Info about TV Archive: Tidy Up Together:

Official game description:
This is a first-person organization simulation game where you shelve the videotapes, unlock new skills, and use your unique methods to tidy up the TV archive.
Game Modes
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Solo, together, or competition...
Enjoy the different game modes: Single player, online co-op, and online PvP.
You can also try "Sandbox Mode", where all your skills are unlocked and always ready to use, or "No-Skill Mode" to challenge yourself.
Videotape Categories
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Your task is to shelve 3,180 videotapes into the correct categories in the archive.
Action movies, drama movies, TV series, cartoons, horror movies, comedy movies, athletic games, football cups, romance movies, sci-fi movies, baseball, tennis, news, game shows, basketball, motorsport, cooking shows, documentaries, boxing, and talk shows.
Skills
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*   **Sorting Numerically:** Sorts the videotapes in your hand in numerical order
*   **Highlighting Shelf:** Highlights the correct shelf for the topmost videotape in your hand
*   **Highlighting Videotapes:** Highlights the same videotapes as the topmost videotape in your hand
*   **Auto-Placement:** Automatically places your videotapes on the shelf in the correct order
*   **Auto-Collect:** Automatically collects the same videotapes as the topmost videotape in your hand

Release date: Aug 14, 2026

Categories: Organization Game, Cooperative Multiplayer, Single-player, Skill Progression, Sandbox Mode, Cozy Game


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 5.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first evidence reports a solo run taking about 5 hours, the second reports a cooperative playthrough completed in 2 hours, and the third reports a solo completion of 8 hours. These three data points indicate that game completion time varies widely depending on player count and play style, with 5 hours being a central estimate. No explicit evidence for story completion, session length, or endgame hours is present; the only session-related mentions are negative first impressions of 10 minutes, which are not representative of typical play sessions.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: TV Archive: Tidy Up Together offers immediate relaxation for some, but a mandatory tutorial and forced skill progression can delay enjoyment for others, often requiring several hours to unlock desired upgrades.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Unlocking desired skills
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: mandatory tutorial; locked skill tree; forced useless skill upgrades; tedious busywork
  - Unlock drivers: unlocking desired skills; accessing skill tree; rewarding upgrades
  - Conditions: ignoring the progression grind; playing with friends; lowering difficulty setting; tolerating repetitive actions
- Player Archetypes:
  - Cozy Sorters (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and satisfaction from organizing items in a tidy, orderly way.
    - Playstyle: Solo or co-op, methodical sorting while relaxing, often with background music.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: cozy tidy lover
    - Reference games: Librarian
  - Multiplayer Enthusiasts (buy)
    - Motivation: Social fun and bonding with friends through cooperative or competitive sorting.
    - Playstyle: Playing online co-op or PvP with friends, enjoying the social chaos and shared chill time.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Critical Players (no buy)
    - Motivation: Desire for a focused, polished cozy sorting experience without misplaced features or technical flaws.
    - Playstyle: Solo, analytical, comparing the game to genre standards and expecting polished execution.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Librarian


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Relaxing and soothing gameplay (weight 0.99): Many players highlight the game's calming and satisfying nature, describing it as perfect for unwinding and stress relief. The gameplay is smooth, effortless, and provides a meditative experience.
- Great with friends (weight 0.68): Players enjoy the game's multiplayer and co-op modes, noting it's fun, funny, and more enjoyable when playing with someone else. Different game modes increase the fun with friends.
- Satisfying for organizing fans (weight 0.5): The game is a great fit for people who enjoy sorting, organizing, and tidying. Players find it extremely satisfying to see a messy room transform into a neat, ordered space.
- Customization and progression (weight 0.34): The game offers customization options for ability unlocks and a progression system that enhances the experience. Skills require active use and add variety.
- Pleasant physics and controls (weight 0.3): Players appreciate the smooth controls and comfortable physics, which enhance the overall experience. The controls are simple and easy to pick up.
- Fun and engaging game loop (weight 0.3): The gameplay is absorbing and addictive, with a satisfying loop that appeals to players with ADHD and perfectionists.
- Positive performance experience (weight 0.27): Players report no technical issues such as frame drops, crashes, or bugs, and the controls are responsive without lag.
- Funny and nostalgic content (weight 0.22): The movie titles and covers are humorous and nostalgic, adding to the fun. Players enjoy guessing the original works referenced in the parodies.
- Clear placement feedback (weight 0.22): The game provides clear visual feedback when placing tapes incorrectly, with highlighted areas that make mistakes easy to identify. This helps players correct errors without frustration.
- Multiple gameplay modes (weight 0.19): The game includes various modes such as solo, co-op, PvP, Sandbox, and a No Skills challenge, offering variety and replayability.
- Unobtrusive and fitting music (weight 0.17): The background music is unobtrusive and fits the game's atmosphere, not repetitive and pleasant for relaxation.
- Good value for price (weight 0.16): Reviews mention the game is fairly priced and worth the purchase cost. It offers a good amount of content for its price.
- Good for time-killing (weight 0.12): The game serves as an enjoyable way to pass the time and relieve stress, making it suitable for short sessions or extended play.
- Accessibility and readability (weight 0.11): The game is likely accessible for players with dyslexia and offers a puzzle-like experience in visually identifying covers, making it inclusive.
- Effective flare beam tool (weight 0.06): The flare beam helps locate similar items, reducing eye strain and making the sorting process more efficient.
- Decent game but with alternatives (weight 0.06): While the game is generally good, some players suggest that other games might be better alternatives, indicating it is not the best in its genre.
- Easy item selection (weight 0.06): Selecting items from piles is straightforward and convenient, adding to the smooth gameplay experience.
- Host public lobbies (weight 0.06): Players can host public lobbies to receive help from random players when friends are unavailable, facilitating multiplayer sessions.
- Developer is responsive (weight 0.06): The developer is receptive to feedback, which is a positive sign for future improvements.
- Multiple save files (weight 0.05): The game supports multiple save files, allowing players to have different playthroughs or save states.

Common complaints:
- AI-generated art criticized (weight 0.58): Multiple reviews criticize the game for using AI-generated art, describing it as lazy and lacking intentionality. This is a major aesthetic and ethical concern for players.
- Clunky VHS sorting mechanics (weight 0.5): The core sorting and shelving mechanics are confusing and unsatisfying, with poor visual categorization leading to constant guessing and reordering. This undermines the main gameplay loop.
- Game crashes and loses progress (weight 0.48): Frequent crashes, freezes, and lack of autosave cause significant progress loss, especially during multiplayer sessions. This is a critical technical issue that ruins the experience.
- Progression system is frustrating (weight 0.4): Skill progression is slow and limited, requiring buying useless skills in a fixed order and locking abilities behind tedious tasks. This makes upgrades feel like a chore rather than rewarding.
- Poor visual design and labeling (weight 0.34): Tape covers and labels are chaotic, uninteresting, and lack clear genre indicators, causing strain and confusion. Even sports categories are overabundant and leak into others.
- Repetitive and monotonous gameplay (weight 0.31): Players find the game repetitive and monotonous, making long sessions unpleasant. The lack of variety and unchallenging feedback loop leads to boredom and a chore-like feeling.
- Bland and soulless presentation (weight 0.31): The game feels bland and soulless, lacking personality and relaxation that a tidying game should have. The aggressive brightness and poor animation add to the dissatisfaction.
- Imitation of superior games (weight 0.3): The game is widely compared to 'Librarian' and 'Magic Library', with critics calling it a lazy, less refined imitation with videos instead of books. It fails to add new meaningful content.
- Categorization and identification issues (weight 0.3): Many series and categories are hard to identify, leading to frequent guesswork and reordering. The lack of chronological clues in titles adds unnecessary difficulty.
- Missing features and bugs (weight 0.26): Lack of autosave, inability to view tapes, and uncooperative controls add to frustration. Frequent reordering due to unexpected older tapes further annoys players.
- Controls and interface issues (weight 0.24): Controls are weird, key bindings work inconsistently, and cursor size is too small on controller, causing difficulty. The interface could be more convenient, and audio channel changing is annoying.
- Unstable and poorly performing (weight 0.2): The game runs poorly on low settings, freezes, and sometimes prevents entry due to loading times. This makes it unplayable for many.
- Features feel limiting or forced (weight 0.18): Forced tutorials, lack of modern features like DVD rental, and unnecessary PvP modes detract from the cozy tidying experience. The game feels less simple and relaxing than expected.
- Player dissatisfaction and stress (weight 0.18): The overall experience is frustrating, stressful, and anxiety-inducing rather than relaxing. The game is not accessible to beginners and induces motion sickness for some.
- Multiplayer synchronization problems (weight 0.16): In multiplayer, tapes disappear for other players and need to be re-dropped, and adding players can be blocked. These technical issues disrupt cooperative play.
- Tape physics and interaction problems (weight 0.16): Tapes clip through the floor and shelves, causing loss of items, and some reset buttons fail to retrieve them. The game lacks proper physics checks.
- Audio and translation issues (weight 0.15): No sound may occur, and audio channels are annoying. Translation errors and inconsistencies in titles create confusion in sorting.
- Insufficient content variety (weight 0.13): There are too few unique titles, many tapes have multiple seasons, and some series have missing years, limiting the depth of sorting. The game lacks new measures like more stages or modes.
- Visual issues with tapes (weight 0.13): Tapes float in front of the face blocking vision, and some covers morph into other characters, breaking immersion. The covers appear inconsistent and chaotic.
- Scary and awkward moments (weight 0.08): One player noted a scary ending and awkward episode findings, contributing to an unsettling atmosphere rather than a relaxing one. These elements stand out as disruptive.

Gameplay feedback:
- Supports solo and multiplayer (weight 0.78): The game can be played solo or with others, including co-op with friends and PvP competition. Multiplayer modes include online co-op and PvP, with a lobby system for playing with friends.
- Core gameplay is VHS sorting (weight 0.74): The primary mechanic involves sorting and shelving VHS tapes in numerical order within a video store setting. Players also clean and arrange tapes, with emphasis on correct placement.
- Cozy tidy-up simulation (weight 0.33): The game is described as a cozy, tidy, and sorting simulation, with a focus on cleanliness and order. It is also a co-op cleaning sim.
- Skill upgrade system (weight 0.26): Players can upgrade special skills that assist in gameplay. A sandbox mode unlocks all skills at once, while a No Skills mode offers a challenge without upgrades.
- Librarian-style organizing game (weight 0.21): Players engage in librarian-like sorting and tidying activities, organizing items like books that have year attributes. The game is described as a librarian-style sorting game.
- Video rental store setting (weight 0.12): The game is set in a video rental store with categories like sports and animation, and involves cleaning up the store. Players organize and shelve videotapes in a nostalgic setting.
- Mistakes highlighted during sorting (weight 0.12): Putting the wrong tape on a shelf or in the wrong order leaves it highlighted, providing immediate feedback for correct placement. This mechanic aids in teaching proper sorting.
- TV archive tidying mode (weight 0.11): The game also involves tidying and organizing shows, bringing order to a TV archive. This adds variety beyond just VHS tapes.
- Fictional cover art on tapes (weight 0.11): Videotapes feature fictional images as cover art, with recognizable imagery that adds to the game's setting and theme.

Performance notes:
- Frequent freezes and crashes (weight 0.32): Multiple clusters report the game freezing or crashing, sometimes every 10 minutes or multiple times in multiplayer. This suggests a significant stability issue affecting many players.
