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TINY METAL

Advance Wars Advance Wars Advance Wars Advance Wars.
TINY METAL Game Cover
69%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
68% User Score Based on 160 reviews
Critic Score 63%Based on 19 reviews

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TINY METAL Game Cover

About

TINY METAL is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by AREA 35, Inc. and was released on December 21, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

TINY METAL is a turn-based war game with a classic style. Command your troops to secure victory across a variety of battlefields, using strategy and terrain to your advantage. Follow an engaging story of war, diplomacy, and espionage in a world on the brink of disaster.

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TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
TINY METAL screenshot
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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews
story17 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • Tiny Metal captures the essence of Advance Wars with its tactical gameplay and unit mechanics.
  • The game features a vibrant art style and enjoyable music, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Focus Fire and Assault mechanics add depth to combat, allowing for strategic plays.
  • The AI is often predictable and lacks challenge, making battles feel less engaging.
  • There is no multiplayer mode at launch, limiting replayability and social interaction.
  • The story and dialogue can be overly long and tedious, detracting from the gameplay experience.
  • story
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally perceived as simplistic and clichéd, often compared to classic titles like Advance Wars, with a mix of engaging and tedious dialogue. While some players appreciate the anime-style presentation and voice acting, many find the narrative lacking depth and challenge, leading to a frustrating experience during missions. Overall, the campaign offers a basic storyline that serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative.

    • “The story is great, the voice acting is superb (Japanese voice), the soundtrack is excellent, and the graphics are also great.”
    • “As corny as Advance Wars was, the story was engaging and the characters were interesting.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, that 20+ hour marker for the story is no lie; the story maps work well in introducing units and mechanics to the player without overwhelming them; as the story progresses, there are more units to work with and the maps get bigger and more intense.”
    • “The story and the conversations between NPCs are quite pointless and bring nothing to the game, and there is no skip button; you have to watch all of the pointless garbage they say.”
    • “The story is trite, but at least they tried - so I appreciate that much.”
    • “The story is pretty basic, not amazing, not god awful, just enough to give the world substance, which isn't bad, but don't expect a Fire Emblem-like story with a fleshed-out set of characters.”
  • gameplay
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Tiny Metal" is generally well-received, featuring a solid core loop reminiscent of "Advance Wars" while introducing new mechanics like focus fire and assault commands that enhance strategic depth. However, players have noted issues such as poor AI behavior, limited unit diversity, and frustrating controls, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a satisfying tactical experience, especially for fans of the genre, though it could benefit from improved explanations and a more polished presentation.

    • “The campaign also has a new game+ mode with higher difficulty and there are 61 skirmish maps for more gameplay.”
    • “These new mechanics are implemented well and can dramatically change up the strategy you employ to complete the campaign and skirmishes.”
    • “The gameplay is that fantastic balance of easy to learn, hard to master that will allow most players to catch on quickly and have fun, no matter what their experience level with tactical war games is.”
    • “Maps are all extremely small, which makes gameplay painfully back-and-forth.”
    • “Additionally, the gameplay in both the campaign and the skirmish maps is marred by a number of bizarre and substantial bugs, such as AI building radar units which they then do nothing with, locking down their own factory forever, or heroes costing no money at all.”
    • “Tiny Metal is one-dimensional in gameplay, and yes, you can call upon enhanced heroes, but by the time you call upon them, you usually have the battle well in hand, and thus they serve no purpose.”
  • graphics
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, cartoony art style and overall visual appeal, which enhances the gaming experience. However, some players have noted issues with clarity and detail, particularly in identifying units, suggesting that while the graphics are enjoyable, they could benefit from further polish and refinement. Overall, the aesthetic is considered fun and engaging, though it may not meet the expectations of all players.

    • “The music and visuals are a true treat to the eyes and ears, and it's obvious the creators poured their hearts into it.”
    • “The graphics and visual style are very appealing and fun.”
    • “The vibrant colors, art style, music, and story also make it a pleasant experience for any player, making it worthwhile for anyone to give it a chance.”
    • “If I have to lean into the screen (even on a 27” desktop) to make out if a unit is carrying a rocket launcher or a rifle, or if an armored unit has a machine gun or a cannon on top, the graphics aren't doing their job.”
    • “Needless to say, while it works on the deck just fine, it's not really playable because of the vague graphics, which is a shame because I bought this to play on that device.”
    • “Battle sequences look like late gen 1 early gen 2 games and they don't match up with the overall aesthetic of the game.”
  • music
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the visuals. While some players find it enjoyable and fitting, others note that it can become repetitive, especially on larger maps, and lacks variety during battles. Overall, the soundtrack is considered solid but not particularly memorable, with a few users expressing a desire for more options to customize their music experience.

