Flying without Wings: Tiny Wings Analysis

Play-testing an Iphone game

In order to critically analysis Tiny Wings fairly, the game had to be played not for just 5 minutes, but for an extensive amount of time to value assess it's worth fairly.

Excerpt from Dissertation:

Case Study: Tiny Wings

Tiny wings was created by a single developer named Andreas Illiger for the IPhone back in 2011. It is a simple game in which you play as a bird who has always dreamt of being able to fly, although due to his tiny wings is unable to fly and dreams of flying all the time. With the help of the hilly environment, he is able to make his dream a reality by using the hilly terrain to his advantage. Gathering up speed as you slide down the slope of the hill and then using the upslope as a launching ramp into the air and at times clouds. You have to continually time your dips into the slopes perfectly in order launch yourself to keen flying throughout.

Tiny wings has a brilliant overall aesthetic display and is highly regarded by several game reviewing websites for having a fantastic art style and simple yet addictive game mechanic (TouchArcade, IGN, Gamepro). Tiny wings particularly excels in its visual ability to stand out from the rest of the IOS crowd which is part of the reason it has reached over seven million downloads to date. It has a very simple one-touch mechanic which causes the character to nose dive and force its weight to drive the momentum on the hills. The art style is full of visual vibrancy in it’s procedural generated watercolour-esque background and soft cute characters. The music and gameplay, combined with vibrant art offer a credulous experience.      

Challenge 4/5: In review of how well Tiny Wings balances it’s aspects of challenge, it is clear that the general gameplay mechanic is a very simple one-touch function yet is adequately hard to master. As you begin the flight filled experience it is often hard to master the timing of when to stop touching the screen, as if you hold it for too long, it causes the momentum to wane. Often you can find yourself enjoying the vibrant and positive experience of the game as time swiftly passes by, a certain verification of being in the feeling of flow. Although despite the bliss of the simplicity of this unique mechanic, even after completing the two main modes of the game (day trip and flight school), it can be almost frustratingly difficult in defeating the AI within the game as even a few mistimed hill launches or set ups can slow you down significantly. Although the mechanic is very basic, it can present a means negative attachment if the learning curve is not concurred, although despite this, the challenging aspect of the game is undoubtedly vigorous and enrapturing.  

Freedom 2/5: The freedom in the game is fairly limited within the constraints of the set storyline and set purpose. The game is two dimensional with the bird being only capable of either nose diving or gliding through the air on default. The game only has two game modes, one in which you compete to achieve an array of goals such as hill ride 3 times consecutively, although the game generally lacks flexibility. Despite only being capable of affecting the bird’s ability to force its weight downwards, the choice of timing of when this is down is crucial in impacting your success within the game.

Retention 4/5: The replay value of Tiny Wings is praised as being ‘endlessly replayable’ due to its balance of great art and immersive experience as well as the addictive one touch mechanic which is hard to master (Touch Arcade). The game has quite an addictive one-touch mechanic that is so basic and inviting for even the less experienced game enthusiasts. The depth of the game is also sufficient to keep the users interest with four different characters in three different worlds consisting of five different levels and each level is different. The only gripe within the playability factor of the game is within the difficulty of the game as it can be really hard to predict when the next hill is coming in order to slide down and launch from it, which may lose the users interest after being frustrated with the level of difficulty as you progress. Overall, the levels of retention within the game are abundant and easy to submerge oneself and be absorbed within the experience.

Immersion 4/5: The immersive aspects of Tiny Wings play a huge role within the game’s visualised submission. The soft art style and subtle animations create a real sense of calm euphoric sensation of being in a harmless and safe place. The compassionate story of the small adorable bird who dreams of flying really bonds with the users. The fantasy of a positive and serene environment is created by the unique art style and the calming music as the game really immerses you into a new reality. The visuals are vibrant, with subtle animations of leaves and particles floating in the background. The immersive qualities of this game are evidently strong although the effect can seem to wear off after the scenery doesn’t significantly alter as you progress through the game. This is obviously not the intended purpose of the game although does limit the freshness of the illusion. Overall, the game establishes a very strong emotional connection with the imagery, that of calmness and positivity.

Value 4/5: The value that Tiny Wings gives you is somewhat humble although quite substantial in its subtle form. One of the simple rewarding visuals of the game are when you do three hill jumps in a row, you are given a starry sparkling boost which takes you high into the clouds, which is a bonus for those who are playing the game successfully. The main tangible reward that is given to the user is the reward of a fish for the first, second and third place birds, and if you fail the level and become fourth you are given a lesser reward of a shrimp as an alternative. This creates a sense of accomplishment when you continue to progress throughout the game. On top of the tangible fish reward, you are also presented with a new next after completing each world. In terms of the intangible, the feeling of value is consistent with the calming and dreamlike experience as you are immersed within play and there is a sense of satisfaction from every subtle animation to every new world. Although the feeling of completing the set of worlds leaves you somewhat unfulfilled as there is no ending sequence and playing with the other characters feels very similar to the first, despite this, the game successfully creates value for the player.  

Feel 5/5: The feel is arguably the most pinnacle aspect of the game and one of the core reasons for its success. The simple and approachable one-touch mechanic in combination with the visual feedback is so fitting and balanced that it certainly brings the interaction to life. The feel is separated from many other mediocre experiences by its overall polish and its own unique feel, an example of this are the frogs within the game who all croak a unique sound to begin the race. There is a certain amount of visual harmony within the game, notably; the characters are all of a rounded gentle disposition which linked perfectly with the curvy hills and creates a harmonious sensation. The game plays incredibly well and the simple, warm, positive, calm aspects all interrelate to create a pleasurable user experience.        

	RATING
CHALLENGE	4
FREEDOM	2
RETENTION	4
IMMERSION	4
VALUE	4
FEEL	5
TOTAL (Mean)	3.8

Table of results for Tiny Wings

In deduction of Tiny Wings and its overall game aesthetic ability, it is evident that as with the originally intention of choosing it for its visual significance, it is evident from looking at the data chart that the visual aspects of feel, value and immersion are certainly a strong driving factor in the games aesthetic success. It is also apparent that overall it is a fairly well balanced in offering a valid experience as the sense of challenge and retention are also well regarded. The freedom of the game is not as well stipulated within this game, but certainly do not take away from its overall aesthetic experience.