You ever just want to be a little guy with no responsibilities? Someone who just decides, "Hey, I'm gonna drive a car into space today"? That is the entire energy of Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip. Developed by snekflat (Lars Korendijk and Thomas de Waard) and published by Super Rare Games, this isn't your typical open-world slog. It’s short. It’s weird. It basically feels like if The Simpsons Hit & Run had a baby with A Short Hike and that baby was raised on early 2000s Nickelodeon cartoons.
Honestly, the game is a breath of fresh air.
What Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip Is Actually About
You play as Terry. Terry is... well, he's a tiny guy in flip-flops. His parents left him in the town of Sprankelwater while they went on vacation, and instead of moping, Terry decides to get a job. Kind of. He ends up at the Job Application Center, meets a guy named Spepely, and somehow acquires a car.
The goal? Upgrade that car with enough "Turbo Junk" to literally launch it into the atmosphere.
It sounds simple, and it is. But the magic is in the sheer chaos of Sprankelwater. You’re not just following waypoints; you’re stealing cars, hitting people with a lead pipe (don't worry, it’s all very cartoonish), and helping a criminal named Steelkees commit "victimless" crimes. It’s a playground game. You run, you jump, you drive, and you talk to NPCs who speak in bizarre chirps and squawks.
The Mechanics of the "Turbo"
To get to space, you need Turbo Junk.
You find this stuff everywhere:
- Buried in the ground (look for the circles of items).
- Hidden in trash cans.
- Awarded for completing weird side quests.
- Tucked away on rooftops that require some platforming finesse.
You take this junk to Zmirapfy’s Garage. Every 150 pieces of junk gets you a boost upgrade. You only need about seven upgrades to finish the main story, which takes most people around 3-4 hours.
Why the Map Size is a Secret Weapon
People often ask if the map is big. It’s not. You can drive the entire perimeter in about a minute. You can run from one end to the other in five.
But here is the thing: it’s dense.
In an era where every AAA game wants to give you 100 square miles of empty forest, Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip gives you a single city block where every corner has something funny. There's a giant sea monster. There's a guy named Burning Bernie who is literally cooking in the sun. There are "Gummy Pups" to collect—little pets that do nothing but follow you and look cute.
The world feels alive because it’s reactive. You can jump into the backseat of a random NPC's car and just... take over the driving. They don't mind. They just sit there while you barrel into a pile of boxes. It's the kind of emergent gameplay that makes you chuckle because it’s so unnecessary yet perfectly executed.
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Hidden Details and 100% Completion
If you’re a completionist, the game changes. While the main story is a breeze, finding every single piece of Turbo Junk is actually kind of a nightmare.
Pro tip: Buy the Junk Detector Hat immediately.
It costs 1,000 bucks at the junk store. It’s expensive, but without it, you will never find those last five pieces of junk hidden on a random island or tucked behind a pipe.
Things you shouldn't miss:
- The Elevators: They actually work and are essential for finding shortcuts to high-up junk.
- The Pipe Jump: If you swing your pipe mid-air, you get a tiny bit of extra height. This is the "speedrunner" strat for reaching certain blueprints.
- The Soundtrack: Composed by Thomas de Waard, it’s incredibly catchy. Each district has its own vibe. The only downside? The music restarts every time you hop in or out of a car, which can get a bit grating if you're doing a lot of quick stops.
The Emotional Core (Wait, Really?)
You wouldn't expect a game about a lizard-guy in a taxi to have "themes," but it does. Sorta.
As you play, you find letters from Terry’s parents. You talk to Griatta, the apartment receptionist who worries if you’re eating enough. There’s a subtle layer of narrative about loneliness and the way kids (or "tiny" people) create massive, impossible goals to deal with being left behind. It never gets too heavy—this is still a game where you can bankrupt a man by eating too many Beach Fries—but it gives the ending a lot more weight than you'd expect.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're just starting your trip in Sprankelwater, keep these in mind to save yourself some frustration:
- Don't grind junk early. Just explore. The missions give you way more junk (100 per trash can) than picking up individual pieces on the street.
- Steal the sports car. It spawns near the Sky Plaza or the Job Application Center. Sell it to Jatkleuter for 150 cash. It’s the fastest way to get money for the Junk Detector Hat.
- Call your uncle. Use your inventory to call Grony. He gives you hints if you’re stuck on where to go next.
- Listen for the chimes. Some collectibles, like the wind chimes for the Stone Mushroom quest, are invisible until you stand right under them. You have to follow the sound.
Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip is currently available on PC (Steam/Epic), PS4/PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a "pallet cleanser" game between massive RPGs, this is the one. Just don't expect it to last you all week—it’s a short, wild ride that knows exactly when to quit.
To make the most of your time in Sprankelwater, focus on talking to every NPC you see before you hit the final 200% boost threshold; many of the best jokes are hidden in optional dialogue that you might skip if you're rushing to the moon.