Video Game Review: Tin Can

Developer: Tin Can Studio

Genre: Survival

Reviewed For: PlayStation 5

Also Available On Xbox, PC

Survival games in which the player strives to last as long as possible without a real narrative are a dime a dozen. Tin Can is an original take on the genre that throws players into a deteriorating space pod that needs constant care or will kill the player.

While the player will spend most of the game in the space pod, they will start in a dying ship with the opportunity to gather resources with little time. It’s an immediately chaotic situation that establishes the tone of Tin Can. This is a stressful game that will challenge the player’s instincts and ability to prioritize tasks that are urgent and important.

The game is full of obstacles that consistently challenge the player to think fast and recall the instructions they were given. There is an in-game manual for solving a variety of issues, but of course, this takes up time in-game. Players will need to learn how to fix leaks or troubleshoot what’s wrong with the oxygen system. Of course, losing things like oxygen leads to the player’s vision getting blurrier, only making the experience more challenging. It’s thrilling but comes with a high learning curve that can be frustrating. 

Visually, Tin Can isn’t exceptional, but does a fine job of portraying the interior of the space pod making everything easy enough to take in. The various buttons, modules, and other needs are clear to identify, making Tin Can more playable with less frustration. The textures aren’t exceptional, but the level of detail in the various parts of the pod is great.

There isn’t a narrative, and Tin Can is mostly just a series of short runs, challenges, and leaderboards. It’s a fun survival experience but not much more. It’s addicting when you grasp the mechanics, but it lacks the hook to get most players invested. It awards investment though, so players who thrive in chaos will find plenty to love here.