Taken for a Quickie | Tales of the Tiny Planet

---

Get back to basics with endearing physics puzzler Tales of the Tiny Planet in the latest delightful iteration in our mini-review series: Taken for a Quickie.

---

by James Michael Parry

---

​@james_parry

---

Developer: Pixelsplit
Publisher: Joindots
Platforms: Switch, PC,
Android, iOS
Players: 1 - 2

Looking at the screenshot above, it seems a bit simple?

They do say the simplest ideas are often the best, and here the concept is certainly straightforward - use a single button to turn or move coloured objects and propel tiny planets with adorable faces to the end zone, where they’ll be sucked into a black hole…

Those poor, cute little planets...

Well, they seem fairly happy about the whole affair, even offering up reassuring words when you complete a stage. Being sucked into an abyss is, apparently, a whale of a time.

Do things get any more complex?

There are six worlds in total and each is slightly trickier than the last, as you’d expect. Elements of timing and momentum need to be kept in mind, plus there’s the gradual introduction of hazards like spikes and ‘evil’ planets which cause your friendly planet to, err… pop, if they come into contact.

​A low barrier to entry, then?

The single button control scheme means it’s very easy to pick up and play. It’s a little odd that the button of choice on Switch is B, rather than A, but it’s not really an issue.

Is it worth the price of admission?

Being a game which is already available on Steam for around £7 and on mobile for just over £3, £17.99 on Switch is a hefty price tag for a relatively small package. The Switch version does boast a bonus sixth world, featuring some pesky portals, and a co-op mode, but whether that's enough to justify the jump in price is up for debate. There’s a couple of hours of solid brain-teasing here, as well as some post-completion challenges, but, in the end, despite its charm and effective presentation, it’s hard to recommend at its current price point.