The game follows Milodane, an archeologist who explores a mysterious planet and uncovers humanity's origins.

During his journey, he encounters Tinykin, tiny critters with unique abilities that help him reach places and complete his objectives.

Tinykin is a 3D platformer with puzzle game elements,[2] and features two-dimensional characters in a three-dimensional world.

[9] Milodane's abilities consist of making soap bubbles that can glide around, soapboard to hover or grind around and using Tinykin to progress.

[15] Milodane (who is almost microscopic sized) sets out on a mission to explore a mysterious planet, later established to be Earth, and uncover the secrets of humanity's origins.

Throughout their adventure, Milodane and his companions encounter a range of creatures, including ants and other insects who have built elaborate cities and their own cultures in each room of the enormous house they live in,[17][18] each containing a component.

[15] In the process, they discover that the bugs revere a man named 'Ardwin', presumed to be the former human owner of the house.

Now the size of a bug, and having kept himself alive for decades with robotic parts, he reveals he was a scientist responsible for humanity's exodus from Earth.

His shrink ray went haywire and shrank the entire population of the planet, who fled to Aegis, leaving Earth to the bugs – who evolved alongside Tinykin and took over as the dominant species.

Ardwin also reveals that the house is permanently stuck via a time-loop in 1991, where the technology is not sufficiently advanced for him to mend his escape ship.

Returning to the workshop, Ardwin discovers they can use a bone dropped by Milodane's dog, Nevus, as the last component for the machine.

The character's inspiration comes from Milo Thatch from Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Daniel Jackson from Stargate.

[26] The team did not want the game world to be empty, so they populated it with civilizations of insects and then they thought about how everyday objects would be used by an army of talking ants.

[31] The game was also shown at the Media Indie Exchange showcase and PAX East in 2022; its mixing of 2D visuals with 3D environments was well received.

[49] Tinykin was also featured in the Independent Games Festival as an honorable mention for Excellence in Audio, Design and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.

[42] IGN Southeast Asia noted that the game's vibrant levels were "[outstanding]" and described it as "the spirit of Nintendo 64's [finest] 3D platformers.