As with any entertainment medium, many video games wear influences on their sleeves. The Souls-like genre, from its naming originator Dark Souls to indie titles like Reply Game Studios' Soulstice, famously take inspiration from Kentaro Miura's Berserk. Those who saw Tinykin's debut trailer during E3 2021's PC Gaming Show likely made immediate connections to Nintendo's Pikmin franchise, but the range of influences that developer Splashteam is stewing on extend much further.
On Tinykin's website, protagonist Milo is said to arrive on Earth and discover that not only is he the size of a penny - able to interact with the "mysterious" titular Tinykin, but also that humanity is missing and it has been the 1990s for over 200 years. Splashteam co-creative directors Romain Claude and Marie Marquet said the studio was inspired by "crazy comedy sci-fi" of the 80s and 90s, but those interested in the game will have to play to find out how its mysteries unfold. Game ZXC spoke with Claude and Marquet about what other games, movies, and more influenced Tinykin's design.
Tinykin follows Claude's Global Game Jam 2019 project Bubble Town, in which players save children from a procedurally generated forest surrounding their safe home-bubble. The feeling of exploring with a group of tiny followers was the impetus for Tinykin, and Splashteam's directors said Pikmin, "being a game we like," was naturally one of the main inspirations to prototype around. The duo welcome this connection, saying it's "funny and sounds very epic" when people joke the indie studio is taking the "missing" Pikmin 4 into its own hands. However, they said it's not very accurate.
"We won't hide that some people in the team are craving a new Pikmin game, but we are making this game mostly because there are things that are appealing to us in its mechanics."
Tinykin's Inspirations Beyond Pikmin
This upcoming title deviates from Nintendo's franchise in a number of ways. For one, Tinykin takes place mostly indoors, as Splashteam said it was convinced there were "plenty of cool situations" not being explored by Pikmin's primarily outdoor settings. It is also a 3D platformer rather than a real-time strategy game, inspired by Super Mario Odyssey, the Ratchet & Clank series, as well as Bizarre Creations' Dreamcast title Fur Fighters - a childhood favorite of many on the design team. Paper Mario games also play into Tinykin's blend of 2D and 3D aesthetics, as well as its narrative.
The mood and setting of the game largely draw upon movies like Honey I Shrunk The Kids, as well as others from the sci-fi comedies from that era. Tinykin is specifically set in the 1990s rather than other time periods the team considered because, "It's a time that everyone who experienced it as a child loves." The co-creative directors said that decade likely sounds "a bit more exotic" to younger audiences, but that doesn't make it any less intriguing.
"On the writing side, the mood of what we are building is close to the twisted characters and situations you can find in TV shows such as Rick and Morty or the Terry Pratchett books."
Those who jump into Tinykin when it releases next year will not only suss out "Earth's biggest mystery" as they explore giant, familiar environments and talk to insects, they will also find out how the Tinykin themselves affect gameplay and narrative. Claude and Marquet said the critters are "somehow linked to Milo's faith," and it will be up to players to find out why as they use each color's unique skills to solve puzzles. With the encouragement of fans on social media following the game's E3 trailer, Splashteam said it is "more determined than ever to make the best game possible."
Tinykin is scheduled to release on PC in 2022, with additional platforms to be confirmed.