The Night Librarian
You are the new night librarian at Ashwood. Shelve the impossible returns, answer notes left by a patron who appears in no register, and piece together what the library remembers. A short, atmospheric mystery told over five nights and twenty-two puzzles.
The library closes at nine. A librarian always stays behind.
Ashwood Library has stood since 1889. Its night librarians rarely last a week. You are the new one.
For five nights you keep the desk alone. Books arrive that were never catalogued. Notes appear in the request tray, left by a patron whose name is in no register. The reading room at the end of the east corridor stays locked after nine, and you have been told not to ask why. Do the work. Shelve the returns. Answer the requests. And, night by night, learn what the library is really asking of you.
What you'll do:
Shelve and sort returns by genre, author, date, and call number, reading each book carefully before you decide.
Answer patron requests by finding the one book that matches every clue in a handwritten note.
Reassemble torn letters and hidden documents, piece by piece.
Deduce the truth from redacted records and the case files that fill the gaps.
A quiet, bookish mystery
Five chapters, twenty-two handcrafted puzzles, one very old secret.
A written, atmospheric story you uncover at your own pace, by candlelight and rain.
Gentle on-ramp and optional hints, so you are never truly stuck.
Chapter select and a keeper's record to revisit the nights you've kept.
Honest about what it is
The Night Librarian is a short, complete experience, roughly one to two hours for a first playthrough. It is meant to be read and savored in an evening or two, not stretched out. If you like cozy puzzles, dark academia, and a mystery that trusts you to pay attention, this was made for you.
Ashwood Library has stood since 1889. Thank you for continuing the legacy.
