We've been hearing about Tinykin for a while, the upcoming puzzle-platformer from TinyBuild about a shrunken hero leading a team of bugs, beetles, and assorted lil' critters. And now the new trailer revealed at the Future Games Show Powered by Mana has given us even more to sink our mandibles into, not least a release date.
Tinykin apparently centres around Milo, a bespectacled explorer who's not going to be held back by the fact that he's become less than an inch high. Sounds like a problem, but like so many apparent problems, it reveals all manner of opportunities. After all, how else could you organise and lead various teams of dutiful insects? How else could a simple 90s suburban home become an enormous, puzzle-filled playground? How else could you skate around on a slippery sliver of soap, doing stunts and jumps while leaving a trail of bubbles behind you?
Tinykin looks like it's taking a lot of influence from Pikmin, with a big emphasis on leading around little clans of bugs and using them to solve the challenges ahead. We see Milo stacking his pet aphids into totems he can climb, having them carry objects too big for him, and even using them as projectiles to move things at range (and they don't seem to mind, which shows admirable team spirit).
It's also rather endearing that the bugs seem to have a lot more personality than being just expendable, invertebrate cannon fodder. Aside from the very expressive visual design, we get to see glimpses of whole communities of insects for Milo to hang out with, and you have to respect any bug-run bar that uses an old iPod Classic as a makeshift jukebox.
Tinykin is planned for release on August 30, 2022, available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, where you can already wishlist it on Steam. There's also a demo available to play right now. Alternatively, check out developers Splashteam and follow them on Twitter!
For more awesome games featured during today's Future Games Show, check out our official Steam page.
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