    • “The music and visuals are a true treat to the eyes and ears, and it's obvious the creators poured their hearts into it.”
    • “The story is great, the voice acting is superb (Japanese voice), the soundtrack is excellent, and the graphics are also great.”
    • “The music is also different from many games which have 8-bit music, and instead has enjoyable music which lets you concentrate more on your strategy and tactics.”
    • “The music can get a bit repetitive once you’re playing on bigger maps, but that’s what your own music collection is for.”
    • “- it might just be me, but I felt the music during the battles needed a bit more variety.”
    • “Also, the soundtrack is very serviceable but not memorable.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing frequent freezes and bugs, particularly on PC, which hampers gameplay. However, others report that the game runs smoothly overall, suggesting that stability issues may not be universal.

    • “The game runs great, and it really feels like a spiritual successor to the Advance Wars series that we all hold so dear.”
    • “I only get the wheel turning in the lower right corner and then everything freezes up.”
    • “It instantly freezes.”
    • “I go to play some more today and it freezes again.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While the character designs are praised for their visual appeal, the overall character development is lacking, with most characters, aside from Nathan and Wolfram, receiving minimal attention and depth throughout the gameplay.

    • “The character design is fun.”
    • “Great character designs.”
    • “Character development: the characters themselves are not properly addressed or given importance in the gameplay.”
    • “You don't see very much of most characters except for Nathan and Wolfram for the majority of the game, and there isn't a whole lot of character development for really anyone.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some users experiencing significant frame drops even on high-end machines, while others report smooth performance, particularly on low-end PCs. However, there are notable issues with mouse and keyboard controls, indicating a lack of optimization in that area.

    • “I didn't really have any performance issues with the game.”
    • “Let's talk about the performance.”
    • “Well optimized for low-end PCs.”
    • “So poorly optimized that my massive machine, which has no trouble running Total War: Warhammer 2, is dropping frames during the battle animations.”
    • “Poorly optimized for mouse and keyboard.”
    • “Let’s talk about the performance.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While the campaign consists of a limited number of missions, players find significant replayability in exploring additional content, such as collecting log entries and unlocking special units. However, some users feel that the overall replay value is still somewhat lacking.

    • “The campaign is fairly short, but very replayable.”
    • “The campaign is only 19 main missions plus 4 extra ones, but the length and joy of finding all labs for log entries in Metalpedia and special merc units to call in with the comm-link (Gameboy Wars 3 style) add so much replay value.”
    • “Less replayability.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics, noting that the game rewards prolonged battles over speed, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the grinding manageable, issues with controls on PC further complicate the enjoyment, leading to hesitation in recommending the game.

    • “It is not too tedious to be annoying.”
    • “The grinding feels rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
    • “I appreciate how the grind allows for character progression and skill improvement.”
    • “As I was going through the first few missions, I was trying to get the high score on them, and found out that instead of rewarding you for speed, it rewards you for grinding and dragging out the battle as long as possible, which was such a huge turn-off that I don't know if I want to touch the game again.”
    • “I'm not sure I would recommend it right away as some of the controls on PC are buggy or tedious.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing screen movements and engaging voice acting, which collectively enhance the comedic experience. Players appreciate the clever use of visual and auditory elements to deliver laughs throughout the gameplay.

    • “In the action, the screen moves in a funny way, and the text conveys a thousand words.”
    • “The voice acting is hilarious.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly immersive, with background music that complements the overall experience seamlessly, enhancing the player's engagement.

    • “The atmosphere is immersive.”
    • “I didn’t mind the background music; it matched the atmosphere of the game perfectly.”
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63%Critics’ scoreBased on 19 critic reviews
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45h Median play time
45h Average play time
45-45h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

TINY METAL is a tactical role playing game with warfare and science fiction themes.

TINY METAL is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 45 hours playing TINY METAL.

TINY METAL was released on December 21, 2017.

TINY METAL was developed by AREA 35, Inc..

TINY METAL has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

TINY METAL is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Warside, Wargroove, TINY METAL: FULL METAL RUMBLE, Dark Deity, Crossfire: Legion and others.