- Performance issues with lag (weight 0.23): Players experience lag and poor performance, even on low graphics settings or after prolonged play. High item quantities can cause intense lag and delayed movements, impacting gameplay.
- Hardware stress and noise (weight 0.13): The game causes system case fans and graphics card fans to spin loudly, raising concerns about hardware strain and long play sessions. This may indicate inefficient resource usage.
- Crashes cause progress loss (weight 0.12): Some crashes, especially when hosting, result in losing progress, which is frustrating for players. This reinforces the need for better crash recovery and autosave features.
- Optimization concerns on strong hardware (weight 0.12): Even on not-so-weak computers, the game freezes, and the reviewer notes that optimization may be average. This suggests the game may not be well optimized for a range of systems.
- Mixed performance feedback (weight 0.11): While some players report no bugs and no lag, others suffer from severe performance problems. This indicates variability in player experience.
- Long load times (weight 0.06): One player noted long load times that prevent the game from loading properly. This is a specific but less common issue that can hinder gameplay.
- Item clipping issues (weight 0.06): A player encountered tapes clipping through the floor, a minor but noticeable bug. This is a niche issue but reflects on overall polish.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for organizing game fans (weight 0.32): Multiple reviews recommend the game specifically to players who enjoy organizing, tidying, and sorting games. This is the most frequent positive sentiment in the feedback.
- Overall mixed recommendation (weight 0.26): While some reviewers clearly recommend the game, others do not, and several suggest alternatives. This shows that the game is controversial or only for a specific audience.
- Some strongly advise against buying (weight 0.19): Several reviewers explicitly say 'do not buy' or 'do not play' the game, suggesting significant dissatisfaction. This negative sentiment is clear and direct.
- Try other sorting games instead (weight 0.19): Multiple reviews recommend playing other similar games like Librarian, Supermarket Chaos, or Cleaning Up the Puzzle Gallery instead of this one. This suggests these alternatives are seen as superior.
- Enjoyable with friends (weight 0.18): Several reviewers recommend playing with friends or in multiplayer, noting the game is good for a couple of evenings with others. This suggests a social element is a strength.
- Not worth sale price (weight 0.13): One reviewer states the game is not worth the sale price, implying poor value for money. Another notes the game may not be worth its cost.
- Relaxing and low-pressure experience (weight 0.13): Several reviewers describe the game as relaxed, low-pressure, and a good way to unwind. This is a positive attribute for those seeking a calm gaming experience.
- Concerns about generative AI use (weight 0.13): One reviewer recommends the game only if players do not mind generative AI being used for textures. Another explicitly says 'do not support AI or this game', indicating ethical concerns.
- Refund strategy due to short game (weight 0.13): One reviewer suggests playing the game only if you can finish it in under two hours to be eligible for a refund. This implies the game is short and possibly not worth full engagement.
- Requires patience due to time commitment (weight 0.13): One reviewer notes the game is recommended only for patient players because it is time-consuming. Another says solo play is too time-consuming, which may be a drawback for some.
- Comparable to Librarian game (weight 0.13): Two reviews directly compare this game to Librarian, either recommending this one or suggesting Librarian instead. This indicates these games are perceived as similar in style.
- Recommended for relaxing and engaging play (weight 0.12): One reviewer recommends it for getting absorbed into the game, while another suggests it for a relaxing experience. These highlights engage and unwind for different player types.
- Recommended only for genre enthusiasts (weight 0.12): Some reviewers state the game is recommended only if you enjoy the genre of sorting games. This is a conditional recommendation based on strong genre preference.
- Appeals to order-loving players (weight 0.07): One reviewer notes the game may appeal specifically to players with a need for cleanliness and order. This indicates the game is niche and not universally appealing.
- Accessibility benefits for dyslexic players (weight 0.07): One reviewer recommends the game for people who might find reading difficult, such as those with dyslexia. This highlights a potential accessibility advantage.

