When it comes to being a tiny little guy in a big world, there is a decent list of games. You’ve got older titles like Pikmin, Chibi-Robo and Katamari Damacy. There are also newer titles like Tinykin, Grounded, and It Takes Two. Now we can add Misc. A Tiny Tale to the list, developed by the three-person team from Western Australia, Tinyware Games. In it, you play as Buddy, who, along with his best friend, Bag Boy, watches an explosion of rubbish and other accoutrements barrage from the sky. It’s up to Buddy, Bag Boy, and his cat, Flick, to clear rubbish and uncover what lies beyond. Does Misc. A Tiny Tale clean up nicely, or is it thrown out due to planned obsolescence?

Misc. A Tiny Tale starts off with a bang, well, not literally, but close to it. We learn that Bag Boy is a bit of an odd duckling in their quaint little village, as he wears a brown paper bag over his head. Because of this, Bag Boy wants to go on an adventure, and it’s as if someone has answered his prayers. With a bang in the sky, what goes up must come down. The pair watch as golden cogs and rubbish come crashing down. This is when Bag Boy and Buddy decide to go on their adventure, with the plan to head out the next day.

The next day comes, and Bag Boy gives Buddy the rundown. The golden cogs are collectables and what’s needed to progress, while we only need eight, there is a total of ten that you can collect. You’ll need to clean up the rubbish, which you can recycle the rubbish at the RECYC0TRONs found on each level. Each time Buddy recycles, he’ll receive money and ‘difference made’ points. These points aren’t worth anything; they’re just bragging rights. However, you can exchange the money for goods and services. Specifically, from vendors who sell items they’ve found.

To progress to the next level, we need to fix each gate with the cogs. The gates are often where we’ll find Bag Boy; thus, you’re free to explore. Whilst exploring, the level features signs that begin as tutorials, as they guide you or provide hints for what to do. Then, the signs weave themselves into the story as they’re signed ‘sign guy’. You’ll uncover the mystery of the sign guy throughout the game; it’s a great way to offer humour and world-building naturally.

The humour in A Tiny Tale stands out and works well, with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The game does feel like something you’d find on ABC Kids, as it oozes nostalgia without expressly playing into that. The nostalgia comes from shows like Bill and Ben (2001) and Little Robots (2003 – 2005); these are shows I watched as a kid, so there was a perpetual smile on my face. Even though it charms players with its cosy gameplay, it gets really dark in some places. And that’s not just from the visuals, but the themes, too.

Themes you’ll find are the emphasis on cleaning up after yourself, taking care of the environment and reusing items that still have value. Along with being brave, it’s okay to ask for help from others and, in return, offer help. It’s powerful storytelling, as they are things that humans should strive for. The upbeat tone of the game isn’t around for long, as it shifts from something you’d find on ABC Kids to something akin to a psychological drama film. In saying that, this tonal shift works, due to it mirroring the characters’ emotions and their motivations.

The feelings these robots have are quite familiar to humans, and thus, it’s something that not only humanises the robots, but it’s something that we can all relate to. Feelings such as being an outsider, depression, and obsessive thoughts. Admittedly, they’re said through allegories, but it works as you want to barrack for the little guys! Therefore, you give them emotions and motivations, something players can relate to; it’s why I could see myself in Buddy and Bag Boy. Because of this strong characterisation, there are moments in the game where I was crying.

Outside of the storytelling and characterisation, there are some notable references to Australia. In the desert-like level, there’s the famous green and yellow swing set, and Buddy’s bed is a charging brick for a phone with two-angled prongs attached. The title screen also acknowledges that A Tiny Tale was created on the traditional land of the Whadjuk Noongar people of the Noongar nation. Which, admittedly, is something I don’t see often when playing games created in Australia, but hopefully this is something more Aussie devs do in the future!