Tiny Lands
- January 21, 2021
- Hyper Three Studio
- 50h median play time
Get on Steam"Tiny Lands" is a single-player kids' simulation game known for its stellar visuals and splendid music. The game utilizes a 3D environment where players can interact with scenes and adjust the angle and zoom to find differences, with dynamic objects that bring scenes to life through elements like fire, rain, and wind. Expansion packs 1-3 are also available, offering additional content for players to explore.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Charming low-poly graphics and beautifully designed dioramas create an immersive experience.
- Relaxing gameplay with soothing music and ambient sounds, making it perfect for unwinding.
- Offers a good amount of content with 50 levels, each providing a mix of easy and challenging differences to find.
- Limited camera controls can make it frustrating to spot differences, as panning is restricted.
- Some differences are very subtle, which can be particularly challenging for colorblind players.
- The absence of a hint system and the need to restart levels if you exit can lead to frustration.
- music112 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall ambiance and providing a calming backdrop to the gameplay. While many players appreciate the beautiful compositions and ambient sounds that complement the charming visuals, some note that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's appeal as a stress-free and enjoyable experience.
“The music is so relaxing and nostalgic, and the finding-differences loop is quite varied in difficulty, even on the same maps.”
“Beautiful dioramas combined with wonderful music makes this one of my favorite games to relax to after a busy or stressful day.”
“The music is calming and meshes perfectly with what you're seeing.”
“The music can get a bit repetitive (you can turn it off!), but the sound effects really add something nice to the scenes!”
“Yeah, the background music was okay at first, but due to the overall repetition, it also got on our nerves.”
“Not that it was bad, but the tracks were kind of mellow spin-off versions of known melodies; at least I recognized some other famous songs in the harmonies, so that’s always critical if you hear them too much over a long time.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and vibrant art style, which combines beautiful visuals with a relaxing ambiance created by soothing music. While many players appreciate the unique and detailed designs, some express concerns about the lack of resolution options and occasional blurriness in higher settings. Overall, the aesthetic appeal and artistic quality contribute significantly to the game's enjoyable experience, despite some players finding the gameplay repetitive.
“The art style and worlds are unique, appealing, vibrant, and engaging.”
“What makes this one special to me, besides being a good 'spot the differences' game, is the exceptionally beautiful graphics (though deceptively simple) combined with beautiful music and ambient sounds.”
“Gorgeous visuals, chill music, fun puzzles.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“Very late in the game I noticed that apparently one reason for the horrible blurry graphics was that I played in 4K; in 1080p they were much sharper.”
“Little concern about why this mini game makes my video card run so high; would have loved a performance patch or at least some graphics settings...”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and repetitive nature, which can lead to monotony and frustration despite the impressive graphics and charming diorama designs. While some players appreciate the relaxing mechanics and engaging soundtrack, others find the core gameplay of spotting differences between images to be dull and occasionally challenging due to subtle variations. Overall, the experience is described as low-pressure and visually appealing, but may not hold the interest of all players for extended periods.
“It offers charming 3D dioramas, a relaxing soundtrack, and low-pressure gameplay.”
“I enjoy the simple mechanics and ability to rotate the search field in 3D.”
“Great soundtrack, simple but engaging gameplay, all around perfect for what it is!”
“The gameplay can get monotonous, which might test your patience, even though the graphics are pretty impressive.”
“Repetitive gameplay - the gameplay can become dull as the core mechanics don’t vary much.”
“The gameplay is simple and repetitive.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and relaxation, enhanced by well-composed music and fitting sound effects that complement each scene. Players appreciate the lovingly designed visuals and immersive environments, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a low-commitment yet enjoyable experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as inviting, soothing, and charming, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“A simple, very lovingly designed, relaxing and atmospheric game.”
“I adore this game, not only for its simplicity and inviting atmosphere but also due to what it means for me personally.”
“The atmosphere is perfect and each scene is so cute.”
“The sound effects and the music add to the atmosphere, but are a bit annoying when you need a long time for a level.”
“I enjoyed Tiny Lands' puzzles and the relaxing atmosphere.”
“Furthering that atmosphere is the background music and sound effects.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game features beautifully crafted dioramas that evoke personal stories and memories, allowing players to appreciate each scene as a snapshot of a narrative. While some players wish for a more cohesive overarching storyline, the individual scenes are engaging and provide a relaxing experience. However, it's important to note that there is no traditional story driving the game.
“The dioramas are beautiful and it's fun watching the little story that each of them manages to tell.”
“The scenes are well constructed and each tell a nice story.”
“Each level is like a snapshot of a story that makes you wonder.”
“My only wish is that between scenes there would be some overlapping storyline, which would hold each 'world' together.”
“Actually, there is no story.”
“Low poly is always hard to digest, but this time doesn't feel that way; it is charming and each diorama has a story behind it.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to poor camera controls that complicate exploration. While the game offers interesting scenes and a relaxing atmosphere, it may appeal mainly to dedicated fans of hidden object games who enjoy repetitive tasks. Overall, the grinding is seen as a mediocre experience with no significant achievements to motivate players.
“This would have been perfectly manageable if not for the poor camera controls, which make exploring a scene tedious.”
“Having to pan the camera around was tedious.”
“Long story short, if you really love hidden object games and don’t mind tediously looking for slight differences, go ahead.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
While the game features handmade levels that may lack inherent replay value, the ability to pan the scene while zoomed in enhances the overall gameplay experience, contributing positively to its replayability.
“The positive aspect of this approach, though, is replayability.”
“Being able to pan the scene while zoomed in makes it much more playable.”
“Currently, all levels are handmade and hold not much replay value.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting the artist's vulnerability and creativity behind the project. The unique technology and wholesome gameplay evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation, making it difficult for some to assign a negative rating despite any shortcomings.
“You probably know that torn feeling; in my heart, I really don’t want to hand out a negative rating. After all, being an artist myself, I understand all the creativity behind the process and the emotional vulnerability, especially in regard to such a small family project.”
“This arcade machine has a touching screen, a new tech that was nowhere else to be found at that time in my city.”
“Wholesome puzzling for those wishing to partake in puzzling over perfect pixel puzzling puzzles.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a need for better optimization, citing high resource usage that causes overheating and concerns about performance. Many are requesting additional graphics settings and a performance patch to enhance the gaming experience.
“Great, but I need more optimization (my computer is on fire), and total mouse controls (I'm pretty sure I can pan and rotate with the mouse, think Blender).”
“I have a little concern about why this mini game makes my video card run so high; I would have loved a performance patch or at least some graphics settings.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by cute and occasionally funny scenes that enhance the overall experience, especially when played with others. The combination of competitive elements and fantastic music adds a lighthearted touch, making challenging levels feel less stressful and more enjoyable.
“Really recommend this game to play with someone else, as it makes the progress of finding the differences less stressful when the levels get harder. The competition, along with the fantastic music, creates a soothing, funny yet challenging experience.”
“The little scenes are kind of cute and sometimes a little funny.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the stability of the game, noting that each level is beautifully crafted, creating a visually immersive experience that feels like a moment captured in time.
