Thimbleweed Park is a Point-and-Click Adventure Full of Mystery and Humor
Thimbleweed Park ($9.99) by Terrible Toybox is the mobile port of the recently released point-and-click adventure game on Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. If you enjoyed games like Layton's Mystery Journey and Samorost 3, then you'll like Thimbleweed Park.
When it comes to mobile games, one probably thinks of casual puzzles or high score chasers first. However, in recent years, plenty of point-and-click adventure games have originated on iOS, or even get ported over to mobile, proving that the platform is an excellent choice for many gamers who want to get their gaming fix on-the-go. I usually don't play too many point-and-click adventure games, but when I saw Thimbleweed Park has made its way onto iOS, I had to check it out for myself. As someone who hasn't played the game previously, I'm definitely not disappointed.
Layton’s Mystery Journey
Level-5 Inc.
Samorost 3
Amanita Design s.r.o
Visually, Thimbleweed Park is beautiful with a retro pixel art style that serves as a nice homage to the classic games of yesteryear. If you grew up with the 16-bit games on SNES and SEGA Genesis, then you'll feel right at home. Despite the pixelation, the game is packed with plenty of fine textures and details, and even has a pseudo-3d effect with the shadows and lighting. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 7. There's an atmospheric soundtrack that is rather eerie, fitting in well with the tone and theme of the game. Thimbleweed Park also breaks the fourth dimension, as it pokes fun at itself through character dialogue. So if you love humor, there's plenty of that in Thimbleweed Park.
Since Thimbleweed Park is a point-and=click adventure game, that means players must go through the story in its entirety from start to finish. There are no levels to go through, and everything transitions seamlessly into each other. The story is linear, so you can't go out exploring until you've completed whatever needs to be done at that moment in time in the game. Fortunately, the story itself is rather interesting, and the characters are all unique and humorous in their own special ways.
Controls in Thimbleweed Park are simple and intuitive. To move your characters, just tap on the spot you want them to go to. Another option is to double-tap-and-hold to have them follow your thumb until you release the screen. The game also lets you control multiple characters, and you can easily switch between characters by tapping on the character portrait in the upper right corner and then choosing who you want to swap with.
The thing that sets Thimbleweed Park apart from other point-and-click adventure games is its distinctive interaction system. In the bottom left corner is a box with all of the different interactions you can do with the environment and objects: Open, Close, Give, Pick Up, Look At, Talk To, Push, Pull, and Use. To the right of this area is the stash of the character you're controlling at the moment. To do actions in this game, you'll have to select the verb, the subject, and then an object that receives the action.
For example, you may need to give Polaroid film to another character so that they can use their camera. Then you may want to give this Polaroid photo to someone else to see if they know anything about the case you're working on. You'll also want to push or pull doors to open or close them, pick up suspicious objects, use objects to solve puzzles, and much more.
Talking to your partners or other NPCs brings up several dialogue options on the screen where the actions were. Just tap on the one you want to pick, and listen to the characters talk or explain something to you. Again, the humor is rich in this game, so I recommend not skipping cutscenes.
Thimbleweed Park's story is an interesting one, because it starts off with a character who ends up getting murdered. But then you eventually control five other characters who mostly seem to have nothing to do with each other, except they're all deeply connected and being watched by a mysterious entity. Oh, and no one actually cares about the dead body, which you think is the central plot point as Agent Ray and Junior Agent Reyes are assigned on the case.
Like other point-and-click adventures, Thimbleweed Park is packed full of mystery and secrets that you'll end up discovering on your own. However, the control system means many more possible actions that you can do and the comedy is spot-on.
Thimbleweed Park is a point-and-click adventure game that's dark, mysterious, and packed full of humor.
The Good
There's a lot of good about Thimbleweed Park that should appeal to many people. The pixel art style is top notch and doesn't skimp out on important details. The music is immersive and captivating, while sound effects are fairly realistic (try using a water fountain). Controls seem a bit complex at first, but it's pretty simple and intuitive once you get the hang of things.
The best part about the game is the story, which hooks you right from the get-go, and the fourth dimension breaking humor will no doubt bring a smile to anyone's face. The game has multiple save slots and auto-saves after important parts of the story, so you never lose your progress.
The Bad
Even though Thimbleweed Park is an excellent title, it's still not for everyone. If you just don't usually get into point-and-click adventure games, then this may still not entice you. And again, the controls work, but it seems rather complicated from first glance, so it takes time to get used to. And even though the story is interesting, it does start off slow, like most point-and-click games, so it's not something you'll want if you prefer fast-paced titles.
The verdict
While I've tried out many point-and-click adventure games in the past, not many of them clicked with me. However, Thimbleweed Park seems different, which is probably due to the comedy involved with the characters, dialogue, and story. I also am a sucker for pixel art style games, so of course I had to check this one out when I saw it on the App Store. The interaction system is different and opens up many more possibilities on how you can interact with the world around you, which I love.
I recommend giving Thimbleweed Park a try if you're a fan of point-and-click adventures. You can find Thimbleweed Park on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $9.99. It's also available on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One for $19.99.
9.1
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
Game Controls 8.5
Thimbleweed Park
Terrible Toybox, Inc.
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