Author: Rich Meister
Tinykin appears on the surface to be an homage to Pikmin, the creature tossing strategy game from Nintendo, but looks can be deceiving. It doesn’t have zero commonalities with Olimar’s adventure, but in reality, Tinykin has a lot more in common with old-school Nintendo platformers.
If you’re a fan of collectathon platformers like Banjo Kazooie, then Tinykin is for sure up your alley. It’s a brief but satisfying adventure, and even in the spots where it leaves something to be desired, it still delivers thrills and fun.
Tinykin (Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC [reviewed])
Developer: Splashteam
Publisher: Tinybuild
Released: August 30, 2022
MSRP: $24.99
Tinykin stars a researcher named Milodane, who leaves behind his home planet, Aegis, in search of humanity’s origin. When Milodane arrives on earth, he finds himself the size of an insect and stuck in a house trapped in the ‘90s and filled with various bug-based societies.
In order to escape the house, an ant named Ridmi guides him to finish a device conceived by the fabled Ardwin, a sort of god to these bugs. The device comprises five everyday household objects and will lead you across different rooms where you’ll use the titular Tinykin, mysterious little creatures that only Milodane can command, to solve various puzzles.
Tinykin’s pitch feels very Pikmin-inspired, but it's far more relaxed than that. There’s no combat, no day and night cycle or time limit to finish tasks, and your Tinykin cannot be killed. Instead, the focus is on platforming and collecting both the objects you need to progress and a ton of optional objectives in each level.
You have to use these little guys to transport objects, but unlike Pikmin, you don’t need to manage them. They know where to go; you need only clear any obstacles in their path.
Levels aren’t overwhelmingly large but feel grandiose partly because of the great sense of depth and scale. Tinykin and collectibles are hidden across hard-to-reach shelves, under bunched-up carpets, and in closed-off cabinets. Every corner of each room is hiding something, and you’re constantly opening up shortcuts to make traversal fast and easy. Milo even has access to a soap bar he can use, like a skateboard, to grind over gaps on spider webs or glide using his special soap bubbles.
Likewise, you gain new traversal and puzzle-solving abilities via various Tinykin types. Some are simple worker ant style minions for hauling off objects, while others explode when tossed or can form portable ladders for you.
The art style, which is very reminiscent of Paper Mario, shows off unforgettable 2D characters in a 3D world, but as a direct result, it can sometimes be tough to track where Milo will land after a large jump. The game doesn’t suffer drastically for it, but it could’ve benefitted from a more prominent shadow to help keep track of Milo’s trajectory.
Puzzles are rarely super challenging, but they feel intuitive enough for most players to grasp after fiddling with them for a few short minutes. They use both the Tinykin’s abilities and the environment in unique and fun ways.
Tinykin clocks in at about six hours if you’re really taking the time to explore every level. While the end does feel rather abrupt, it does well not to overstay its welcome and leave the player wanting just a little bit more.
Verdict: Tinykin is a delightful and breezy collectathon with great art and great music that feels great in action. It may not be the Pikmin clone many folks took it for, but it is worth their time.
Buy it
[This review is based off a retail build of the game provided by the publisher]