Tiny Thief

Last updated

Tiny Thief
Tiny Thief logo.jpg
Developer(s) 5Ants
Abylight (Wii U)
Publisher(s) Rovio Stars
Platform(s) Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Wii U
ReleaseAndroid, iOS
  • WW: 11 July 2013
Windows, OS X
  • WW: 16 December 2013
Wii U
  • JP: 13 November 2015
Genre(s) Point and click adventure game
Mode(s) Single-player

Tiny Thief was a 2013 point-and-click adventure video game developed by 5Ants and published by Rovio Entertainment through its Rovio Stars program. The player controls a thief who goes on a quest to steal items from enemies. Players can interact with objects to progress through each level and achieve the targeted item. Enemies are present throughout, and players must avoid getting caught by utilizing the game's stealth mechanics. The game implements a three-star performance system, with each of the star corresponding to goals completed.

Contents

Tiny Thief was developed by a team of two under the name 5Ants. The game went through several setbacks, mainly regarding its animation. Rovio further supported its development and released the game under their third-party publishing program Rovio Stars. The game was released for iOS and Android on 11 July 2013 and for Windows and OS X on 16 December 2013. The game was later ported to the Wii U on November 2015. Following an announcement made by Rovio, the game was discontinued and removed from app stores on February 2016.

The game received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its animation and level design but noted its short length. It won the People's Choice Award at the 10th International Mobile Gaming Awards and received a nomination for Best Animated Video Game at the 41st Annie Awards.

Gameplay

In Tiny Thief, players control a thief who attempts to steal items from enemies. [1] [2] Players progress by moving the thief to accessible areas and interacting with objects, while evading enemies that he encounters. [1] [2] Players may avoid enemies by distracting, defeating, or hiding from them. [1]

The game consists of six quests, each with a different plot, set in a vague medieval period. Along the way, players will encounter enemies such as pirates, bakers, sheriffs, as well as the dark knight. On each quest, there are five levels.

The game uses a three-star rating system; therefore, players can receive one, two or three stars depending on goal completions. The central star is given when the thief successfully steals the main object, which is required to complete the level. The left star is given when the thief steals multiple hidden objects in a level. The right star is given when the player taps (or clicks) the thief's hidden pet ferret. The game also include achievements that can be obtained by completing certain tasks.

Development

In May 2013, Rovio announced their plans on making a project called Rovio Stars, where they would publish games made by third-party developers as an effort to boost their game lineup. [3]

Two months later, Rovio Stars released Tiny Thief, a game developed by Barcelona-based studio 5Ants on iOS and Android. It was their second game released from the project; with the first one being Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage . [4] [5]

In November 2015, Abylight Studios alongside 5Ants developed the game on efforts for it to be released on the Wii U. On a blog posted by Abylight, they stated that "Art, graphics and gameplay over 30 different levels, 50 unique characters, 3000 unique animations and over 100 hidden objects, have drawn the attention of Nintendo Japan for making a Wii U title". [6] The game was later available on the Japanese Wii U Nintendo eShop for a price of 800 yen. [7]

Rovio discontinued development of Tiny Thief and removed it from app stores in February 2016. [8]

Reception

Tiny Thief received favorable reviews on the aggregate review website Metacritic; the game attained an overall score of 86 out of 100 based on 21 reviews. [9] It has been presented with the "Editor’s Choice" on the iOS App Store [11] and won the People's Choice Award at the 10th annual International Mobile Gaming Awards. [12]

Related Research Articles

Pikmin is a real-time strategy and puzzle video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, and published by Nintendo. The games focus on directing a horde of plant-like creatures called Pikmin in order to collect items by destroying obstacles, avoiding hazards and fighting fauna that are hazardous to both the player character and the Pikmin.

<i>Defend Your Castle</i> 2008 video game

Defend Your Castle is a series of video games developed by XGen Studios.

<i>Swords & Soldiers</i> 2009 video game

Swords & Soldiers is a 2D sidescrolling real-time strategy game by Ronimo Games. It was released in Europe on May 15, 2009, and in North America on June 8, 2009. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, Wii, PlayStation 3, iOS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. Two Tribes released Swords & Soldiers on the Wii U eShop, which was released in North America and Europe on May 22, 2014.

