Miniatures At a Glance…
Genre: Puzzle, Anthology
Age Rating: PEGI 3
Multiplayer: No
Accessibility: 8 languages, single difficulty, touch screen controls
Available On: Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile
Developer: Other Tales Interactive
Publisher: Other Tales Interactive
Release Date: November 14th, 2024
The Pitch: This solo-play adventure game offers four handcrafted stories that blend the magic and mystery of childhood with themes of loneliness and imagination. Through intuitive, varied gameplay, players explore dreamlike worlds, uncover hidden secrets, and piece together memories tied to curious items like a toy lizard, a seashell, and a captured moth. With an average playtime of 45 minutes, these tales invite you to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves and their power to shape our reality.
With the flick of a switch, a nearby lamp illuminates a small, decorative box. You turn the key and lift the lid. Inside are four objects: a lizard, a moth, a seashell and a screwdriver. By toggling the light switch on and off, you can enter the menu – and this is the most fun I had with Miniatures.
Miniatures is an anthology of four short stories. By interacting with the items inside the box, you experience a surreal, traumatic memory. I’m reluctant to call them four short games because you don’t play anything. The gameplay (if you can call it that) is nothing more than prodding at the touch screen until something happens. It has more in common with interactive displays found in museums.
None of the short stories have any context for what you are supposed to do. They’re so brief, that there’s no time to implement anything captivating. Instead of letting the player do anything themselves, all you can do is place your finger down somewhere, anywhere, and watch an animation. Miniatures doesn’t give you any agency, so it might as well be a 15-minute YouTube video instead.
I don’t know who the target audience is. I’m pretty sure Miniatures is for five people, and they are the same five people who made it. I can’t imagine many people finding the short stories relatable or compelling. The best I can say about Miniatures is that it might look good on a university student’s portfolio.
Final Score: 1/10
Should you play it? No
Why? Miniatures is an insult to the definition of a video game. It’s an ‘interactive experience’ that has snuck its way into the gaming space but with no clear goals, gameplay mechanics or character progression, Miniatures is nothing more than a digital pamphlet.
But… If you’re stuck on a train and don’t mind spending £5, it’s an excuse to continue looking at a screen. You’re better off giving that £5 to the next homeless person you see, though.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
