Check out what TinyBuild brought to PAX East this year!
The Penny Arcade Expo or PAX East was up and running again, in full capacity, for the first time during the pandemic. PAX East was held in 2020 and decided to have an event online the year they skipped. That being said, 2022 was the reawakening of the show, if you will, and I was able to attend. First up on the show floor was a stop with one of, if not, the best booth at the show, TinyBuild. TinyBuild always goes above and beyond with their booth designs. This year, like in past years they decided to make things feel like a carnival atmosphere. They had all kinds of carnival games, like whack-a-mole, a punching bag that measures strength, and more. The booth was one of the best at PAX East and I would have shown off my punching strength but didn’t want to hurt my feet.
TinyBuild has some interesting games coming out so lets talk about those. First up is Spiderheck, a game that will feel a lot like Stick Fight. You play as a spider and fight other spiders while trying to stay alive in the process. There are all kinds of weapons that will generate over the course of each stage and it’s up to you to find the one you like best and kill with it. The game is like a duel-stick shooter where you move with one of the control sticks and aim your weapon with the other. It takes a lot of getting used to; being able to maneuver/dodge enemy attacks and get around the stage. One of the best parts is grabbing a lightsabre and going to town on an enemy that attempts to kill you first. Playing this with friends in the same room, seeing their reaction after killing/dying will be the best part.
Next up is an interesting game called Tinykin. You play as Milo, who arrived on Earth but he’s tiny and everyone else is gone. On the plus side, you’ll be able to discover creatures called Tinykin, that have different powers that will aid you on your journey. The Tinykin are very similar to Pikmin in terms of finding them in the level and being able to throw them at objects. You could blow things up with red Tinykin or thrown pink ones at objects to get them to move it for you. As you progress, you’ll get your hands on a bar of soap that acts like a skateboard. Go crazy, as you’ll be able to travel across the level on it as well as grind on wires to get to higher up locations. Fans of Pikmin will want to give this a look as well as fans of old-school platforming games, like the Nintendo 64 days.
Lastly, there was the mystery game that TinyBuild kept hidden until the show, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars. In an era where every company is trying to come up with that next big hit, TinyBuild has thrown their souls-like into the ring. The game plays like part Breath of the Wild and part Dark Souls and that’s a good thing. You’ll be able to find different weapons strewn about and you’ll be able to have an attack style that you feel comfortable using. If you like ranged attacks, you’ll have that option. There are enemies that you’ll have to study attack patterns when you run into them but you’ll have items that you find that will help you survive. The best part of the demo build was the boss fight at the end. At the end of build you find yourself in a swamp-like area and a giant alligator comes out of nowhere and it’s up to you to destroy it. This fight screams souls-like as you can get a few hits in and then jump away, dodging the giant tail the monster attacks with. I’m not the biggest souls player but this fight wasn’t too bad and I took the beast down on my second try. Asterigos is a game I’d keep my eye on in the future.
TinyBuild is always a fun booth to stop by and see during PAX East and this year was no different. The crane machine was a nice touch as well but TinyBuild always goes that extra mile to deliver the fun! I’d like to thank the company for taking the time out to meet with me during PAX East!
