Tinykin is a humorous, colorful 3D Platformer about the discovery of life on Earth on a miniscule scale. You play as Milo, an intrepid explorer from across the stars. You landed here to find the origin of human life only to come across a house filled with eccentrics attempting to build a mystery contraption, and rooms full of insect civilization.
It's a fun puzzle-platform romp that relies on you solving issues around the house with your aides, the excitable tinykin. These even smaller creatures have a variety of abilities that set up rooms for exploration, and which definitely earn them their little scamp factor.
Using Tinykin
Tinykin are your puzzle-solving friends, and each type you unlock through progression has its own specialty:
|
Tinykin |
Uses |
|---|---|
|
Pink |
Push and carry objects |
|
Red |
Explode fragile objects |
|
Green |
Create climbing ladders |
|
Blue |
Conduct electricity between points |
|
Yellow |
Build ramps across hazards and large gaps |
Each object that can be affected has an outline in the color of the tinykin you need to use. Some objects have a requirement for something to be brought to them, which will be shown when targeting them, and relies on pink tinykin carrying over objects.
Aim the carried object at the target object when nearby to complete these. When you aim at a new object, it will switch to that object's tinykin color and function.
If you're low on tinykin hunt around the room for some more to recruit.
Often they are in boxes or up high, and so it's a good idea to put in some exploring while you try to reach the objectives. If you're still too low, sometimes tinykin you've used elsewhere may not come back automatically.
You can call the ones you have used back to you with the call function, although exploded red tinykin don't survive and can't be re-used.
Getting Around
Jumping
Jumping can be difficult, and you might find yourself falling into the gaps between platforms often. It's simple but effective advice to make sure to jump before you run ahead towards the edge.
Gliding
Jump and press the action again to glide. To maintain height and get across many of the gaps, you must glide just before you reach full height, so be quick. Once you have green tinykin, if a ledge is daunting or annoying you can use them to give you a height advantage in these situations.
It's advisable to blow up the crates and silk balls as soon as you reach them, as they contain ropes that will help you get back up to higher spots if you do fall.
The Soapboard
Use your soapboard to get around faster and ride silk lines. You must be riding the soapboard before you try to jump onto a silk line. Otherwise, you will fall through it.
Floating
You will need to build up your floating ability to get to some spots in the game and solve objectives in these locations. To earn floating upgrades, collect pollen to sell to Sikaru at his spot in each room.
Completing Objectives
Each room has a main objective that will lead to you unlocking a piece for the main contraption.
Pay attention at the start of each room, as the intro video will pan around the room and highlight where all the important objects are.
Also, talk to the people in the central spot of the room or by the place where the objects are to be used.
They will likely point out or hint to you where it is you're meant to find things. You can also navigate a room by using the binoculars, which highlight important objects in blue, and important people you know with tags.
By exploring the room and talking to its inhabitants, you will also unlock objectives that otherwise are unknown at the start of the level. On the objective screen, these are below the main quest and are noted with question marks until they are discovered.
Finding Artifacts
Mr Prattle's collection of artifacts has been stolen and redistributed across the house. They can be recovered when they turn up in the hands of people giving optional objectives in each room.
When a secret objective is completed, the quest givers will drop an artifact as a reward. Walk over it to collect it, and it will automatically be sent back to Prattle's collection.
Avoiding Hazards
Water
Water makes your suit short circuit, so while you can skip through water sometimes, for around a second, it's best to only do this in an emergency and avoid all water otherwise.
Heights
Take too high of a fall, and Milo will be no more. However, you can use your floating bubble to glide momentarily during longer drops, which, if timed right, will break your fall.