Tin Hearts successfully gives players a 3D Lemmings experience they can enjoy, while the story and art style takes things a step further. Lemmings created a new sub-genre of puzzle titles with its classic Super Nintendo release, where the player must guide a group of creatures along a path and help them avoid obstacles to reach a goal. Since then, several titles have created their own iterations of this formula, some good and some bad, but all share the same Lemmings-like feel and basic mechanics.
Released last month for Nintendo Switch and now making its way to other platforms, Tin Hearts is a thoroughly Lemmings-like experience that successfully takes the subgenre into the 3D space while offering a heartfelt story and a lovingly crafted Victorian house to play around in. While some of the controls are shaky and will probably be better suited to the VR release scheduled for later this year, Tin Hearts still offers players an enjoyable experience.
Inventor Albert J. Butterworth is a toy maker and family man, a la Pinocchio’s Geppetto. Focusing on the relationship between Albert and his family, Tin Hearts offers a heartfelt story that tugs at some heartstrings as he struggles to balance life between his art and his wife and daughter. Coupled with a phenomenal soundtrack credited to Helen, Albert’s wife, you have a memorable journey through the mind that goes deeper than you might think at first glance.
“The look and feel of Tin Hearts is very British, and this is evident in the design and SRT style of the house, as well as the character design.”
From the attic to the music room to the back garden, Tin Hearts takes you on a journey through the home of Albert J. Butterworth. These rooms are the setting for each round of puzzles, which gradually increase in difficulty as you gain new abilities and face new obstacles. As with all Lemmings, the player’s task is to help the tin soldiers created by Albert get across the room and to their destination. With rooms filled with furniture and objects, there’s a real Toy Story feel to it, even if the life shown in that Disney animation is not found in the soldier toys of Tin Hearts.
Using blocks to direct the soldiers, you navigate the rooms using Rube Goldberg machine-like pathways to guide the soldiers into items that need to be knocked over, cannons that shoot them across the room, or balloons that allow the soldiers to float over enemies. While each puzzle becomes increasingly complex, and the timers allow you to take your time, the wobbly controls make navigating the room tricky. While these concerns will most likely be alleviated with the release of the VR version later this year, the controller version isn’t the tightest or most user-friendly.
“The idea of a 3D Lemmings is great, and Tin Hearts succeeds in every way, even if it could use a bit more polish to round it out.”
The look and feel of Tin Hearts is very British, and this is evident in the design and SRT style of the house, as well as the character design. With several ex-Lionhead Studios designers working on Tin Hearts, there’s a definite Fable-like energy to the characters in particular, even if it won’t be for everyone.
Tin Hearts is a great puzzle experience for those who enjoy the genre, especially old-school Lemmings fans. While the controls and movement can be shaky, the gameplay is intriguing, even if it starts off a little slow. The British feel of the home and characters gives it a charm that Fable fans will connect with, while the story and soundtrack keep you from puzzle to puzzle. The idea of a 3D Lemmings is great, and Tin Hearts succeeds in every way, even if it could use a bit more polish to round it out.
