Steam has seen an avalanche of cheap and cheerful tidying-up games lately, from libraries to magic shops to toy stores. But the genre is about to get weird. A new game called Something is Wrong With the Library is still about organizing books, but this time around, you’re doing it while dealing with “psychic manifestations” made of flesh. And the walls of the building are full of the corpses of homeless people.
Steam lets you add it to your wishlist right away, ahead of its release later this fall. What sets this game apart from other clutter-clearing titles is that it pairs the work with a (deeply messed up) story. You step into the role of Phillip Shed, the library’s former administrator, and spend one night sorting through the books while facing the grisly aftermath of the bodies hidden inside the walls.
The Corpse-Filled Setting
One night is all you get to put the books in order. What sets this game apart, though, is where that sorting takes place. The library’s walls are lined with the dead bodies of homeless people, and the psychic manifestations are made of flesh — a grim detail that distinguishes it from the usual shelves-and-stacks fare.
The title The Drowning Room appears on the game’s listing, and it does not sound alarming at first hearing. But given the rest of what the package offers, that name reads as a caution rather than a comfort. The developer has plainly added fear to the library sorting genre, and they are providing it without holding back.
The Developer’s History
A studio led by Xalavier Nelson Jr. created this game, and he’s known for producing odd titles. His earlier work includes CLICKOLDING, which involved sitting in a room facing a suspicious stranger and clicking a button 10,000 times. That game earned a reputation as a strange gem on Steam, and this new project follows a comparable path.
Nelson’s background as a former librarian adds a layer of authenticity to the game’s setting. He knows what a library feels like at night, and he has turned that knowledge into a game about warmth, possibility, and towering shadows.
A Former Librarian’s Warning
Nelson has spoken about the game’s approach to its setting. “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,” he says.
He also addressed the game’s darker elements directly. “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,” he said.
The game’s horror appears to serve more than mere shock value, according to this developer whose work frequently explores disturbing territory. Instead, it seems designed to make players care about the very space they are tasked with cleaning.
What Sets It Apart
The majority of sorting games tend to be cheerful, simple, and quick to learn. Something is Wrong With the Library breaks from that pattern. Psychic disturbances, dead bodies inside the walls, and a deadline of just one night all work together to create a sense of urgency that few titles in this category attempt.
| Game | Setting | Core Mechanic | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Something is Wrong With the Library | A library with corpses in the walls | Sorting books | Horror |
| Other tidying-up games | Libraries, shops, toy stores | Sorting items | Light, cheerful |
The table below shows how far this game sits from its closest peers. Most titles in the genre are built around restoring order. This one instead adds horror to the mix.
A Messy Premise Worth Watching
A library sorting game mixed with horror is truly unusual. It places a genre built on calm and order into a nightmare setting. That is a daring choice.
The developer has a history of delivering solid results, and their past project proves it. CLICKOLDING demonstrated the ability to turn an idea that reads as absurd on paper into a fully functional game. Something is Wrong With the Library appears to be a logical follow-up to that earlier work.
Later this fall marks the release of the game, while the wishlist option is already active. Those who favor some disorder alongside their precision might wish to monitor it closely. Corpse-strewn walls and psychic disturbances alike will likely attract notice.
The outcome rests on the release itself to prove, while the idea behind it remains worth keeping in mind.
Source material: “New Game Ready to Add Meat and Blood to Steam’s Tidying-Up Craze,” IGN.
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