The Bookkeeper

The Bookkeeper is a cozy simulation game about learning the craft and mindset of book restoration. Using touch controls developed for iPad, experience the satisfying, tactile nature of book restoration as you methodically deconstruct and repair books (through tasks such as cleaning the cover, washing the pages and hanging them to dry, and unbinding/rebinding the pages) for a wide variety of customers.

Design goal:

The Bookkeeper aims to give players a sense of satisfaction, connection, and familiar coziness as they repair precious books entrusted to them by others and explore multiple meanings of “restoration.”

The Books

Old, worn, and well-loved books are the core focus of this game. The book is fully disassembleable to make the experience of restoring it as tactile and satisfying as possible. The detail in each book means that a lot of work goes into creating the textures for each book page. Two textures are created for the cover that are blended during the cleaning phase so that each book has a distinct personality to help the player connect with each individual quest.

The Space

We are still working to develop a cozy, warm, and welcoming atmosphere that feels like a favorite reading nook mixed with a much-loved workshop. Warm lighting, well-used props, a dynamic day/night cycle, and dust particle effects will work together to create a relaxing and cozy setting for our game.

The Mechanics

We wanted the experience of the book restoration process to be as tactile as possible so we made the decision to build for touch devices. We also liked how the affordances of the apple pencil mimic those of many of the tools used in restoration, so we chose iPad as our primary build target.

During a restoration, players can touch, swipe, and scrub the books with touch controls, which makes the process feel more immediate and tactile than a mouse-based control scheme. We are also experimenting with using gyroscope tilt controls to wash the pages so players feel like they are carefully tipping the washtub as the pages become clean.

A Metaphor

We want players to think beyond the task in front of them during the course of the game, so we weave themes of deconstruction and reconstruction into the narrative as well. The player should not only learn about book restoration, but should also begin to think about how this type of methodical care can help heal more than just physical objects.

To integrate these ideas, we created a mentor character that can pose questions to the player to get them thinking. The mentor serves as a guide to the player by teaching the player both the process and mindset of restoration.