TINYFOLKS
- May 25, 2022
- Pierre Vandermaesen
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"TINYFOLKS" is a single-player fantasy turn-based strategy game with fantastic mechanics, featuring crisp pixel art graphics, splendid music, and lots of grinding. Train your folks from over 20 different classes, equip them with various weapons and artefacts, and upgrade your town's buildings to unlock new activities. Battle through 13 unique biomes, defeat 70+ monsters, and defeat the evil Sorcerer to save the town. Available on Steam.
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Reviews
- Fun and engaging gameplay with a variety of classes and strategies to explore.
- Charming pixel art and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Great value for the price, offering hours of entertainment in a compact format.
- Lacks depth and variety, making it feel repetitive after a few runs.
- Some classes and abilities are poorly balanced, leading to underwhelming gameplay options.
- Achievements are often bugged or unachievable, detracting from the completionist experience.
- music230 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its catchy, banger soundtrack that enhances the overall gameplay experience. The chiptune and 8-bit styles resonate well with fans of retro aesthetics, contributing to the game's charm and nostalgic appeal. Overall, the soundtrack is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, making the game a must-try for music lovers and fans of turn-based RPGs alike.
“The soundtrack is just brilliant.”
“This game is amazing for how little it costs; really feels like it takes you back in time with the graphics and the music, all of which looks, feels, and sounds great.”
“The music is fun, the animations are cute, and the combinations of classes let people have their own type of builds to go 'dungeon' diving.”
“The only thing that can be improved is the music and SFX.”
“Simple graphics, simple soundtrack, simple premise.”
“I really like the art style, music, and overall idea of the game, but the fact that the length of the campaign is based on the difficulty setting completely ruins the game for me, because losing a well-trained/equipped character now feels infinitely worse.”
- gameplay152 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Tinyfolks is characterized by its engaging mix of base building, tactical battles, and RPG mechanics, offering a streamlined experience reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon but with simplified mechanics. Players appreciate the charming graphics, catchy soundtrack, and the addictive gameplay loop that encourages replayability, despite some frustrations with UI and balance. Overall, it provides a satisfying experience within a short playtime, making it accessible for both casual and dedicated gamers.
“Great gameplay loop.”
“The visuals, audio, and music are all fantastic, and the gameplay loop is very enjoyable.”
“A one-man army nailed down a core gameplay loop that is as addictive, with a great soundtrack, lovely art style, good animations, and balanced & rewarding combats.”
“But I got frustrated by the gameplay and UI.”
“By the time you figure out the mechanics and play around with all the classes, the game is done.”
“7/10 fairly short and simple JRPG-style game with a few hints of Darkest Dungeon positional gameplay, with quite charming graphics but does not feel especially replayable, even with the unlockable content.”
- graphics126 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, often described as cute and minimalist, reminiscent of old-school pixel art and 8-bit styles. While some players appreciate the simplicity and nostalgic feel, others find the minimalist approach can feel claustrophobic or overly basic. Overall, the visuals are well-received for their effectiveness in complementing the gameplay and music, creating an enjoyable and cohesive experience.
“Tinyfolks, the indie game, is a visual treat with cute graphics, a pleasing soundtrack, and enjoyable gameplay.”
“Great old-school graphics, but deeper game mechanics than first meets the eye.”
“The graphics are very old school but also very charming, the music is nice and it's just a neat little game to kill a few hours in.”
“The graphics and sound are fine for the price but nothing stand out.”
“Downside is the very minimalist graphics, which didn't bother at all which was surprising.”
“Too many games I see in the indie storefront for $15-20 that do nothing unique or new and yet can't match AAA in polish or graphics; it's kind of disappointing to take so long to find something interesting.”
- replayability104 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding value in challenge modes, difficulty settings, and class combinations, while others feel it lacks depth and variety for extended play. Many agree that although the game is short, it offers enough content for a few enjoyable runs, especially at its low price point. Overall, it seems to cater to those who appreciate replaying for achievements and experimenting with different strategies, but may not satisfy players seeking extensive replay value.
“This game is simply very nice, interesting, replayable; not for more than 100 hours in my opinion, but my 50 hours were all amazing.”
