Thomas Was Alone

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Thomas Was Alone is a family-friendly Puzzle-Platformer that was first released on PC in 2012 and later ported to multiple other game platforms, with the game being brought to the Nintendo Switch in 2021, with this release including both its Benjamin’s Flight add-on levels and its optional audio commentary by creator Mike Bithell.

The presentation in Thomas Was Alone is exceedingly simple, yet somehow still very appealing. Characters and the levels they traverse are simple rectangles, with some nice shadow effects and a few other subtle nuances… but mostly, this is graphically an extremely simple, even minimalist, game. The characters themselves are distinguished only by their size, color, and abilities.

However, the game does an excellent job using these minor differences to establish these as completely different characters thanks largely to the well-written and superbly-performed voiced narration by Danny Wallace, which invests these characters with diverse and delightful personalities, and their interactions with each other and their world work to tell a delightful story using only the most minimal of tools. While this game does have some good Puzzle-Platformer puzzles to solve, make no mistake – it is this game’s story, about these disparate characters trying to solve problems and interact with one another, that is its main attraction.

I should also mention the excellent electronica soundtrack by David Housden, which not only underlines the digital nature of the story being told, but also underlines it with a light atmosphere that reflects the hope and optimism of its central character.

As for the Puzzle-Platforming gameplay itself, it’s all good, but nothing here is unique or novel. The level design is well-crafted, but there’s nothing here that this game does that can’t be seen in countless other entries in the genre. Like I said before, the gameplay is good, but the main draw of this game is its characters and story.

I freely admit, I’ve had a soft spot for Thomas Was Alone for the near-decade the game has been out. I love its characters, I love its story, and I thoroughly enjoy the gameplay… all while at the same time recognizing that the game’s visuals aren’t going to impress anyone, and there’s nothing truly novel about the gameplay other than what it says about its characters. If you haven’t already played this game on another platform and are looking for a solid Puzzle-Platformer with simple visuals and a great story, you should definitely play Thomas Was Alone. Oh, and be sure to play it with the volume on.

tl;dr – Thomas Was Alone is a family-friendly Puzzle-Platformer that uses simple visuals, simple gameplay, and outstanding writing and narration to tell a delightful story with wonderful characters. This game isn’t going to impress anyone with its graphics or wow them with some new gameplay mechanic, but it is a master class at telling a story using narration and mechanics in a videogame. If you have not yet played it on another platform, I highly recommend it.

Grade: B+

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