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Steam Gaming: Tiny Bookshop

Posted on February 19, 2026 by Aywren

Tiny Bookshop is a cute indie game about running a mobile bookshop in a small town. I picked this up over the holidays specifically to try out my Steam Deck, and it’s been one of my main go-to games on the system. It’s turned out to be exactly what I hoped, and more, from a cozy book shop simulator!

The game features several locations across the area map that slowly unlock as you play and seasons pass. Each location has its own book type reading preferences and different kinds of people you’re likely to meet.

Real Books, Real Recommendations

The coolest thing about Tiny Bookshop is that books on your shelf are actual real books IRL! As you click on books, you can see not just the title, but the author, the date of publication, how many pages the book has, along with a short summary. So, you might just find some new books you’re interested in by playing this game!

During your sales day, you’ll often run across special events where a customer asks you to make a book recommendation. They can give you some pretty specific details about what they’re looking for – down to how long the book should be – while other times, they only have a general idea what they want.

There are certain requirements you must fill – usually the first part of the request - while other parts of the request are more flexible. As in the example above, the reader wanted something in horror and noted a manga like Attack on Titan. I didn’t have any comics on my shelves. Instead, I took a chance and suggested them Stephen King’s It, and they were pleased with my choice! So, you never really know!

If you do meet their expectations, there seems to be a sales boost in your shop for a time. It’s a fun little mini-game within the game.

Watching the Calendar

Similar to other life sims, there is a seasonal calendar in this game. As seasons change, so do objectives and what the people in the town are doing. Certain days of the week also host specific events – such as the Flea Market or a Cruise Ship arrival.

You can always check the newspaper to see what’s going on as well as find used books to purchase from the classified. I love the idea of just shopping around for cheap boxes of used books to resell. Feels really wholesome and I wish I could do it IRL!

You also have a journal where you automatically keep notes on quests and information about locations and people you meet.

Let’s Talk About People

Speaking of people, I was surprised to discover this game was more than just a shop simulator where you set up, sell, and break down. It feels a little bit like Stardew Valley in that there’s a colorful cast of varied NPCs who introduce themselves and then consistently interact with you through small quest lines.

You get to chat with them – some appear more often in certain locations than others – see what’s going on in their lives, and help with situations. One guy is a local retail worker who wants to see his local band succeed, and you agree to help advertise for them. Another woman was the previous bookseller of the town who has now retried and is working through the emotional challenges of this life change.

There really is a good variety of people, backgrounds, and ages to these NPCs. While I don’t think there’s any romance involved in this, it still feels good and fosters a connection to the people and their town’s culture as you complete small quests and get to know them.

Sometimes they even give you things to help out your shop!

Oh, that’s right!

Decorations Matter

Not only is your little mobile building a shop, but it’s completely customizable through paints and decorations. In fact, part of the strategy of the game is based off the perks and hazards that different decoration combinations can have.

It’s not all about looking pretty! You can decorate both inside and outside your shop and each item has some effect on the mood it provides.

Want to have more book variety? Buy more shelves.

Want to sell more of a certain type of book – for example, crime books? Add more spooky or dangerous themed items that provide a bonus to crime book sales, and go to a location where the folks love to read crime books. It’s sure to boost your daily sales to look for good combinations like that!

As you go to restock your bookshelves each day, you can see on the right-hand side which types of books have a bonus. Here, I’ve had a lot of spooky decorations for the fall season, so I’m selling out of crime books often!

Overall, there’s something very satisfying about setting up and tearing down your shop each day. When there’s a solid day of sales, and people are just flocking to your little shop, you can see them stacking up the books they’re buying in real time.

Each game day runs by fairly fast. Almost too fast, in my opinion. But this does keep the gameplay loop snappy if you just want a quick game to pick up and make a little progress on here and there. I’m still only on the first year of my playthrough, so I feel like I have a lot yet to see in this game and how the town develops.

As I said, it turned out to be more involved than I expected in all the best ways!

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