Other player notes:
- Compared to Librarian game (weight 0.55): Players frequently compare this game to the 'Librarian' series, describing it as a parody, copy, or imitation. Many find this version less refined, lacking the relaxing atmosphere and intuitive design cues of the original.
- AI-generated art criticized (weight 0.4): Multiple reviewers noted the game relies entirely on AI-generated art, including the cover, which they find unpolished and low-quality. The developer disclosed AI use for fictional videotape images, but this did not mitigate the negative perception.
- Similar to other sorting games (weight 0.34): Reviewers noted the game is almost identical to previously released sorting games and compared it to titles like Magic Library, Arcane Library, and Supermarket Chaos. Some found these other games to be more polished and better designed.
- Short completion time (weight 0.22): Several players reported the game can be completed quickly, with estimates ranging from about 2 hours to 2 hours 3 minutes, and one reviewer took nearly 8 hours solo. This suggests a short overall experience suited for brief sessions.
- Low price is positive (weight 0.17): A few reviewers explicitly mentioned the game being cheap, inexpensive, or fairly priced. This was considered a positive aspect, suggesting the game's value aligns with its low cost.
- Lacks relaxing element (weight 0.12): Compared to the 'Librarian' game, this title lacks the relaxing aspect that made the original enjoyable. Reviewers noted a worse overall experience when considering this missing quality.
- Suitable for short sessions (weight 0.12): The game is described as suited for short sessions or a couple of evenings rather than long playthroughs. This fits with its short completion time and casual sorting gameplay.
- Limited character customization (weight 0.12): Reviewers pointed out the avatar creation lacks black character options and wished for more character design choices overall. This is seen as a diversity and customization shortcoming.
- Insufficient design cues (weight 0.07): In comparison to the Librarian game, this title lacks intuitive design cues, making the sorting mechanics less clear. This led to a worse player experience according to one reviewer.
- Better than store simulators (weight 0.06): A reviewer compares this game type favorably to store simulator games, suggesting it offers a more enjoyable experience in the genre. This positive note is isolated but relevant to potential buyers.
- Developer receptive feedback (weight 0.06): One review notes the developer is receptive to feedback, indicating active engagement with the community. The reviewer also notes this is the developer's first game, which may explain certain rough edges.
- Large content variety (weight 0.06): The game includes a wide variety of VHS tapes across movie genres and sports like Football and Tennis, contributing to its sorting content. This was noted as a positive aspect.
- Technical issues exist (weight 0.06): A reviewer reports freezing issues that do not occur in other games of the same genre, indicating a potential stability problem. This could affect the player experience negatively.
- Potential Disney legal issue (weight 0.06): One review mentions a potential legal action from Disney regarding the Donald Duck cover on the game, which may pose a legal risk for the developer.
- Retro atmosphere appreciated (weight 0.06): One reviewer highlights the retro atmosphere as a positive feature of the game. This adds nostalgic value to the overall experience.
- Negative review insults (weight 0.06): One reviewer notes insulting comments about player skill under negative reviews, reflecting a toxic community interaction. This is a community issue rather than a game issue.
- Blockbuster-style setting suggested (weight 0.06): A reviewer suggests a Blockbuster-style DVD rental store would be a better setting for the game. This is an opinion on the game's theme.
- Achievement system exists (weight 0.06): The game includes an achievement system for 100% completion, catering to completionist players. This is a feature noted by one reviewer.
- Not a clone argument (weight 0.06): One reviewer refutes claims that the game is a clone of Arcane Library, suggesting it has unique elements. This counterpoint is isolated among reviews.
