The fall semester is almost upon me, and I have to get ready to slam my face into books about being a librarian, BUT before that comes around, I want to talk about a puzzle game that I think is pretty neat. Nothing groundbreaking, but it is a good time for people who enjoy puzzle games and those who don’t play many video games at all.

This week is Is This Seat Taken?

Is This Seat Taken? is a cozy, logic, puzzle game from Poti Poti Studios and Whole Games Presents. The game was released in August 2025 for the PC and Nintendo Switch and retails for $10.

If you’re like me, then you also get anxious about where to sit when it comes to public transportation, movie theaters, shows, and pretty much any public gathering. I usually want to be alone, and I don’t want to be near someone who smells and Is This Seat Taken? bottled this borderline social anxiety into a playable game where the narrative follows a rhombus on her adventure into stardom, fraught with obstacles, but with the help of friends, learns that chasing your dreams leans more on oneself as opposed to the ones who have already made it big.

It’s a heartfelt story about how you should never meet your idols (Like that episode of Community).

Nat and her friends are supportive of each other’s goals, helping when they can to either get Nat to a showing of a movie or even a sit-down with her rhombus-shaped idol or console her when she’s down, overthinking about how to fit in in a world with common shapes and she’s different. It’s a nice backdrop to the game that highlights some important themes, and it’s nice to have a little break with conversation after seating an entire wedding party or 4 buses full of annoying shapes.

Is This Seat Taken? Takes the player to a wide range of locations, venues, and public transportation to organize and seat shapes properly. It doesn’t matter where the location is; there will always be shapes that have incredibly specific requests. It could be a child who wants to sit next to their parent, wants to talk, and needs to be in the second row in a movie theater, while there is an adult who wants to be alone and refuses to sit in a dirty seat.

The aim of Is This Seat Taken? is to take your time and play seat matchmaker.

Take as much time as you need for Is This Seat Taken? has no timer and doubles down on the cozy with no punishments whatsoever. Pick up characters with the left mouse (or A for the Switch) and drop them into the spot you want them to be in, and they will smile when all their needs have been met, being represented by a golden thumbs up above the confirm button (Red if not everyone is happy). If there is something wrong, the little shapes will certainly exclaim that their privacy is being invaded or that they smell something gross!

Demands get greater, and in no time, you will be in a packed classroom with shapes with 3 demands and a teacher who tells you something entirely different. Students can talk, but they can’t be disruptive, meaning that no two talkative students can be in the same vicinity as each other.

Some sections get WACKY, but it is still fun to dig for the answer.

Cozy music plays as you wrack your brain trying to fit a bunch of shape people in a bus that just doesn’t seem to fit everyone properly. Characters talk in cute blurb sounds, and when seated, have a twinkle when properly seated or a dull sound when improperly placed.

Poti Poti Studios knew how to convey coziness in every facet of Is This Seat Taken? down to the art design. The colors of the game are relaxing on the eyes, with a warm beige (most of the time) or a soft white as the background, to avoid eye strain. I’ve convinced myself and others that it’s all pretty pastel colors. The little shapes are so cute. They have like 3 emotions, and I love them all. they blush when they are happy, get the little angry eyebrows when upset, and the idle animation has them just excited to be here. Everything in is This Seat Taken? is simple-looking, but the amount of love and focus in maximizing the coziness factor makes the game go over the top for me.

Poti Poti Studios set out to create a super cozy puzzle game that allows players to play at their own pace, and they succeeded with flying colors. Is This Seat Taken? is a fun and accessible game that tells a nice story and avoids getting bogged down in overly complicated mechanics. All there is to do is pick up cute shapes and place them. Nothing is pushing you to hurry, or any penalties for making incorrect placements. I rolled credits at around the 4 our mark, so the game does not overstay its welcome.

Is This Seat Taken? is a perfect encapsulation of the cozy genre and I implore you to play it.

8/10