Almost without fail, the digital storefronts see handfuls of hidden object and spot the difference games released on a weekly basis. Search for ‘Spot the Difference’ on the Switch eShop, for instance, and you’ll be presented with close to 1,000 results. As such, we’ve always believed that titles in these genres are both cheap and quick to produce, using either stock photos or AI generated images, along with recycled engines. How else could so many exist?
Tiny Lands: Deluxe Edition – first released on PC, and now available on PS5 and Xbox Series – represents a developer trying to stand out in an extremely crowded market, creating the genre equivalent of Vampire Survivors with hours of content and slick presentation. It’s a noble effort that, for the most part, isn’t in vain.
You’re presented with two rotatable 3D dioramas that move simultaneously and must find five differences in each. The camera can also be panned to the left and right, as well as centred, but cannot be zoomed in fully, putting the onus on rotating. Every completed puzzle grants five stars, which are then used to unlock the next puzzle category – with this being a complete collection with around 200 different dioramas sourced from a trio of previously released DLCs.
What sets this apart from the vast amount of eShop slop is that the dioramas are fun, creative, and reasonably well detailed, covering everything from dramatic action scenes to moments of tranquillity. It’s clear that each has had a degree of thought and effort put in, with subtle lighting and the occasional comical touch. It isn’t much of a surprise that the developers recommend playing Tiny Lands with headphones, as the ambient sounds are aurally pleasing too, featuring real life samples. Winds bellow, waves wash against the shore, and birds chirp. This helps create a very warming and cosy atmosphere.
How difficult you’ll find Tiny Lands depends on your eye for detail. Generally, most puzzles took me around five minutes to solve, with a few edging towards the ten minute mark. Most have quite an obvious difference, such as a flag a different colour or a large object rotated, along with at least one minor difference tricky to locate, often requiring the diorama to be spun several times. As there’s no penalty for missteps, I did occasionally resort to clicking on every object – a tactic that usually worked. If you exit a puzzle any differences found aren’t saved, meaning you can’t go diving in and out of puzzles and leaving them incomplete.
Tiny Lands: Deluxe Edition isn’t an essential purchase. Neither is it something to play for hours on end, best experienced in small doses due to its repetition – in the sense that puzzles don’t suddenly become bigger, multi-layered or more complex. It’s pretty balanced in that regard. If you’re looking for something to play during a wet Sunday afternoon or in front of the fireplace though, this comes recommended. It’s a package that isn’t quite ‘tiny but mighty’ but still manages to be impactful with the warming atmosphere it creates.
Hidden Trap’s Tiny Lands: Deluxe Edition is out 2nd Oct on PS5 and Xbox Series.