- Czech language available (weight 0.06): The game is available in Czech language, making it accessible to Czech-speaking players. This was noted as a positive aspect by one reviewer.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.12): Players frequently experience frustration due to a lack of clear labels and visual cues on tapes and shelves, forcing them to guess the correct placement and year order. This is compounded by frequent crashes, freezes, and a lack of auto-save, which causes significant progress loss and forces restarts.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the game primarily because of its satisfying sorting gameplay, which is especially fun when played solo or cooperatively with friends. The chill, calming nature of organizing tapes and the engaging skill system contribute to a positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Many players are disappointed by the perceived use of AI-generated art and the game being seen as a poor imitation of similar titles, such as Librarian, with lazy design choices. This is compounded by a lack of variety, unbalanced tape categories, and mandatory tutorials that restrict freedom, making the game feel lower in quality.
- Relaxation (weight 0.07): The game provides a relaxing and low-pressure experience through its soothing gameplay and comfortable background music. The gradual process of organizing a messy archive into a tidy room is pleasant, creating a calm, cozy atmosphere that helps players unwind and de-stress.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players derive a strong sense of satisfaction from sorting and shelving videotapes, creating perfect order and watching shelves fill up. The game's smooth controls, good music, and variety of content enhance the positive feeling of bringing chaos into order.
- Relaxed (weight 0.05): The game is consistently described as relaxing, offering a pleasant and calm experience that players enjoy while unwinding. The satisfying and serene act of sorting tapes helps to create a stress-free and enjoyable atmosphere.
- Frustrated (weight 0.03): Players are frustrated by confusing mechanics and a lack of visual cues, which makes sorting tedious and unrewarding. Lag and delays due to item quantity, along with crashes and infrequent auto-saves that cause progress loss, add to the negative experience, as does a cursor that is too small with a controller.
- Satisfied (weight 0.03): The game provides a satisfying experience through the neat, tidy result of sorting, with the joy of filling empty shelves and guessing the original works from covers. Great gameplay and a lack of issues further enhance the feeling of satisfaction.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find amusement from the funny movie titles in the game and the enjoyable interactions when playing with friends. The contrast of spending hours organizing a virtual video store while not cleaning one's own room also adds a light-hearted, humorous touch.
- Fun (weight 0.03): The game is fun to play, especially with friends, with co-op modes allowing for playful chaos and shared experiences. The unusual concept and engaging gameplay make it an enjoyable time despite its odd premise.
- Calm (weight 0.03): The game's organizing gameplay provides a meditative and flow-state experience that is calm and engaging. The game does not rush the player, which fosters a sense of peace and allows for a focused and soothing activity.
- Comfort (weight 0.02): The game provides a cozy and chill vibe, with visuals and music that are easy on the eyes and pleasant to experience. Playing alone at night with fitting visuals and music adds to the overall comfort.
- Annoyed (weight 0.02): Players are annoyed by translation errors, which disrupt immersion, and the use of AI and stolen covers, which feel cheap. The game's tendency to freeze, forcing a close through the task manager, is another significant source of annoyance.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Players are disappointed by poor performance that prevents playing the game as intended. Comparisons to Librarian and the presence of AI content fail to meet expectations, turning a potentially cozy game into a chore that is quickly abandoned.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): The game induces discomfort when trying to find a particular episode, making the process awkward. For completionists, the need to reorder items by year is an annoying aspect that disrupts flow.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the unexpected engaging cleaning gameplay, which turns out to be more fun than expected. A random player joining a hosted lobby is also an unexpected, yet notable, moment.
- Stress (weight 0.01): The overall gameplay experience can be stressful due to poor control feel and design. The player feels stress, which is exacerbated by a lack of smooth controls.
- Joy (weight 0.01): The game brings joy through fun, relaxing co-op organization with a friend or solo. Organizing videotapes provides a satisfying, enjoyable experience that is a great way to spend time.
- Relief (weight 0.01): The game's relaxing sorting mechanics help to relieve stress and provide a sense of control. Players feel reduced anxiety, achieving a calm mental state through the soothing organization of the archive.
- Fear (weight 0.01): The ending part with the news is scary, creating a feeling of fear in players.}