Beginner Guide

Start by learning the shelf map and getting the key upgrades. Sorting random piles before you understand 1A-2Q labels creates extra walking and makes late cleanup harder.

First 20 Minutes

• Read the two floor maps near the stairs, then keep the shelf map and controls reference open for quick lookup.
• Pick up books by title, not by color alone. The crosshair shows the book title, and the title tells you the shelf theme.
• Grab the Crimson Octagon Key and unlock High Jump.
• Get the remaining keys before long sorting routes: carry upgrades and Run pay off immediately.
• Work one section at a time. A completed row is more valuable than placing a few random books across the whole library.

Do This Instead Of Wandering

Situation	Better move
You understand the title theme	Place it by section code using Shelf Map.
The title sounds like two categories	Search the exact title in Books before walking both floors.
You have several books with similar cover colors	Use color as a starting clue, then confirm by title theme; colors are helpful but not exact categories.
A shelf accepts the book but no row completes	Treat it as placed, not correct. Move it before the mistake gets buried.
You are learning without major magic	Organize recognizable titles first and leave ambiguous books in a small local pile instead of trialing every shelf.

What Counts As Correct

Signal	Meaning	What to do
Gold glow	The book placement is correct.	Keep going with that same title row.
Faint red glow	Wrong category, wrong row position, or wrong volume order.	Pick it back up and fix it now.
Blue section plaque	That shelf section is complete.	Move to the next category.
No blue plaque near the end	Something in that category is still wrong.	Use the troubleshooting checklist.

Early Ability Priority

Priority	Unlock	Why
1	High Jump	Unlocks or simplifies the remaining key routes.
2	Carry Capacity +3	More books per trip, especially for ten-volume rows.
3	Run	Cuts dead walking across both floors and speeds up the remaining key route.
4	Carry Capacity +2	Stacks with +3 and improves full-section cleanup.
5	Assemble	Best active spell once you are collecting same-title rows.