Sizeable Review: A Delightful Digital Diorama
Bigger is better, but only when smaller first.
There’s a wealth of puns and whatnot to begin this Sizeable review, but I don’t want to begin on a grand scale, nor do I want to reach for low-hanging fruit for something so meaningless and minuscule, so I will instead say that small things come in big packages and vice versa. That is far from as hard-hitting as ‘size matters’, but that’s too easy. Besides, it’s the magician, not the wand.
Anyway, Sizeable is a low-key puzzle game where you have to resize objects to locate three pillars, drop on a placeholder, then move on to the next puzzle. More importantly, you have to locate an elusive turtle, and in doing so, not only will you be able to get 100% completion eventually, but you’ll also be rewarded with an uplifting kazoo sound. Bloomin’ marvellous.
The game itself is a little like a hidden object game set in a diorama like a title such as Tiny Lands or Hidden Around the World. However, it’s not a literal Where’s Wally? situation and instead a problem-solving situation where you might have to manipulate the time of day or season to promote growth or the shedding of autumn leaves, or change the size of the moon to affect tides. Be careful with that one around your missus as there’s no saying how it’ll affect her mood. I didn’t tell you that.
Sizeable is so intuitive that the tutorial is depicted in the opening scene. Swing around the diorama with the mouse (no zooming in and out), clicking and dragging to pick up objects to move them, and the highlight and what makes this special is the scroll wheel. Sliding the wheel up will make something bigger, and down is the opposite. Oh, if like were this simple I’d be a muscle man in seconds and be able to fit into my wife’s dresses once and for all. Ahem.
Moving on, I can’t express how delightful this game is. Yes, it’s a bite-sized experience with the potential to finish in one sitting. I am utterly against that and would rather drag it out (or size it out) and make it last as long as possible. Much like the earlier comparison to Tiny Lands, you can replay the levels and not always remember where everything is. Naturally, you’ll be able to play through it quicker the second or third time, yet the visuals and calming soundtrack just make it more replayable. And that kazoo? I want one.
Anything else about Sizeable will just be filler, as there’s all there is to it. It’s a simple idea, and it works really well. There are about 20+ levels with some secrets, though it could do with some extra levels in the future – perhaps some DLC or simple updates. Regardless, I’m going to be daring and also recommend this, too. It’s perfectly accessible to a variety of folk, and likely that this will draw in your significant other and finally convince them that gaming is meaningful, or at the very least, get your kids off Roblox or TikTok and play a proper game rather than watch someone else have all the fun. Delightful.
