Review: Tinykin

destructoid.com:

Tinykin isn’t the Pikmin-inspired game I thought it would be, but that’s okay. More than okay, actually. It’s still a great 3D platformer with a slick sense of speed, an interesting world to explore, and yes, some nods to Nintendo’s creature-chucking strategy series.

If you’re someone who enjoys hunting down collectibles, it’s a must-play. If you’re more on the fence, and run the risk of feeling overwhelmed with too many trinkets to find, I can still recommend Tinykin. It’s never unreasonable, and there’s little if any downtime.

The indie game scene has been killing it with shorter yet still satisfying experiences, and this one’s a fantastic distillation, albeit with a few elements I wish went further.

Tinykin (Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) Developer: Splashteam Publisher: TinyBuild Released: August 30, 2022 MSRP: $24.99

The story isn’t necessarily a huge focus, but there’s enough to latch onto with animated sequences to set the stage and insect NPC chatter to fill in some of the gaps.

In search of humankind’s origin, an archeologist and researcher, Milodane, has left his advanced home world of Aegis to follow an ancient signal to a nearby galaxy. That’s where we come in as players. Milo mysteriously surfaces in a cluttered house that’s stuck in the ’90s and run by colorful insects, and, well — he’s their size. It’s another shrunken setup.

There’s no sign of humans, and to return home, Milo will need to finish building a special machine — envisioned by a fabled figure named Ardwin — using six specific household objects. During this search, Milo will be guided by the wise old Ridmi, and use tiny throwable creatures to solve problems and open up new paths for exploration.

On paper,