<i>Edge</i> (video game) 2008 video game

Edge is a puzzle-platform game developed by Mobigame for PC and iOS devices. The objective is to guide a rolling cube through maze-like levels and reach the goal. Originally released on the App Store in December 2008, it has been removed and re-added to the store multiple times due to a trademark dispute with Tim Langdell of Edge Games, concerning the use of the word "Edge" in the title. This had caused the game to be briefly released as Edge by Mobigame and Edgy, before ultimately returning to the App Store under its original name in January 2010. The game was released on multiple platforms including mobile phones, PlayStation Portable, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS. It was released on Steam in August 2011 by publisher Two Tribes.

<i>Angry Birds</i> (video game) 2009 puzzle video game

Angry Birds is a 2009 casual puzzle video game developed by Finnish video game developer Rovio Entertainment. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for iOS and Maemo devices starting in December 2009. By October 2010, 12 million copies of the game had been purchased from the iOS App Store, which prompted the developer to design versions for other touchscreen-based smartphones, most notably Android, Symbian, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry 10 devices. The series has since expanded to include titles for dedicated video game consoles and PCs. A sequel, Angry Birds 2, was released in July 2015 for iOS and Android. Around April 2019, the original game was removed from the App Store. A paid recreation of the game's content from 2012 was released as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds on March 31, 2022, but later on, Rovio mentioned that they were removing it from the Google Play Store on February 23, 2023, and retitling it as Red’s First Flight.

<i>Angry Birds Rio</i> 2011 video game

Angry Birds Rio was a 2011 puzzle video game developed and published by Rovio Entertainment. It is the third installment in the Angry Birds series. The game was released on March 22, 2011 and promoted as a marketing tie-in with the 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios co-produced animated film Rio. While utilizing the same basic gameplay as Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio added a number of new elements, most notably the first use of boss levels. Angry Birds Rio was discontinued on February 3, 2020 along with Angry Birds Star Wars, Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Star Wars II, with the games also being pulled out of the app stores.

<i>Angry Birds Seasons</i> 2010 video game

Angry Birds Seasons was the second puzzle video game in the Angry Birds series, developed by Rovio Entertainment. Based on Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons was released for devices using Apple's iOS in October 2010 and then it was released on other platforms starting in December 2010. There have been no new releases since the release of Ragnahog on December 1, 2016.

<i>Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes</i> 2012 video game

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is a 2012 Lego-themed action-adventure game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is a sequel to Lego Batman: The Videogame and the second installment in the Lego Batman series. The game's main storyline follows Batman, Robin and later Superman as they attempt to foil the Joker and Lex Luthor's plans to have the latter become president of the United States, joining forces with the Justice League along the way. As a result, the game's cast is larger than its predecessor and includes characters outside of the Batman series.

<i>Rayman Legends</i> 2013 video game

Rayman Legends is a platform video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. It is the fifth main title in the Rayman series and the direct sequel to the 2011 game Rayman Origins. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PlayStation Vita platforms in August and September 2013. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released in February 2014, with a Stadia version released in November 2021. A Nintendo Switch port, titled Rayman Legends Definitive Edition, was released in North America, Europe and Australia on September 12, 2017.

<i>Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed</i> 2012 video game

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012, for PlayStation Vita in December 2012, for Windows in January 2013, for Nintendo 3DS in February 2013, and for Android and iOS devices in January 2014. The PS3 and Wii U versions of the game were released in Japan on May 15, 2014.

<i>Scribblenauts Unlimited</i> Puzzle videogame released in 2012

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a puzzle sandbox video game developed by 5th Cell and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, iOS and Android. The game was announced during Nintendo's E3 2012 press conference on June 5. It is the fourth title in the Scribblenauts series, as a launch title for the Wii U console.

<i>Angry Birds Trilogy</i> 2013 video game series

Angry Birds Trilogy is a video game co-developed by Rovio Entertainment, Exient Entertainment, Housemarque, and Fun Labs and published by Activision.

<i>Angry Birds Star Wars</i> 2012 video game

Angry Birds Star Wars was a puzzle video game, a crossover between the Star Wars franchise and the Angry Birds series of video games, launched on November 8, 2012, first for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, later also to Mac and BlackBerry. The game is the sixth Angry Birds game in the series. The characters are copyrighted from George Lucas's double-trilogy. On July 18, 2013, Rovio announced that Angry Birds Star Wars would be heading for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and the Nintendo 3DS on October 29, 2013, in conjunction with Activision. As of August 2013, the game has been downloaded over 100 million times on its various platforms. The game is a launch title for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

<i>New Super Luigi U</i> 2013 video game

New Super Luigi U is a 2013 platform game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is an expansion pack for New Super Mario Bros. U (2012), part of the Super Mario series. The plot and game mechanics remain identical to New Super Mario Bros. U, but Luigi replaces Mario as the protagonist. Luigi jumps higher and has less ground friction than Mario, and every level is redesigned to increase the difficulty level. The expansion adds Nabbit, a non-player character from New Super Mario Bros. U, as an invincible playable character.

