Miniatures is four thoughtful experiences played out through the eyes of children

Miniatures is an artistic, thoughtful anthology of four games that touch on childhood experiences with deeper, darker undertones.

I’ve played through the two-part demo of Miniatures a couple of times now, each time spending maybe 20-25 minutes across the two tales included of the four that will be in the final release. This, the next game from Other Tales Interactive, feels entirely different than the developer’s previous game (Tick Tock: A Tale for Two) which was a co-operative puzzle game. Instead, Miniatures brings together four thoughtful, short stories.

Familiar follows a family struggling to piece together a cabinet with all of the frustrations and stress that flat-pack furniture can bring. The Paludarium explores the lonely mind of a child who has, for the umpteenth time, been left home alone by their parents. Both of them are slow, thought-provoking and stuffed full of symbology.

Is the dark cloud in the cabinet frustrations? Is the empty can, the prodding finger indicative of a strained, struggled relationship? Is the final product symbolic of the family life? Familiar runs vastly shorter than it’s companion, and while the two have totally different characters, settings and art-styles there are strands that run through them; namely, the child protagonists, the cursor icon and the importance of audio — and silence — in each of the stories. All of that said, this only feels like an exploration of a new world, like when you stare at a painting in a gallery, rather than a game where you have any agency. In fact, you almost have zero choice throughout the whole thing, with a strict, deliberately structured narrative being the output regardless of the path you take.

In that way, Miniatures feels like more of an artistic expression or experience than a conventional game. That’s not a problem, there’s more than enough room for poignant art in the world, however, this feels like an interactive art exhibit — albeit one that you’re meant to slowly sip in private. I don’t know what this means for any sort of commercial success, but I do know that I’m incredibly eager to play the other two adventures within the finished game when it eventually releases.

Miniatures is set to release in Q3 this year, it’s expected to launch for PC, Mac & Linux