After playing the adorable Tinykin, it had us thinking: what other games are out there where your character is tiny in an oversized world?
Tinykin’s Milo isn’t alone: there’s a growing collection of games that take their cue from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Think characters lost amongst giant flowers; tiny people navigating their world through huge houses and more.
We’ve rounded up all the games with tiny characters we could think of right here. And so, if you have a hankering to feel like an ant in a giant world, this list is for you.
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1. Tinykin
- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
In Tinykin you play as Milo, a teeny-tiny spaceman who finds himself in an oversized house. In order to find his way back home, he’s got to find a variety of artefacts, and that means exploring every room of the house. With the help of his trusty army of tinykin – creatures that he can command in a variety of ways – it shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
The world of Tinykin is an ordinary house turned into a metropolis for bugs and tiny creatures. It’s a joy to explore, and packed with so many wonderful touches: matchboxes turned into beds, corks used as bar stools, MP3 players used as boomboxes. Feeling dwarfed by the world around you can be intimidating, but in Tinykin you’ll simply want to explore and enjoy everything.
2. It Takes Two
- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Shrunk down to the size of dolls thanks to a wish made by their daughter, married couple May and Cody are in a bit of a pickle. Their own home becomes a weapon against them in their new, tiny forms. And to make matters worse, they’re on the brink of divorce, and spending extended amounts of time with each other is a nightmare in itself. But if they’re ever going to get back to their normal bodies, they’re going to have to work together.
From wandering around huge gardens to conversing with bugs, It Takes Two – a game designed to be played in co-op – is wondrous from start to finish. Games with tiny characters don’t get much better than this and, providing you’ve got a co-op partner to play with, it’ll keep you coming back for more.
Read our review of It Takes Two
Check latest prices of It Takes Two
3. Grounded
- Available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Imagine being the size of an ant. Even smaller, perhaps, where a regular house spider becomes a giant, Dark Souls-style enemy to you. That’s Grounded, an online multiplayer game about surviving life in a garden when you’re the size of a gnat. Good look with that, because it’s not going to be easy.
When it comes to games with tiny characters in big worlds, Grounded absolutely fits the bill to a tee. As you wander around the world you’ll be faced with everyday objects that suddenly dwarf you: strands of grass tower above you like a dense forest, and a discarded tennis ball could crush you with one roll. You’ll need to keep your wits about you to survive, but doing so is a lot of fun.
4. Little Nightmares
- Available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Now, Little Nightmares (and its sequel, Little Nightmares 2) won’t have you exploring a pleasant, oversized house. In case the ‘Nightmares’ in the title didn’t give it away, this is instead set in a grotesque world filled with monsters, horrible people and a whole range of stuff that’s out to get you. But it is a game about a tiny character in a big world. So, friendly or not, it still fits the bill.
And in fact, if you’ve got the guts for it, Little Nightmares is a wonderful game. Its scares are very cleverly done, and its world will keep you on edge from start to finish. Whether you’re hiding from a hideous chef or sneaking away from a creepy hunter trying to shoot you, both games in the series are well worth playing. Just maybe keep the lights on.
Read our review of Little Nightmares | Read our review of Little Nightmares 2
Check latest prices of Little Nightmares
5. Table Top Racing: World Tour
- Available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Okay, so in Table Top Racing: World Tour, you’re not exactly a tiny character in a huge world. You are, however, a tiny car racing around various oversized environments. In some cases, these are real real-world environments: one level has you racing around a Yo! Sushi restaurant tabletop, complete with food conveyor et all. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.
So while you can’t actually wander around on foot, it’s fun racing past oversized landmarks. If you’re not on Yo! Sushi’s table, you might find yourself on a picnic blanket, or in a car workshop, speeding past giant tins of oil.
Read our review of Table Top Racing: World Tour
6. Katamari Damacy Reroll
- Available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
We’re cheating a little bit here. Not all of Katamari Damacy Reroll is about being a tiny character in a big world. Eventually, you’ll become a giant character in a small world. You see, Katamari Damacy Reroll is a game about, well, rolling up objects. You’re The Prince, and you’re in control of a spiky ball known as a katamari. It’s your job to roll up items, sticking them to your katamari, and gradually growing it.
Starting off, you’ll be dwarfed by everyday items like chairs (and cats!), picking up things as small as push pins and paperclips. As your katamari grows so does your view on the world, with you able to pick up larger and larger items.
