PREVIEW / LIBRITOPIA: PC Librarian Simulator

Jumping into the Sim genre often feels like diving headfirst into a bag of surprises. Sure, you can say this about any game genre, but Sims seem to especially embody this unpredictability. On one hand, I’ve come across some real gems over the years. On the other? Well, a few have been pretty rough around the edges, earning some of my lowest scores as a reviewer. Today, we’re diving into LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator on the PC. While this game has its share of charm, there’s plenty that leaves me wanting more. But let’s hold the judgment for a moment as it’s important to note—this is an Early Access game. I’m evaluating what we have now, not what could be in its final form.

LIBRITOPIA lets you dream up and manage your very own library. The idea sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Libraries, with their warm ambiance, offer book lovers an escape from everyday chaos. They serve as a sanctuary for scholars and a refuge for those looking to lose themselves in stories. Heading into the game, I was hoping for a whimsical journey—something serene yet captivating. I didn’t quite expect to be thrust into the realm of frantic time-management, but surprise, that’s where I landed.

In the game, your task is to cater to visitors without racking up complaints. If a patron leaves without finding the book they came for, expect them to be less than thrilled with your service. Let this happen too many times in a day and you’re shown the door. Now, had this been labeled as a Dash game, I could have settled into the pace better. Unfortunately, the simplification of what should be a simulation robs it of the nuanced play one hopes for in this genre. Portraying the life of a librarian as simply stress-induced chaos seems off the mark for players like us.

Ahead of each day in LIBRITOPIA, you get the chance to reorganize your library, stocking items and collecting returns from the night before. It all starts at your virtual workstation, which feels odd, but soon book enthusiasts flood in, each searching for the next great read. This setup seems standard, hence any grievances about the game’s premise might come across as petty.

But here’s where things take an odd turn. For patrons who should presumably love books, yours often act bewilderingly clueless. Picture this: your library holds just a dozen books. A customer browses, yet asks for the book that’s right in front of them. It’s excusable in a vast collection, but not when your holdings span just two shelves with covers facing outward. To be fair, as you progress in the game, this issue evolves, but it creates new problems that don’t feel intentional.

Once you expand your holdings with more shelves, books end up spine-out—a classic library setup. Now, patrons may approach requesting an author or genre they’ve set their sights on. You have a couple of choices: either commit everything to memory or consult your management system at the check-in desk, which costs time and might test the patience of your patrons. Labeling shelves helps, but it’s incremental progress that doesn’t fully ease the rush.

Inside the game, the library divides into zones: check-in areas, check-out spaces, and desks for inquiries. Perhaps having multiple computer systems makes sense in the Sim world, but managing them feels needlessly complicated. Ideally, one comprehensive system would be better. As patrons start queuing up, you’d hope to minimize steps, adding complexity gradually rather than confronting you all at once. Automatic desks do come later, easing the process somewhat, but even then, it feels like a hefty investment of effort.

The routine of checking out books involves toggling back and forth between the search and checkout functions—a task that becomes cumbersome as queues grow. A snapshot view on-screen of your current task would drastically improve the flow.

On a brighter note, the check-in desk activity involves a mini matching game pairing titles with their authors or genres. A great concept, but marred by unresponsive controls that sometimes fail to register clicks, impeding the otherwise straightforward process. For a game leaning into Dash elements, this lack of fluidity doesn’t achieve the desired frenetic pace.

This back-and-forth about sums up LIBRITOPIA’s gameplay loop—locate, lend, return, and repeat. Simple, yet they’ve managed to complicate the process. A bit frustrating is when patrons request titles not yet in your collection—happening occasionally early on. It’s not catastrophic but considering patrons equate to your game lives, you’d rather not squander them on impossible asks.

Visually, LIBRITOPIA leans towards the more simplistic side. It throws us back to the bygone 2000s era with its graphics. While artistic choices and developer constraints set the stage, the aesthetics don’t impress. Audio, though sparse, further misfires; mismatched voice effects don’t help immersion, even if they’re only snippets of sound. The controls themselves do their job without hitches.

If Dash-style games are your cup of tea, there is potential fun to be found in LIBRITOPIA: Librarian Simulator. This probably won’t sweep any Game of the Year awards, but some mechanics could keep players engaged. The term “Simulator,” though, might set misaligned expectations, as it doesn’t truly reflect traditional Sim gameplay. As a Dash title, its challenges could reel you in for replayability. For now, however, its flaws make for a mixed experience.

It’s important to remember we’re dealing with Early Access here. There’s plenty of room for LIBRITOPIA to grow, particularly with dedicated developers at the helm. Being budget-friendly, it’s worth exploring if you’re inclined, knowing revisions are likely as updates roll out. This glimpse into the potential of LIBRITOPIA comes courtesy of an Early Access copy provided by the Publisher.