Steam's catalog of tidying-up games, which has recently featured titles focused on organizing libraries, magic shops, and toy stores, is set to receive a new, unsettling entry. "Something is Wrong With the Library" introduces psychic manifestations and corporeal horrors into the familiar genre of organizing books.
The game, available for wishlisting on Steam with a release planned for later this fall, centers on the player character Phillip Shed, the library's former administrator. Shed must organize books within a single night while confronting the gruesome reality of "psychic manifestations" made of flesh and dealing with the consequences of corpses found within the walls. The Steam listing also mentions the presence of a "The Drowning Room," adding to the game's unsettling atmosphere.
Distinguishing itself from other clutter-clearing games, "Something is Wrong With the Library" appears to incorporate a narrative, albeit a disturbing one. Developer Xalavier Nelson Jr., who previously worked as a librarian, aims to blend realism with the game's macabre elements. "If you've ever been in a library at night, you'll know that it feels unexpectedly warm and full of possibility–until you hear a single sound you don't recognize and realize you're surrounded by towering shadows," Nelson Jr. stated. He added, “As a former librarian, I truly hope that, despite the objectively messed-up things they're going to witness, everyone who plays the game falls in love with their local library a little more.”
Nelson Jr. also served as the lead developer on "CLICKOLDING," another unconventional Steam title where players repeatedly click a button opposite a mysterious character.