Misc – A Tiny Tale is an independent effort from Tinyware Games. It’s been in development for some time and came directly inspired by titles like Chibi-Robo. In this Misc – A Tiny Tale review I’ll delve into my thoughts on the game and whether it lived up to its inspirations.
Misc – A Tiny Tale Review for PC/Steam Deck
- Title: Misc – A Tiny Tale
- Developer: Tinyware Games
- Publisher: Tinyware Games
- Primary Genre: Platformer, Story-Rich
Gameplay
The gameplay loop is as simple as it is enjoyable. You take Buddy and search the area for Golden Cogs, trash, items, and quests from the lovely civilians of the level you’re in. I think there’s just enough time to juggle without ever really getting overwhelmed, in the downtime between quests I’m searching for trash, when there’s no trash I know there’s a Golden Cog nearby etc.
It’s a standard ‘get enough Cogs to progress’ style of play but one that rewards the player for completing a level with the Difference Made counter. This adds another subconscious trigger to do more, explore more, and I found it quite effective.
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Buddy controls very loosely which takes some getting used to but I find that style of play fits the level design. Misc isn’t as much about super intricate platforming as it is using the platforming to add depth to a level. Once I got the hang of the controls I was able to use the floaty controls to get around quicker than ever.
Level Design
Collectathon platformers tend to follow the Yooka-Laylee strategy of levels getting more sprawling and intricate as time goes on. This tends to give a false sense of raised difficulty when instead it makes the platforming more punishing and the exploring aspect more tedious.
Misc went for the much better Super Mario Odyssey approach, the levels do change and get slightly bigger, but the core idea remains packing in as much content into every nook and cranny as possible. In Misc, you’re never too far away from a Cog, some trash, or a quest item. I find this to be a very fun approach, it makes exploring the levels more fun but also more gratifying to find the next trick hidden up the devs’ sleeve.
Story
Misc isn’t a super gripping tale but the story is present enough to provide a reason to go from point A to point B. Buddy and Bag Boy set off on an adventure after a mysterious earthquake/explosion and now they’re in a new place that needs their help. Even the initial bad guy is a total softy when they eventually run into him.
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I did like the overall ethos of helping people. Every quest is helping, cleaning up trash is helping, and dialogue is always very thankful and pleasant. It’s nice to feel like I’m making a difference by playing (brobot romance, I will always remember you).
I found this to be most effective with the Difference Made counter. The higher this tally, the more letters I unlocked in my inbox and I LOVED the letters. They range from people saying Buddy inspired them to just quirky characters rambling about their complaints. The letters really felt like I was making Buddy into some folklore-style hero just by going around and cleaning up trash which made me more eager to 100% every level.
Music & Graphics
While I don’t think Misc changed the world in this department, it did well enough. Graphically, it went for varied landscapes in each level to great success. Each level distinctly looks and feels different with colour palettes changing between worlds. The characters all look neat too, Buddy and his costumes were always cute.
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The background music somehow never got tiring even though I’m convinced it was one solo track playing for most of the game. It was catchy enough and not overbearing that I never got tired of it.
Misc – A Tiny Tale Review – The Last Word on Gaming Viewpoint
Misc – A Tiny Tale was a reminder of how fun and engaging video games can be. It’s a game filled with love and charm that doesn’t present itself as a 60-hour journey; it’s a game you pick up, experience all that it has to offer, and come away feeling better. If you like Mario Odyssey and its approach to collectathon platforming, then you’ll love this one.
