Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers
- June 18, 2012
- Johannes Spohr
- 3h median play time
In Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers, play as Tiny, a quirky inventor on a mission to reclaim his grandfather's prized underpants from his nemesis, Big. Traverse through a hand-drawn desert, using creative jump and slice gameplay, with the ability to shape the world and overcome obstacles at will. Experience a humorous storyline and believable physics in this immersive and destructible environment.
Reviews
- Unique and creative gameplay mechanics that allow players to cut, pull, and push objects in the environment.
- Charming art style and humorous storyline that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Great soundtrack featuring a variety of indie music that enhances the gaming experience.
- The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price for some players.
- Controls can be imprecise and lead to frustrating deaths, especially during platforming sections.
- Some players may find the lack of a deeper story or character development disappointing.
- gameplay479 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers" is characterized by its unique mechanics that allow players to cut, pull, and manipulate the environment, fostering creativity in puzzle-solving. While the core mechanics are engaging and innovative, the game suffers from a short playtime (approximately 2-3 hours) and some control issues that can lead to frustration during action sequences. Overall, the combination of fun mechanics, a quirky art style, and a catchy soundtrack makes for an enjoyable, albeit brief, gaming experience.
“Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers is a game that will appeal to anyone who likes original and inventive gameplay, humor, and adventure.”
“The mechanics are its greatest strength: simple but very flexible terrain manipulation, allowing for truly creative puzzle-solving by the player, rather than just having to figure out a single pre-determined answer to the puzzle like in most puzzle games.”
“The gameplay is, in my opinion, one of the best examples out there of simple mechanics being more than the sum of their parts.”
“This is a game that is sadly a victim of being a bit ahead of its time, and as such the controls are a bit fiddly, and the gameplay is more of a chore.”
“Seems like all the effort was put into the tech, the art style, and the music, leaving the actual level-to-level gameplay in quite a dire state.”
“The gameplay mechanics work (the rockets are underpowered and therefore I hardly ever used those), but the levels are designed in a frustrating way, meaning you will fall off ledges, into cracks, let things drop on top of you, you know, things like that.”
- music466 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and diverse indie soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique mechanic of collecting cassette tapes to unlock new tracks, which adds an engaging layer to exploration. While some found the music occasionally repetitive, the majority agree that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making it worth the price of admission, especially in the soundtrack edition.
“The soundtrack is fantastic, and so is the part where you crush yourself to death dozens of times with crude obelisks.”
“The music is great, and the search for new songs is a big part of the game.”
“The soundtrack is a varied collection of multi-genre tunes from a bunch of bands I've never heard of before which suits the game perfectly, and the overall presentation throughout the game is excellent.”
“Seems like all the effort was put into the tech, the art style, and the music, leaving the actual level-to-level gameplay in quite a dire state.”
“While the game starts out with a very interesting idea for mechanics, it quickly gets boring as you are doing the same thing over and over and listening to the same type of music the whole game.”
“The music in particular made it hard to keep playing.”
- story324 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers" is a quirky and humorous tale centered around Tiny's quest to retrieve his grandfather's magical underpants from his rival, Big. While the narrative is often described as silly and simplistic, it effectively complements the game's unique mechanics and playful art style, providing an entertaining backdrop for the physics-based gameplay. However, many reviewers note that the story is quite short and could benefit from further development, leaving players wanting more depth and exploration of its whimsical world.
“The story follows Tiny on his quest to retrieve some underwear that he inherited from his deceased grandfather from his brother, Big, who stole them from him.”
“A clever physics platformer with a fantastic art style and charming story.”
“The story is silly and light (although it gets darker towards the end), but the game still does a nice job of building up to the final confrontation.”
“The characters are not memorable, and the story is extremely bland.”
“The story is nonsensical, full of exposition, and bland while the characters are bland and not well fleshed out.”
“The story is simple, so are the characters, but it is good, but overall, the little things fascinate me, the way rocks get slashed, all that comic-like 'gnarsh' and stuff was pretty neat also.”
- graphics311 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and imaginative art style, often described as hand-drawn or comic book-like, which many players find charming and visually appealing. While some reviews note that the graphics may not be cutting-edge or polished, they effectively complement the gameplay and overall aesthetic, contributing to a fun and engaging experience. However, a few players experienced issues with graphical settings and performance, particularly on lower-end hardware.
“The game looks absolutely adorable, thanks to the hand-drawn cartoonish graphics.”
“The art style is quirky and movement is fluid, and the soundtrack is okay as well.”
“The graphics are nice, which is the thing I judge a game by the least.”
“The graphics are like someone went, 'yeah, okay, so take this and.... see all the cool mind-blowing 6k HD Blu-ray cyberdigitaleyepiece'o'matic visorface stuff everyone else is going for?'”
“The ridiculous plot, bizarre graphics that made me feel sick after only brief times playing the game, and how the 'puzzles' just started changing into the same old things over and over made the game far less interesting after only a very brief amount of time.”
“I'm not a huge fan of the graphics, but at least they're consistent.”
- humor176 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, silly, and often absurd nature, with many players highlighting the amusing dialogue, funny characters, and entertaining storylines. The game features a unique blend of light-hearted humor and clever mechanics, resulting in memorable moments that often elicit laughter, particularly through its physics-based gameplay. Overall, it appeals to a broad audience with its charming and whimsical approach to humor, making it a delightful experience for both adults and children.