“Genuinely took a while to get used to the town mechanics as well as scavenging, but the game rewards replayability and has flexible party compositions.”
“A playthrough should take 3-5 hours and there's replayability by way of trying different classes and tactics, a harder difficulty, achievements, and several challenge modes.”
“It's not a super deep game (feels like a mobile port) and it doesn't have a ton of replayability.”
“This game is barely replayable.”
“A very short and easy game with no replay value.”
- story42 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in Tinyfolks is minimalistic and straightforward, revolving around a simple quest to defeat a bad guy and build a town, which allows players to focus on gameplay rather than narrative depth. While the plot lacks complexity, it fosters player imagination and attachment to the characters, making it an enjoyable experience for those seeking a quick RPG adventure without extensive storytelling. Overall, the game successfully combines essential RPG elements in a fun and engaging way, appealing to players who appreciate simplicity and strategy over elaborate narratives.
“The storyline is so simple but it is peak because you can get attached to the expressionless 8-bit characters and imagine the best scenes in existence.”
“Fun mechanics, a decent amount of customization, and a fun little story that's not hard to get into.”
“This was a shocking turn of events we'd never recover from, and the story was thenceforth turned into a roaring rampage of revenge.”
“There is no real story beyond bad guy invades, kill bad guy.”
“Tinyfolks is a simple plot and a simple idea.”
“A quick fun adventure for anyone who needs a taste of an RPG without having to bog through a boring story or grind for hours.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and sometimes frustrating, particularly due to confusing systems, RNG-based difficulty, and grindy achievements that may not unlock properly. While some appreciate the incentive to progress steadily without feeling overpowered, the repetitive nature of resource farming and the need for constant confirmation in combat can detract from the overall experience. An auto-battle feature is suggested as a potential improvement to alleviate some of the grind.
“Unexplained and confusing systems, difficulty entirely based on enemy RNG, tedious menuing, misleading difficulty labels (for challenges as well as locations), and a massive lack of access to previously discovered information (the archive feature was far from enough).”
“The only thing I didn't like is that the achievements feel grindy and some of them are not working (for example, I beat Jurassic World 3 times on normal, but didn't unlock the 'beat Jurassic World' achievement).”
“I also find the combat system annoying because you have to constantly confirm your attacks, which gets tedious fast.”
- stability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting numerous bugs that hinder gameplay and prevent achievements from unlocking. While some players have experienced a glitch-free experience on specific platforms like Linux, the overall consensus indicates that the game is currently too buggy for a smooth experience.
“The game is bug-free as far as I know.”
“As it currently stands right now, it's too buggy to play.”
“On top of all that, the achievements are buggy and simply won't unlock.”
“Some of the alternate modes are interesting, some are bad, and some are downright buggy.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as clever and subtle, providing an enjoyable experience without being overly intrusive. Players appreciate the comedic elements, which enhance the gameplay, and find the overall tone to be funny and engaging, likening it to a humorous twist on "Darkest Dungeon." Despite some minor grammar issues, these quirks add to the charm and laughter throughout the game.
“There may be a few grammar errors here and there, but honestly those have only made me laugh.”
“If we must resort to comparisons, think of it as 'Darkest Dungeon gone funny and on the Game Boy' and you sort of have it.”
“The humor is very slight while not in your face, yet clever and funny.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its engaging music and overall ambiance, contributing to a strong user experience. However, some players feel that a more immersive RPG-style atmosphere would enhance the game's appeal even further.
“Perfect UX, banger soundtrack, great overall atmosphere.”
“It's more arcade in sound, but something more atmospheric like an RPG would fit perfectly and surely provide better immersion.”
“Great atmosphere overall.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game is not fully optimized for controls, particularly on the Steam Deck, which can affect gameplay experience. Despite this, it is characterized as an optimization puzzle and a push-your-luck game.
“While I currently play it on the Steam Deck, the controls aren't entirely optimized.”
“It's an optimization puzzle and a push-your-luck game.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its ability to deliver a lighthearted and engaging experience without the weight of a complex narrative or extensive grinding, making it accessible for players seeking a brief yet enjoyable RPG adventure.
