Tinykin Review

Undersized Protagonist, Oversized Adventure

On a distant planet in the far reaches of space, the human race thrives. Advanced technology has allowed them to further study the universe from the safety of their home planet… Aegis? That doesn’t sound quite right, does it?

While the rest of humanity lives in blissful ignorance, one brave scientist named Milodane searches for answers and the true origin of his race. But little does he know, his quest for knowledge will take him on an adventure that is much larger than he could have ever possibly imagined.

This is the setup for Tinykin, a delightful third-person platforming adventure game from the developers at Splashteam and published by tinyBuild. If you have any kind of nostalgia for the Pikmin series, then Tinykin’s core gameplay mechanic will make you feel right at home.

As soon as you gain control of Milo, you’ll instantly notice two things: the game’s unique art style, and the immense sense of scale. The massive 3D environments you’ll explore on foot, by soap board (literally a bar of soap), or with your bubble glider should seem instantly familiar. They are the many rooms of a standard family home, with all of the knick-knacks and belongings that would accumulate over time.

The zones you’ll work your way through are in full 3D, and all of the characters in the game are represented with adorable, cartoony 2D models. It sounds a little jarring on paper, but I got used to the character’s flatness after a few minutes. Ultimately, it’s a clever stylistic choice that gives the game a Paper Mario feel which works to its favor.

The primary reason that the dimensional difference between the environments and the characters within them fades away rather quickly, is due to the quality of the actual gameplay. Zipping around on the soap board, speaking to the various bug characters in each area, and engaging in skillful platforming in Tinykin are some of the most fun I’ve had in a game in a while. It’s just pure, wholesome fun that doesn’t overcomplicate itself with too many mechanics.

The only real mechanic that constantly evolves over the course of the game’s roughly 7 hours (I completed the game in just under 6 hours, but it can take up to 8 if you want to 100% it) is the titular Tinykin. These delightful little creatures come in several variations, and each one gets a suitably endearing intro cartoon to let you know what they do. Some Tinykin explode, others are super strong, and some can even stack on top of each other to create a ladder for Milo. The Tinykin's are immediately charming and their mechanics are well-integrated into the game, never feeling out of place or confusing to use.

Tinykin is available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox consoles, Game Pass, and PC. This review was completed using the Game Pass version installed on an Xbox Series X, which provided a pleasant experience. I noticed a few moments of slowdown when something like the fluffy texture of a carpet filled the screen, but it was infrequent enough that it didn’t detract from my time with the game.

Overall, Tinykin was a delightful experience that is appropriate for gamers of all ages, and I would highly recommend checking it out. Especially if you have a Game Pass subscription.