Tiny Bookshop

Tiny Bookshop is up there as one of my favorite games of 2025. I saw this on one of the video game showcases earlier in the year, and I just knew that this was going to be a game for me. This is the ultimate cozy game, and it is a game that I have really enjoyed playing in handheld mode on my Switch 2. It is on pretty much every system, but playing this in bed for a little bit before I go to sleep has become something of a nightly ritual. Plus, I had an awesome lazy Sunday the week this came out, where I just curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits and had a blast with this.

The Tiniest Bookshop Indeed

The premise of Tiny Bookshop is that we are running a little bookshop out of a trailer that we drive around, connected to the back of our car. We go to different areas and we offer our customers a variety of different books. One thing that is pretty neat is that these are actual real books, so as you browse your books for your customers, you will be reading the blurbs of tons of books and learning about them as you do. The cozy vibes with this game are evident right from the start, and there is just something very chill about this game. I wonder if anyone will actually try to run their own little mobile bookshop after playing this?

Building The World

The most surprising thing for me about Tiny Bookshop was just how connected I became to this world. You get to chat with people, of course, and chatting with them to help them find the perfect book for them is a massive part of the game. However, there are occasions where you can have random conversations with the townsfolk and get to know them and the place better. You can move the camera around a little bit in each of the areas and click on various things. This can trigger some text boxes that will give you more information about the town. The more I played the game, the more connected to this place and the people I was becoming.

Running The Perfect Little Bookshop

The management aspect of Tiny Bookshop is a ton of fun. You have to stock your books each day, and you will have an indicator about the genres that are popular and which are not. A customer will come in looking for a specific book, and from what they tell you, you are tasked with finding them the right book. The more books you have of a certain genre, the more likely you are to have a book that fits their needs. As you progress through the game, you will become better at getting an idea of what genres sell best where. Plus, each day, you can take the money you have earned to buy new boxes of books. You can also spruce up your bookshop, which is a ton of fun, too. The progression and gameplay loop of this game is one of the most addictive that I have encountered this year.

The Coziest Feeling

The whole aesthetic of Tiny Bookshop could not be any more gorgeous and cozy! From the warm and relaxing colors, the charming music, and the gorgeous-looking artwork that brings the various locations to life, ranging from right next to the sea, to the middle of town, next to a coffee shop that looks just as cozy as your little bookshop! This game has the cozy vibes pretty much down perfectly. It has a very relaxing soundtrack too, and I have found playing this in bed, with my headphones on and the sound not very loud, is like the perfect way to get fully immersed in the cozy vibes that this game is offering.

Pros:

• This is in the running for my game of 2025
• The whole game is just a joy to play
• I loved chatting with customers and people in the town
• The management of your little bookshop is so much fun and addictive

Cons:

• I need a physical release of this in my collection!
• I honestly have nothing negative to say about my experience with this game!