful addition, providing necessary game progression touchpoints, but should do so without complexity that feels cumbersome from the get-go.

Checking out a book requires you to go to a computer, search for it, then return to the checkout. This is manageable, but doing this while a line builds feels clunky; a pop-up for quick book identification would streamline this nicely. On the flip side, check-ins involve a matching game with buttons that feel unresponsive, detracting from the fluid dash mechanics that should be at the core of such tasks.

Overall, the loop in LIBRITOPIA is straightforward: acquire books, lend them out, check them back in. The mechanics could not be simpler, yet the implementation manages to make it awkward. To make matters worse, patrons request books you haven’t seen yet, which is troubling since patrons double as your game lives.

Visually, LIBRITOPIA doesn’t push any boundaries. It could be mistaken for a title from the early 2000s. The audio is sparse, and voice-mismatch between characters is noticeable, which affects immersion. Controls, however, are intuitive and behave as expected.

For fans of Dash-style games, LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator might hold some appeal. It’s not likely to become a classic, but it does have enjoyable elements. Labeling it a Sim might not do it justice; it seems more at home within the Dash genre, offering a delightful challenge and replay value. As for the issues I’ve pointed out, they place the game squarely in the “just okay” category for now.

Yet, being an Early Access title means there’s potential for significant improvement. Developers are actively refining the game, and it’s not a costly investment, so experimenting won’t break the bank either.

This Preview is based on an Early Access copy of the game provided by the Publisher.