Tinykin

Tinykin - A Tiny Game That Offers Big Fun

An Alien's Tiny Journey to Return to His Home Planet

Time for a Tiny Adventure

In Tinykin, developed by Splashteam and published by tinyBuild, players get the chance to shrink in size and travel back in time. For many years, humans have wondered what it would be like to be tiny in a normal-sized world. And since we're still waiting on shrink-ray technology to come to fruition, Tinykin offers the best opportunity to have that question answered.

Tinykin, available for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, is both a 3D platformer and an action-adventure game. This Pikmin-like game is creative, whimsical, and packed with plenty of diverse action to enjoy.

Help Milo Get Home

Tinykin follows the story of Milo, a human-looking alien from the advanced planet Aegis who has just arrived on Earth. Milo is an archaeologist and researcher looking to learn about humankind's origin. However, upon his arrival, he discovers that there are no people, it's still 1991, and he's shrunk down to a tiny size.

Although there are no humans around on the version of Earth that Milo finds, there are hundreds of strange little creatures called tinykin. Each of these odd creatures has unique special powers, and they may be Milo's only hope for returning to his home planet and his original size.

Playing as Milo, the player must collect tinykin while navigating the platforms and puzzles of a giant house, meeting many colorful characters, and finding various parts of the spaceship that will take him home.

Concept Rating: 5/5

An Appealing Blend of Animation Styles

Tinykin has a unique aesthetic, with 2D character models navigating a 3D setting. As a result, Milo and the tinykin stand out against the background, creating a pleasing contrast that helps bring the characters to life.

The giant house the game takes place in contains several different cities, each of which has a distinct look that makes the world feel diverse. Sometimes, you'll forget that you're exploring a house rather than a vast, colorful fantasy world.

Tinykin also has an excellent soundtrack that shifts and evolves depending on where Milo goes and what he's doing. As a result, the music directly correlates with your actions, which enhances the gameplay experience. So, it is a game worth playing with a headset on!

Graphics & Audio Rating: 5/5

Collecting Tinykin

As you'd expect from the title, a big part of the game revolves around collecting and utilizing tinykin. As you make your way around the house, you'll come across many tinykin eggs, which hatch into cute little creatures when you walk past them. Once you've hatched a tinykin, it will immediately become part of your growing army.

Catch hundreds of tinykin and use their unique powers to bring Milo back to his home planet and back to normal size!

The tinykin come in several different colors, which represents a unique ability. For example, the pink tinykin possesses super strength and is extremely helpful for lifting heavy objects. Alternatively, red tinykin can explode, clearing away obstacles in your path, and green tinykin can stand on top of each other to form a climbable ladder.

As you play and explore different parts of the house, you'll quickly figure out which of your tinykin you can use for various purposes. The deceivingly powerful little creatures prove integral to solving puzzles and traveling around the map.

Traversing Puzzles and Obstacles

As you make your way through the giant 1990s house, you must navigate various obstacles and solve puzzles as you hunt for machine parts to build your rocket ship. When you face certain impediments, using the ability of your tinykin will be vital to getting past them. However, there are times when you'll realize that you don't have enough of the little creatures to advance.

Hundreds of alien creatures with special powers become ladders, build bridges, carry large objects, activate machines, and explode!

When you don't have the means to solve a puzzle, you must pause your progress and collect more tinykin until you can proceed. So, keeping your tinykin army strong and diverse becomes a focal point of the gameplay.

Platforming Household Objects in Style

One of the most fun aspects of Tinykin is discovering different ways to travel around the unique map. The game is a platformer at heart -- You will navigate giant household objects like the leaves of houseplants, the blades of ceiling fans, and even toilet bowls.

That said, you don't have to run around and jump from one object to the next—Milo has a bit more flair than that. When you want a more exciting means of getting around the map, you can hop onto your soapboard or float around in your bubble pack. Of course, to keep your bubble-pack operational, you'll need to keep collecting bubbles!

A Unique Cast of Characters

A different civilization of bugs overruns each room in the house. You'll meet many interesting characters while interacting with these bugs, and you'll have the opportunity to help them solve their problems in exchange for spaceship components.

For example, a colony of silverfish in the bathroom may want you to help them gather a list of items for a party they're planning. In another room, a group of beetles wants to listen to a CD featuring the song of their people, and you'll need to retrieve it from a different area for them. These little quests are a lot of fun without being overly challenging, and they give the story and gameplay some nice variety.

Gameplay Rating: 4/5

Getting Your Hands on Tinykin

The full version of Tinykin launched on August 30, 2022, for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation. The game's price may vary depending on which system you're purchasing it for, but you should be able to snag it for around $24.99. It's a relatively short game, but it's still a solid deal for such a high-quality gaming experience.

A Lighthearted, Relaxing Adventure

Although Tinykin features plenty of action and rarely a dull moment, playing it still feels like a relaxing experience. With the pleasing soundtrack, unique animation, and adorable tinykin, the game always seems to have a pleasant, calming effect. However, "relaxing" shouldn't be confused with "boring."

With puzzles to solve, side quests to complete, new areas to explore, and tinykin to collect, there's always plenty to do. Tinykin is the perfect game to play when you want to unwind with something enjoyable and stimulating without being too intense. The gameplay only takes about four to six hours, and the replay value is average, but players will most certainly have a great time playing through it and exploring this unique world.

Replay Value Rating: 3/5

The Pros

• Blend of 2D and 3D animation
• Unique concept and world
• Enjoyable, relaxing gameplay

The Cons

• Movement can be a bit unpredictable
• Puzzles are simple at times

TL;DR

Tinykin is a whimsical, laidback game featuring puzzles, adventure, colorful characters, and adorable tiny creatures.