“Along the way, you will encounter mysterious creatures, ancient ruins, and hilarious dialogue.”
“The game can also be pretty funny, especially when you take one too many chances with your demolitions and squash yourself under a pile of rubble of your own making, or when you create a super-unsafe bridge to cross to the next area that miraculously holds together.”
“Tiny and Big is a very funny and interesting game about a little man who tries to get his grandfather's magical underpants back from his brother using a laser cutter, tether, and rockets to shape the environment.”
“I mean, pants jokes are not funny.”
“The humor feels forced and falls flat.”
“I expected more clever writing, but the jokes are just stale.”
- replayability50 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally viewed as decent, particularly for players who enjoy exploration, collecting achievements, and uncovering secrets. While some players find the short length limits replay value, others appreciate the challenge of optimizing runs and completing all collectibles. Overall, it offers a mix of replay incentives, though opinions vary on its overall depth and longevity.
“Each level also has some replayability in the form of a scoreboard, collectibles, and secrets.”
“The game is highly replayable as there are many ways to solve most of the puzzles, and a lot of secret areas.”
“Lots of replayability due to the immense number of secrets, and on top of that, you have counters for time taken, cuts made, etc., that you can try to reduce and perform a perfect run.”
“If you are interested in achievements, you might get some replay value out of trying to collect all of the boring rocks and audio tapes, but otherwise you'll be lucky to get more than a few hours of entertainment.”
“However, I beat the game in 2.5 hours -- there are collectibles and all that, but the replay value for the game is pretty low.”
“This game is really great, but with a short story and a lack of replayability, it fails to meet a $10 standard.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of charming visuals, an engaging indie soundtrack, and a creatively destructible environment that enhances gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the originality and immersive qualities of the atmosphere, comparing it to beloved titles like "Psychonauts" and "The Neverhood." While some express mixed feelings about the art style, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere is captivating and contributes significantly to the overall experience.
“The near-full destructibility of the environment, combined with the wonderful design and atmosphere of that environment, makes those mechanics shine in a way they likely wouldn't in another game.”
“The soundtrack is wonderful and fits the atmosphere and personality of the game to a tee.”
“Grandpa's leftovers is utterly charming and a lovely, relaxing place to spend time - it has a marvelous atmosphere, helped in no small part by the brilliant soundtrack.”
“I personally don't love the art style, music, nor general atmosphere.”
“Graphically, the assets appear very styled like illustrations and rough sketches, which helps warm the atmosphere rather than attempt to replicate reality.”
“The game itself reminds me of the goofy THQ Spongebob platformers when it comes to the atmosphere and the characters you come across.”
- stability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting a smooth experience on certain systems, while others encounter frequent glitches, such as random freezes and awkward controls. Although the physics engine performs well overall, recurring issues like objects behaving unexpectedly and occasional freezes detract from the gameplay. While some users appreciate the game's charm despite its bugs, others find it frustratingly unstable.
“Great game, bug-free!”
“The engine runs great, and the stone cutting is well done too.”
“Mouse freezes in-game randomly.”
“Great little game for the cost, but it's still a little buggy.”
“The controls are awkward and almost broken, and it is riddled with glitches.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mixed emotional response to the game, with some finding it uplifting and nostalgic, providing comfort during tough times, while others report feelings of dizziness and nausea due to the visuals and soundtrack. The game's bizarre plot and repetitive puzzles evoke a sense of childhood joy for some, but detract from the experience for others, leading to frustration and disappointment. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, highlighting both its charm and its shortcomings.
“I really like this game. I've played it like five or six times throughout the years and beat it each time because it just made me feel better when I was bummed out. Secret zones, music, and a crazy story that's fun.”
“All of these elements combined to create an experience that made me feel like a kid again.”
“This game made me feel like a god!”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game offers enjoyable and rewarding achievements, the grinding required for certain tasks, particularly using abilities 1000 times, can become tedious and detract from the overall experience. Movement mechanics are criticized for lacking weight, making platforming feel frustrating, and some boss battles are noted as overly challenging. Overall, the game transitions from innovative to tedious as players pursue completionist goals.
“Tedious achievements like using each ability 1000 times will require grinding well after you've finished all other aspects of the game.”
“What is a short (less than 2 hours) and innovative game quickly changes to tedious and annoying once you start hunting its 50+ achievements.”
“If I had to gripe, it would be that some boss battle sequences are almost too tough and tedious, requiring you to be quick on your toes.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While the story may be poorly written, the character development is highlighted by unique designs and compelling visuals, which contribute positively to the overall experience.
“The character development is incredibly compelling, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their personalities and relationships.”
“The attention to detail in character design and development makes each character feel real and relatable, enhancing the overall gaming experience.”
“The story itself is odd and poorly written, but the character designs and art are unique and some of the indie tracks are pretty good.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is noted for its solid price-performance ratio, offering a short experience that is enhanced by collectibles and performance statistics, which contribute to replayability.
“The game offers an excellent price-performance ratio.”
“The price-performance ratio is disappointing.”
“The game is indeed very short, but there are collectibles in each level (rocks and audio tapes) that allow for a level of replayability, as well as statistics on the player's performance which are shown upon completing a level.”