The Croods is an American media franchise by DreamWorks Animation. The franchise began with the 2013 film The Croods, and has since grown to include a sequel, The Croods: A New Age; two television series, Dawn of the Croods and The Croods: Family Tree; and two video games. Set in the fictional prehistoric "Croodaceous" time period which is roamed by a series of bizarre hybrid animals, the franchise follows the eponymous cavepeople family as they travel through the dangerous but exotic lands in search of a new home after their previous home was destroyed.

<i>Badland</i> (video game) 2013 mobile video game

Badland is a mobile video game developed by Finland-based Frogmind Games and first released on the iOS and Android platforms in 2013. It was released on Windows Phone 8 in June 2014. There is also a Game of the Year Edition that was released in May 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Wii U and Steam for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X, and in August 2021 for Nintendo Switch. In December 2015, its sequel Badland 2 was released on iOS and Android. For the same platforms, a real-time strategy spin-off, Badland Brawl, was released in September 2018, where gameplay is a mash-up between Angry Birds and Clash Royale.

<i>Retry</i> (video game) 2014 video game

Retry was a free-to-play retro-styled side-scrolling video game developed by Rovio LVL11 and published by Rovio Entertainment. Inspired by Flappy Bird, Retry had similar controls. The game was soft launched in Finland, Canada, and Poland in May 2014. The worldwide iOS and Android release was on October 22, 2014. On 2017, the game was removed from the app stores.

<i>Jolly Jam</i> 2015 puzzle video game

Jolly Jam was a mobile tile-matching puzzle video game, developed by Magic Tavern and published by Rovio Stars. It was released on February 18, 2015, for Android and iOS devices worldwide. The game features different gameplay mechanics, drawing a box around similar objects, compared to most other tile-matching games.

<i>Cube Life: Island Survival</i> 2015 indie sandbox video game

Cube Life: Island Survival is an indie open world sandbox survival video game developed and published by Cypronia. It was released for Wii U in June 2015. An HD remake was released for Steam in April 2018, for Android and iOS in August 2018, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2020.

<i>Quest of Dungeons</i> 2014 video game

Quest of Dungeons is a roguelike indie game released on March 25, 2014 by Portuguese developer Upfall Studios. The game features 16-bit graphics to resemble games from the Super NES and Sega Genesis era. It was initially released for Windows, Mac and iOS and was later ported to Xbox One via ID@Xbox on September 7, 2015. In February 2016, it was announced that the game was being developed on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS and was released on September 29, 2016. It was later released for PlayStation 4 on January 17, 2017. On August 2, 2017, it was announced that it would be coming to the Nintendo Switch.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Clarke, David (18 July 2013). "'Tiny Thief' Review: The Point-And-Click Adventure That Stole My Heart". TouchArcade . Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 Jasko, Joe (16 July 2013). "Tiny Thief Review". Gamezebo . Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Albanesius, Chloe (14 May 2013). "Angry Birds Maker Releasing Third-Party Games Via 'Rovio Stars'". PCMag . Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Moscaritolo, Angela (11 July 2013). "Rovio-Backed 'Tiny Thief' Released for iOS, Android". PCMag. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  5. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (10 July 2013). "Tiny Thief is the next game handpicked by the studio behind Angry Birds". Polygon . Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Nintendo, 5Ants and Abylight working together to take forward the Wii U version of Tiny Thief". abylight.com. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Nintendo brings 2013's Tiny Thief to the Japanese Wii U eShop". nintendoeverything.com. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Why Isn't Tiny Thief Available In App Stores Anymore?". Rovio Entertainment. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Tiny Thief for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Clarke, David (18 July 2013). "'Tiny Thief' Review: The Point-And-Click Adventure That Stole My Heart". TouchArcade . Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Yong, Esaint (27 August 2013). "Tiny Thief: Less is Clearly More – The UrbanWire". The UrbanWire. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Winners". Imgawards. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.