The Tiny Bang Story is a point-and-click adventure/puzzle game developed by Colibri Games. The game is designed for users of any age who have active imaginations and are fans of classic logic puzzles. The Tiny Bang Story takes place on an obliterated planet which shattered into jigsaw pieces after being hit by an asteroid.
In order to advance through each level you are required to solve a portion of the jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle contains small, but beautifully detailed animations such as shooting stars, waving tree branches and flowing water. The game feature the amazing hand-drawn graphics for which Colibri has become famous.
The storyline is open to interpretation. There are silent, curious inhabitants of the planet who speak in simple pictographs, hints to solve the puzzles you will encounter throughout the game.
The Tiny Bang Story
The puzzles are various, classic but at the same time creative and unique to the game. They vary in design from seek-and-finds of parts that belong to a train you need to assemble, colour pattern alignment, sliding picture puzzles, memory games and there are even a few 8-bit games, reminiscent of old Atari shooters.
Each level is similar; you have to seek out and find collections of everyday items such as cogs, coloured balls, valves, fishing buoys and switches. After you find, say 25 coloured balls, you are allowed to access a puzzle that will ultimately help you complete the level.
The most fascinating aspect of The Tiny Bang Story is the exquisitely detailed, hand-drawn artwork. The landscape is whimsically natural and also oddly mechanical. The world is miniature with houses made out of glass bottles, tea kettles and shoes. Think The Secret of Nimh meets steampunk culture meets The Lord of the Rings on a nice sunny day.
The Tiny Bang Story
The design was definitely my favourite feature of the game. I don't know if this is a dated reference, but it reminded me of the Myst series. You are a nameless, bodiless protagonist in a mysterious, broken and cryptic but visually gorgeous world. The game features a light, percussion based soundtrack, with jovial marimba beats and gentle woodwinds which are appropriate with the nature of the game.
The mystical ambience of The Tiny Bang Story has a lot to do with being alone and clueless in a lovely environment. You are forced to scan the entire landscape in each level since you must search for the various items which are hidden in plain sight or are disguised as other objects. So the brilliantly and uniquely detailed design is much appreciated and explored by the user.
Even though the plot is minuscule, The Tiny Bang Story is more of a work of art where you are required to explore and experience every magical, whimsical detail. Download a free demo of this point-and-click tour de force here.
