Shelving games tier list.
Games where you put things on shelves.
What makes a good shelving game for me?
A ton of items get dumped in the middle of the map, and your one and only job is to put them on the right shelves.
It has ways to unlock skills that upgrade your carrying size, light up the destination of the item you’re holding, attract nearby items of the same type, unlock sprint and jump, lower cooldowns, increase effectiveness etc.
There are no other mechanics (beyond the occasional puzzle to figure out in which order items go on a shelf). Putting stuff on shelves is the end goal, not shelving to sell those items or anything like that.
Masterpiece
My favourite games in the genre, the top of the crop. As perfect as they can get, a true master class. The games that belong on the top shelf themselves.
Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library
The game that started the hype!
This is the shelving game. The one that captivated my heart and that of so many others, and set the tone for the entire genre. It genuinely does everything perfectly and is the best of the best!
Supermarket Chaos
The one that understood the assignment.
The second shelving game after Librarian that scratched the itch that needed to be scratched. Introduced multiplayer and multiple maps and levels, which only got me addicted further.
Cleaning Up The Puzzle Gallery
A different take on shelving meets jigsaw puzzling in an art museum.
I have been having a very cosy, comfortable blast finding the pieces of all these puzzles and bringing them home to their paintings! It’s nice passively picking up some more art knowledge as well as juggling a couple dozens puzzles and listening to classical music.
Quite good
Games that are great, with a lot of the things I love, that I got hooked on for a good while before putting them down.
Shelve the Potions!
Not out yet, but very promising tutorial/demo!
Combines the shelving genre with very light puzzle logic (i.e. figure out which way to sort bottles on shelves from your surroundings). Very satisfying, hits my potion bottle fixation. Not released yet, but on its way to be a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned!
Cellar Keeper
Throwing around the strongest bottles known in human history.
The look and feel of this game is very much like Librarian, and that makes it comfortable, recogniseable and cosy in my book. There could be a few updates in UI and more variety in bottle labels to make it even better, yet it instantly had me hooked as is.
Mixed bag
These are the “needs some more time in the oven” games. They have good elements that make me not dismiss them entirely, but they also lack in too many areas to really hook me.
Toy Keeper
Misbranded collectathon shelving game that needs an overhaul.
Thinking of it as a collector’s storage instead of a shop, it scratched that “collectibles” itch I have in every game. The lack of tutorial, clunky controls, and awkward store layout hold it back, but its modularity and multiplayer potential make it a game to keep an eye on.
Not good
I just really did not enjoy these games. They were either frustrating, unpolished, un-userfriendly, or just plain boring.
Toy Shop: Tidy Up
Not captivating, motivating or satisfying at all.
Tons of toys to place, resize, and arrange however you like, but the lack of structure, goals, and progression made it less motivating. More a decorating game than a shelving game.
To be reviewed
Have any other suggestions? Let me know on Discord!
