13 January 2013
By Tyler Demshki, Staff Writer
Thomas Was Alone. So begins this independent production developed and published by Mike Bithell on 2012 July 24. Thomas Was Alone is a minimalist puzzle-platformer in which the goal is to guide a set of rectangles to a set of portals. However, these rectangles are not your run-of-the-mill silent video game protagonists; they are fully fleshed-out, compelling characters.
At first this seems odd. How can an orange rectangle named Thomas, the game’s protagonist, have any character at all? The game soon answers this question by weaving personality into Thomas and the other rectangles through small, bite-sized chunks of narrative at the beginning of each level. We learn that Thomas is somewhat of an intellectual; he displays curiosity about the world around him and lists his observations about it. But where is Thomas, anyway?
Like the character development, the setting of the game is revealed gradually through small news snippets sometimes present at the start of a level. Very early on, players can conclude that Thomas and the companions he meets are AIs (artificial intelligences) and that some momentous event surrounds them. Players eventually learn what that event is as they progress into the story.
Another clever tool used in characterization is the gameplay itself. Take the skinny yellow rectangle John. John is a bit aloof, a tad arrogant and somewhat of a loner. John, unlike the other rectangles, can often complete levels alone without the help and cooperation of the other rectangles because of his superior jumping ability. The game is filled with these connections between gameplay.
However, while Thomas Was Alone is definitely a worthwhile gaming experience, there is one main issue: cost. The game is around $10 on various PC digital distributors but only lasts for around two or three hours. Thus, gamers on a budget may wish to consider a game with a tad more longevity, even given Thomas Was Alone’s quality.
Overall, Thomas Was Alone is a fine display of minimalist narration and characterization and is certainly worth the purchase for anyone looking for a brief, narrative-driven videogame. Just don’t be surprised when you suddenly find yourself able to list the defining traits and names of a bunch of pixelated rectangles and feel no shame.
8.5/10
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