8.8

Review: Bookshop Simulator

Bookshop Simulator essentially says enough: in this Early Access title start and maintain your own bookshop. You start small, with an empty property and a few boxes of books, and slowly grow into a soothing bookstore!

The charm of the game is mainly in the presentation. The quiet music, warm colours and of course the shopping cat (meow!) give everything a cozy vibe. Soon you walk around, complete your shelves and place your orders. It plays away relaxed, but nevertheless motivates you to continue building your perfect store. For the price of so’n €15–€20 you get surprisingly much content, and the Steam community consequently reacts very positively. Do you want to try first? The free demo is quite extensive and gives a good impression of the game!

Personalization also works strongly. You decide for yourself what your store looks like: other floors, new wallpaper, furniture, decorations, you name it. You can also hire staff and there are rare “mythic” booking additional income and motivation Worry! 

But since the game is still in Early Access, you also sometimes notice some limitations. Some UI elements are simply too small to read properly, especially labels on storage shelves. Posting objects sometimes feels frustrating due to oversized hitboxes. And it is and will continue to be a simulation game, making it feel repetitive.