LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator Preview

Everyone around me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with books, so it’s no surprise when I saw LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator that I wanted to have a go. Developed by Aiyra and Little Giants, LIBRITOPIA has only recently entered Early Access on Steam. So, when I was given the opportunity to give the code a try, I was happy to.

Now, I want to say that I would start off with the story, but… there isn’t one. You’re simply in charge of a library, and the books magically appear outside the back. Considering this is a simulator, I forgive it for this, but I do also like my goofy storylines. So, let’s dive into the controls. By all accounts, the controls are intuitive. All you need to do is walk around with WASD and click on each book to pick them up to bring to your visitors. If you want to switch your brain off, it’s great. After all, you have a Help Point for confused patrons to enquire about the ones they want, and you just need to go over and find their desired book.

Thankfully, this is made easy by the fact you can check the computer on the check-in desk, which you can use to identify an author, title, or genre. Then, when they return the book, there’s a mini-game where you have to quickly match the aforementioned topics to the book. It’s not difficult; it’s just annoying that they move about… but, I get why they did it.

In the mornings before the library opens, I’m usually just trying to create some semblance of order to my selections. However, I have to admit that the shelving options are limited. You have to choose specific items when you level up, and the ones you collect will be the only ones you can unlock. These then change with each level, so you do need to think carefully.

I have to admit, I was a little bit disappointed by the selection. I would have liked it if there was a way to unlock different furniture. As a lover of libraries and what they can offer, it would be nice if you could organise desks, chairs, and more. Hell, even having more variety out of… the classics would have been an improvement. I mean, I love Conan Doyle, Austen, and such as much as the next person, but the library itself doesn’t exactly feel welcoming.

That, and your visitors’ phones will ring, and you need to “Shh” them to ensure everyone else remains happy. If not, you get several angry people to deal with, and you don’t want to irritate the, because when you don’t get them what they want, they can and will throw a book at you.

Frankly, I wasn’t expecting this to be a lesson in the dangers of customer service, but there we are.

Now, you might be wondering about the different modes. There’s a co-op mode (that I haven’t tried yet), and there are two single-player modes. These can be summed up as casual or as a survival mode. If you get a dissatisfied customer in survival mode, it’s game over, but the casual mode allows you to simply earn points until Day 15 when it all ends.

Each day is roughly the same, and you essentially remain open until 10 PM. This, as someone who lives in the UK countryside, is shocking as my libraries barely stay open for the whole day. It confounds me, I say.

So, in terms of LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but I would say that more furniture options would be preferable. That, and even things like carts to place returned books. Or a way to hire more staff outside of the Auto Desks, as my guy who sits at the Check-In frightens me with his soulless eyes.

Overall, if you like libraries and want to experience finding books for people and arranging shelves, then this could be the game for you. As I’ve been avoiding arranging my shelf at home, it’s just cathartic to do so virtually.