Tiktok to Tiny Glade to Anndale
How a Game and TikTok Live Streams Sparked Cosy Stories
It all started with filling contracted hours, a game called Tiny Glade, and an unexpected viral moment. What began as making up extra time to not have live streaming abilities taken away, blossomed into a possible world of stories, a made up village called Anndale, and now this Substack—a place where I’ll be sharing some cosy tales and behind the scenes of this journey.
Discovering Tiny Glade
Tiny Glade isn’t your typical game. There are no levels, no objectives, no high scores. Instead, it’s about creativity—placing walls, crafting rolling hills, and building tiny, tranquil worlds where time seems to slow down. As a former architectural draughtsman with an appreciation for Georgian and Victorian agricultural building styles common to where I live (sad, I know), I was instantly drawn to its quaint design possibilities that hark back to a time that is often romanticised. From the moment I started playing, layout out building blocks, forming towers, defensive walls and the like - I was hooked, and inspired. Something about its simplicity allowed my imagination to run.
Going Viral on TikTok
One random Friday afternoon in October 2024, I decided to go live on TikTok while playing Tiny Glade, as I had an hour to spare. For some reason, algorithmically anyway, my live stream went from 10 viewers to over 2,000 in what felt like the blink of an eye. People flooded in and it was fully overwhelming. Emotionally and mentally I was struggling to cope. In my close to 8 years on YouTube, live streaming every week, I’d only had at most 83 people watching and was more regularly broadcasting to approx. 15 people. So to have hundreds watching blew my mind!
In the days that followed I streamed more and an amazing community sprung up. I started a build that began with a straight “main street”, and from there the imagination ran. Quickly there was a pub, a mill, a manor house - or at least these buildings were designated as such anyway. There are decorative limitations in the game after all.
That village became Anndale, a small, picturesque community inspired by early-to-mid 1800s England. As the TikTok community grew, so did Anndale. With each new square, we added a farm, a marketplace, cricket field, docks, and trade buildings like a blacksmith, forester, brewery, and a school. Together, we shaped the landscape and brought the town to life.
The Birth of Storytelling
Throughout the live streams, viewers began commenting on my voice. “You’d be great at reading audio books,” many have said. That seed took root, I realised that Anndale wasn’t just a collection of cottages and trading posts—it was a place full of potential stories. Who could live in these homes? What were their daily lives like? What gentle adventures could unfold in this charming world?
In late November, I decided to try something new. With the help of AI, I wrote and recorded a short, cosy story nominally set in Anndale and released it exclusively to my TikTok subscribers. The response was good, even though I really struggle with reading aloud, and it became clear that people wanted more. Encouraged by the warmth and enthusiasm of the community, I’ve been developing characters to inhabit this growing world—from the villagers of Anndale to the more industrial yet equally quaint nearby town of Wills Port which we continue to build!
Listen to “The Brave Little Sparrow” now 👇
Welcome to Anndale Haven
Now, I’m bringing these stories to Substack. Here, I’ll share not only the background tales of Anndale and beyond, but maps of the world, behind the scenes of my efforts to create more of this world in the Tiktok lives, but also life updates and links etc to Anndale related content on our social media sites.
Whether you joined me on TikTok or are discovering Anndale for the first time here, thank you for being part of this adventure. I’m so excited to share this journey with you. There’s so much to come!
If that sounds like your kind of escape, I’d love for you to subscribe and join me.
Welcome to Anndale.
Andy
Subscribe for regular escapes to Anndale, where cosy stories and tranquil adventures await.