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It’s still really cozy, though

Image: Hyper Three Studio

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When you first start Tiny Lands 2, it tells you to play with headphones for the optimal experience, immediately setting the tone that this game is very much about vibes and ambience. The point-and-click puzzle game is centered around spotting the difference between two nearly-identical dioramas — it’s very simple, but it’s also very relaxing.

Players will view both versions of the diorama side-by-side, simultaneously moving the camera around each one. Each level has five differences, and finding them is all a matter of perspective. Sometimes it’s something a bit obvious, like a color variation between two objects, but it can also be much more obscure, like slight size differences or other very subtle changes that can only be seen from certain angles.

Every difference spotted earns you a star, which can be used to unlock more dioramas. The levels don’t have set difficulties that ramp up over time, and the game also doesn’t punish you for leaving a diorama’s differences only partially discovered before moving on to the next one, which is great for when you’re stumped and want a change of scenery.

I did take issue with some of the camera controls, as they don’t feel as intuitive as they could be for a game that almost entirely relies on looking around different environments. Some of it could truly just be a me problem, but there were a few choices I felt didn’t make sense. For example, the x-axis camera rotation with the right joystick is inverted, but the panning with the arrow buttons is not. There’s a setting to swap this, but it means that the left and right panning becomes reversed instead — there’s no way to have them both standard.

I did learn that at least some of these preferences extended beyond just myself when attempting multiplayer, with the camera controls also taking a while to click with my puzzle partner. Couch co-op mode is a new addition to Tiny Lands 2, and it’s both a fun exercise in teamwork and a lesson in patience. Players have separate pointers but share the camera control, very much requiring both to be on the same page at all times while examining a diorama. It facilitates strong communication, and two sets of eyes are better than one, making for an easier — albeit a bit clunkier — experience.

Being in the dioramas themselves is by far the best part of the game. They have a wide variety of themes that take full advantage of the “tiny” aspect of the game, playing around with perspectives and household items into the world. There are trains made of teapots and buttons, tiny fishermen hoisting big catches from a magnetic fishing game, and little festival goers holding ginormous dango beside big bowls of ramen.

Image: Hyper Three Studio via Polygon

The game’s photography mode is a great way to take advantage of all these incredible environments, eschewing the side-by-side view for a singular one to let you fully capture everything. Setting up perfect shots in such delightful, colorful worlds reminded me of my time spent with the pro camera in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, adjusting angles by minute yet meaningful degrees until I landed on the exact picture I wanted. Players can also unlock stickers for photography mode by finding puzzle pieces, which alongside elements like frames and color gradation allows for even more customization.

Playing with headphones is indeed the ideal way to play Tiny Lands 2, as the soundscape plays a big part in making the game what it sets out to be: a relaxing puzzle experience to be taken at one’s own pace. A soft, whimsical soundtrack blends with ambient sounds suited to the diorama, like cups gently clanking in a cafe-themed world and far-off whale sounds in an aquatic level, to make an environment that’s truly a pleasure to be in — even if I’m struggling to spot differences.

Honestly, one of my biggest takeaways from Tiny Lands 2, aside from relaxation, was just how unobservant I am. Even with the in-game hints system, which every so often can be activated to briefly shine an aura on an area containing a difference, there are very few levels in which I’ve found all five. However, I still had fun meticulously puzzling out differences between dioramas. *Tiny Lands 2 *and its charming dioramas were a great outlet to unwind my brain after a long day, while simultaneously stimulating it in a subtle way.