
It's a cute, clever, and oddly rewarding little puzzle game that manages to pull from a few different genres quite effectively. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Tiny Thief but I've definitely come away impressed. Players have to position themselves next to the item first, then tap on a contextual icon that appears rather than simply tapping directly on the item to both move and use it when in range. There's also this odd disconnect between movement and object interaction. For starters, the main character doesn't move all that fast. Tiny Thief does feel a little slow at times, though. Although chasing all three stars in a given level is also its own reward since it adds two more slightly different layers (find the hidden object and play with everything in sight until something happens) to the gameplay. So much so that I quickly became more interested in seeing what else I could do rather than simply acquiring more stars. All the little character and object interactions/animations bring a lot of personality to the forefront. I was a little put off by Tiny Thief's inherent simplicity (although it gets better), but I was totally won over due to sheer adorableness. At least, they'll have to find all this stuff if they want to nail the three-star ratings.

Each level has a particular item that needs "liberating" in order to move on, but soon players will also have to search for a hidden ferret (I'm so not joking) and some other hidden item that changes from stage to stage. One might require something as simple as untying a rope to drop a scaffolding in order to get a palace guard out of the way while another could involve scaring a knight away with some stinky cheese. Each stage is a collection of interactive elements that need to be figured out in order to progress, often with hilarious results.

Sometimes it's for revenge, other times it's to feed the hungry, and often it's just for funzies.

That and the clever puzzles along with the super-charming personality.Ī diminutive would-be Robin Hood is out to pilfer from the upper class for just about every reason imaginable. That's part of the reason I've been enjoying Tiny Thief so much. I'm talking about any games involving sneaking past guards, whether it's in the shadows or in a crowd. I've had a soft spot for sneaking around ever since I first slipped on Sam Fisher's rather unique goggles.
