Thomas Was Alone - PC Game Review

I picked up this title as part of a Humble Indie Bundle a little while ago and finally decided to give it a go.

Thomas Was Alone started as a flash platformer created by Mike Bithell and sooned gained enough attention and popularity to be developed into a stand alone title.  On the surface it seems rather bland.  Essentially you are guiding shapes through grey locations in order to reach a designated location.  As the game progresses you get introduced to more shapes, each with their own properties, and must utilise them effectively in order to get to harder to reach areas.

For example, Thomas is a red rectangle with a medium height jump.  Later we are introduced to a blue square that can float, a small purple rectangle that can double jump, the list goes on.  Some of the puzzles do take some working out while others seem to be an exercise in persistence.

What really sets the game apart is the atmosphere.  Each section is introduced with a quote.  Various people commenting about Artificial Intelligences and the consequences of them intermingling.  Once the game starts the narrator of the game, played by Danny Wallace, describes what the various Arftificially Intelligent shapes are thinking, with the dialogue appearing story style on the screen.  The sheer amount of character he adds to these simple shapes is nothing short of amazing and really helps to keep you playing the game.  You find yourself actually caring about the fate of these coloured blocks and it really adds to the sense of victory when you successfully traverse a particularly tricky area.  This is also backed up by the wonderful ambient music that permeates throughout the game.

I played the game on PC using my trusty Xbox/PS3 style controller.  The controls were responsive and accurate.  Given the simple gameplay this comes as no surprise.  I am pretty sure the experience would translate easily to other gaming devices.

All up Thomas Was Alone is an enjoyable experience.  The difficulty level varies throughout the game but I only found one or two levels frustrating.  If you are looking for a super hard challenge then this is not for you.  The game itself is quite short. I finished it over 3 nights, playing a little under an hour each night, but if you are an achievement fiend there are collectibles and additional goals and challenges to keep you going back for quite some time.

As a stand-a-lone title it'll set you back about $10 on Steam.  I'd recommend trying to get it as part of a discount package for best value.