Misc. A Tiny Tale

A fun, low-stakes 3D platformer with tiny robots in worlds no bigger than a garden.

The recent release of Chibi-Robo on the Switch 2 Online service was welcome news as the Gamecube title is one of my favourite games of all time. The adventures of a tiny robot whose purpose is to clean may not have sounded like the most exciting premise for a game, but the charm and design elevated it to a true classic. Misc. A Tiny Tale is very clearly inspired by the earlier game and offers a more linear and focused take on the gameplay elements while retaining the charm and humour in spades.

When it comes to being a tiny little guy in a big world, there is a decent list of games. You’ve got older titles like Pikmin, Chibi-Robo and Katamari Damacy. There are also newer titles like Tinykin, Grounded, and It Takes Two. Now we can add Misc. A Tiny Tale to the list, developed by the three-person team from Western Australia, Tinyware Games. In it, you play as Buddy, who, along with his best friend, Bag Boy, watches an explosion of rubbish and other accoutrements barrage from the sky....

Misc. A Tiny Tale is a charming and delightful first effort from Tinyware – albeit with some wobbles in execution. It sticks very close to classic ideas and struggles with graphical fidelity on Switch, but none of that can undo the charm of the characters and the retro vibe straight from the GameCube era. Until Chibi-Robo hits Nintendo Classics, this will serve all your miniature robot helper needs.

A 3D platformer collectathon which makes up for some dull stretches during its expansive levels with plenty of heart and the undeniable charisma of its tiny bots.

Misc. A Tiny Tale is not a game I enjoyed. The narrative tone is awkwardly patronising to play through as an adult, and while the level design has its occasional moments, the relatively bland gameplay does not make up for this. While the game mostly handles sensitive topics around mental health in a way that is appropriate for young children, some of the supplementary material is at odds with this otherwise child-friendly tone, and it’s hard to recommend to any age group.