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Press release:
Cologne, Germany – [27. October] – Some people can walk past a Gachapon machine without stopping. The developers of Tiny Capsule Collector clearly cannot.

The upcoming cozy desktop companion from Cologne-based indie studio Playing Mantis turns the bottom of your screen into a tiny Gachapon shop filled with adorable animal customers, colorful capsule toys and enough little things to collect to keep even the most dedicated completionist busy.

200+ toys. 17 collections. 30 customers. 40+ decorations. One very cute desktop.

Tiny Capsule Collector is designed for players who enjoy having something lovely happening in the background while they work, study, wait or simply unwind. Instead of demanding your full attention, the tiny shop quietly keeps you company, giving you small moments of joy whenever you glance down at your screen.

“We wanted to make a game that feels like opening a capsule at your favorite Gachapon machine: that little moment of anticipation and joy, but without asking you to spend money over and over again,” says Juniper Alves, Game Director at Playing Mantis.

“You buy the game once, and then you can simply enjoy collecting. We love cute things, we love Japan, we love old-school anime, and we wanted to put all of that into something you could have with you throughout the day,” adds Janna Zimmer, Art Director who hand-painted most game assets.

A Gachapon shop that never runs out of cute things

Your little shop is home to a growing cast of adorable animal customers. Set up vending machines, attract new visitors and discover what they might pull.

There are 200+ different toys to collect, organized into 17 sets, from tiny kaiju to cuddly cats or funny aliens. And because collecting is only half the fun, you can surround your growing hoard with 40+ unique pieces of decoration and make the shop your own and your desktop a place you’d rather be. The result is less about optimization and more about that irresistible feeling of: “Oh my god, I need to get this one, too.”

Cozy gaming that doesn’t ask you to stop doing everything else

Tiny Capsule Collector is made for low-focus play and high-reward.

“From the beginning, we wanted Tiny Capsule Collector to feel like a little world living alongside you rather than another game demanding your attention,” says Yannik Jansen, Technical Director at Playing Mantis.

“The game can happily run in the background while you work or study. You can decide to play in optional full-screen mode for those moments when you simply want to sit back and enjoy your little Gachapon world. The Twitch integration lets streamers bring their communities into the shop as animal customers.”

The game sits at the bottom of your screen while you get on with your day. Check in between meetings. Watch your shop while studying. Let it accompany a Just Chatting stream. Take a quick break to see which adorable customer has arrived.

There are no deadlines to meet, no difficult battles and no pressure to keep playing. Just a tiny shop getting a little cuter over time giving you relaxing, cozy vibes.

And for streamers, Twitch integration lets viewers become part of the experience by appearing as animal customers in the shop, turning the cozy little store into a shared space for Just Chatting and co-working streams.

A little Tokyo daydream for your desktop

Visually, Tiny Capsule Collector draws inspiration from Kawaii culture, old-school anime and the colorful charm of Tokyo.

The hand-drawn 2D art gives the game a warm, nostalgic personality, while the Gachapon machines, capsule toys and tiny decorations turn your desktop into something that feels a little more like a place you want to hang out. Because sometimes your desktop could use fewer spreadsheets and a few more cute animals.

Collect. Decorate. Make it yours.

At its heart, Tiny Capsule Collector is for anyone who has ever:

stopped at a Gachapon machine “just to look”

bought a capsule because that was way too cute to leave behind

arranged their desk around things that make them happy

spent far too long completing a collection

or simply believes that everything is better with a tiny animal on it

Tiny Capsule Collector releases on 27th October for PC on Steam.

Genre: Desktop Companion, Idle Game

About Playing Mantis
A bite sized indie studio, creating wholesome games with a pinch of quirkiness. Based in Cologne, Germany, the three-person team creates colorful, characterful games inspired by the things they love – from anime and Japanese pop culture to cozy games, collecting and the simple joy of having something cute around.

Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround