Tinykin
Tinykin is a 3D puzzle-platform video game developed by Splashteam and published by tinyBuild.[1] Released on August 30, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows, it centers on the young scientist Milo, who crash-lands on a miniaturized Earth and shrinks to ant size, discovering a world frozen in time since 1991 with humanity mysteriously vanished.[2] To return home and restore his normal size, Milo captures and commands 5 types of tinykin—colorful, insect-like creatures with specialized powers—collecting hundreds of individuals to solve environmental puzzles and navigate massive, household-scale environments.[1] In gameplay, players explore six distinct areas within an enormous house, each representing insect-themed biomes inspired by different eras and locations like a 1960s American kitchen or an 80s Japanese garden, using tinykin abilities to build ladders, bridges, explosive charges, or telekinetic lifts for progression.[1] Milo is equipped with a soap-board skateboard for swift traversal and a bubble-pack for limited flight, while collecting cosmic coins and royal jelly upgrades enhances mobility and unlocks secrets in the in-game Ardwin Museum, a hub for lore and cosmetics.[1] The game's non-linear structure encourages thorough exploration, with no combat or permadeath, emphasizing creative problem-solving and collection akin to classic platformers.[1] Tinykin has been praised for its vibrant, hand-crafted art direction blending 2D-inspired characters in 3D spaces, nostalgic soundtrack, and accessible yet challenging puzzles, earning generally positive reviews with a Metacritic aggregate score of 78 out of 100 across platforms.[3] Critics highlighted its joyful tone and Pikmin-like mechanics without direct replication, positioning it as a standout indie title in the platformer genre.Gameplay
Core Mechanics
Tinykin is a 3D platformer that integrates puzzle-solving elements, emphasizing fluid traversal and environmental interaction over traditional action. Players control Milo, a shrunken explorer, who navigates oversized household environments through core actions like jumping, sliding on soap bars as makeshift skateboards, and gliding with soap bubbles to cover distances and reach elevated platforms.[4] These mechanics promote rhythmic, momentum-based movement, allowing Milo to chain actions seamlessly for satisfying progression across vertical and horizontal spaces. The game unfolds across six distinct biomes, each representing a themed room in a colossal house frozen in time from 1991, such as a greenhouse or bathroom, where everyday objects become monumental obstacles and playgrounds.[4] Unlike many platformers, Tinykin eschews enemies, health systems, or combat entirely, instead channeling player focus into non-violent environmental puzzles that require observation and creative navigation to manipulate the surroundings. This design fosters a relaxed pace, with puzzles often resolved through exploration and the strategic use of Tinykin creatures to enable actions like lifting barriers or extending reach, without direct confrontation. Progression centers on resource collection to reconstruct Milo's spaceship, with players gathering artifacts and pollen scattered throughout each zone to unlock repairs and advance.[4] Zones support free-form exploration, encouraging backtracking and optional paths rather than a rigid linear sequence, which rewards thorough searching for hidden areas and collectibles. A free update released on December 20, 2022, introduced outfit customization for Milo and a Time Attack mode, enabling speedrunning challenges within each zone to replay levels under time constraints for medals and additional unlocks.[5][6]Tinykin Abilities and Collection
Tinykin are small, colorful creatures that players collect and command throughout the game to solve environmental puzzles and navigate obstacles. Each Tinykin hatches from eggs located in fixed positions within the zones, automatically joining Milo upon approach without additional actions like shaking structures.[7] Once recruited, they follow Milo in a swarm, and players deploy them strategically by aiming with the controller to direct groups toward targets, where the Tinykin execute their color-specific abilities.[8] There is no strict capacity limit on the number of Tinykin Milo can recruit per zone; however, only red Tinykin are consumed upon use (via explosion), while blue, pink, green, and yellow persist (with blue remaining in place to conduct electricity).[9] The game features five distinct types of Tinykin, differentiated by color and tied to specific puzzle-solving functions, with new types unlocked progressively across zones. Players encounter over 100 Tinykin per zone on average, totaling hundreds across the entire game, encouraging thorough exploration to gather them all.[10] These abilities enable interactions impossible for Milo alone, such as manipulating large-scale objects or accessing elevated areas, and often require combining multiple types for complex solutions—for instance, stacking green Tinykin to form a ladder for climbing, then directing pink Tinykin to push a heavy block from the new vantage point.[11]| Color | Ability | Example Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pink | Lift and carry heavy objects or push them to designated locations | Transporting large debris to block water flows or activate switches; they follow Milo while carrying items until commanded to release.[8][12] |
| Red | Explode on impact when thrown at breakable surfaces or tangled materials | Destroying barriers like crates, webs, or weak walls to reveal hidden paths or collectibles; consumed after detonation.[7][13] |
| Green | Link together to create climbable ladders or temporary structures | Reaching high ledges or platforms by stacking them vertically; the structure remains until Milo climbs it.[8][14] |
| Blue | Conduct electricity between outlets, sockets, and devices | Powering machinery, opening electrified doors, or restoring energy to elevators; they form chains and remain in place post-use.[15][8] |
| Yellow | Assemble into ramps or bridges for traversal or object transport | Building inclines to roll heavy items uphill or crossing gaps; useful for combining with pink Tinykin to move loads over distances.[9][8] |