Banjo64
cumsessed
Please don’t read this post if you plan to experience the game first hand.
I finished Tinykin on New Year’s Day, and whilst it’s been spoken about on GAF, I wanted to post my thoughts.
After the initial cutscene, when I was thrown in to this world, I smiled. I was struck by a setting that oozes authenticity. A (giant) house that feels like a house. Accurately scaled, homey and believable, with care and attention to detail. You interact with this house in a logical but brilliant way. Opening cupboards and drawers reveals the hidden contents within, which expand the level and act as further platforming sections for you to explore. There are 6 main levels. Dense and self-contained, every bend and corner has something to discover. Visually, each level is fantastical and with near level-wide draw distance, this is a striking game throughout. Splashteam have created a sense of wonder.
The movement in this game is tight and excellent. I was surprised shortly after beginning the game by the soap surfing mechanic. When combined with the bubble jumping and Green Tinykin you have a character in Milo with tremendous reach horizontally and verticality capable of quick and precise movement.
The main collectible in this game, pollen, is there to guide and reward your exploration. Your time exploring is rewarded in the form of single lines of web that connect the hard-to-reach areas of the level into one central hub. This allows for quick re-traversal of the vertically dense levels. The near level-wide draw distance allows you to see pollen from across the map, making unexplored areas clear.
The animation in this game is top class. Avoiding convoluted explanations, these short videos act as simple, humorous and effective tutorials when needed. The best example of this is in the City of Sanctar, when you first encounter the Red Tinykin. Milo picks him up, cute huh? Then the fuse lights on its head, Milo panics and tosses him, he explodes. In 4 seconds we’ve learnt everything we need to know about Red Tinykin.
Not only is the artistic direction and gameplay on point, but the sound design is first in class. The little details elevate this game and show the love and care that has been put in. When you come across a guitar, each string makes a different noise when you jump on it. When you enter the guitar, one tiny part of the level, the world music shifts to acoustic guitar strings. When you meet a preacher called Bumblebore, the over world theme is orchestral. The bongo registers, but the piano keys don’t, because you don’t weigh enough to press them. When you come across a tiny xylophone staircase every key is different, and when you gently push the stick forward the notes become extremely soft. When you walk inside the microwave and walk on the microwave plate; dink dink dink as you walk around.
Tinykin doesn’t overstay its welcome. All of its elements come together beautifully and respect your time. With the 6 handcrafted levels, I completed the game in 5 hours 20. I’d estimate an 8 hour play time for a completionist. I have been left wanting more, and I’m eagerly awaiting this fledging developer’s next game. In the meantime I will try Splasher, Splashteam’s first and only other effort.
