Thomas Was Alone Recensie (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

Thomas Was Alone reinforces the notion that you should never judge a book by its cover, let alone make an assumption that a game about colorful rectangles is a concept that is destined to fail. It doesn’t tell you that it’s the be all, end all of block-based platforming, nor does it fight its own corner and feed you reasons to keep plugging through its extensive bouquet of stages. Quietly, it sketches an image, taps the mic, and draws you in, cube by cube, puzzle by puzzle.

The recipients of Thomas Was Alone, while voiceless and without any real connection to the world, are what erect the pillars and memorialize the experience, not with dialogue and quick wit, but with notable traits, postures and abilities. Thomas, for example, is a small red block that can jump higher than its kin, whereas Chris is a lot smaller, and can therefore fit into tighter spaces. John, too, is a rather slender block, and is able to use its height as a platform for others to gain access to tougher areas. And then there are the other blocks that flesh out the journey. Sophie, for example, is a slightly wider cube that, for some reason, can float and act as a buoy. But of course, you get the idea: each block has its own purpose.

It begins with the basics, with Thomas, a simple room with a spectacle of light, and a pathway that requires a red square to synchronize with it. A handful of stages later, and the rooms gradually begin to open to more complex layouts, and fresh faces eventually follow suit to bulk out a playable roster. From there, you have a series of thought-provoking puzzles to solve, with each sequence requiring you to alternate between characters, reach block-locked locations, and unravel a meta-oriented narrative that touches on AI and the lulls of coding.

Believe it or not, there is a rather loaded storyline here that cuts a lot deeper than most. Without spoiling it, it essentially involves several shapes and a shift in their perspective. An evolving algorithm; a digital jail cell; and a shared purpose of wanting to break out of the shackles that bind them to their source code. Suffice it to say that, Thomas Was Alone isn’t just about cubes and rectangles; it’s about a band of unlikely heroes and their quest to become aware of their identities and surroundings.

Arguably the worst thing that you could do with a game like Thomas Was Alone is discard it as “just another shape-based puzzler.” Oh, the shapes are a common theme, as are the familiar puzzle pieces and platforming segments. That being said, it harbors an interesting concept that, once revealed, brings a lot of surprisingly deep themes to the centerfold. Blocks, for example, each have their own “purpose” in the world, as do they possess their own unique abilities, motives, and reasons to carve even deeper into an ever-evolving world that transcends basic human nature and conventional puzzle solving.

As you begin to find your place in Thomas Was Alone, stages quickly become increasingly difficult, as does the bond between each of the characters tighten. In as little as thirty to forty minutes, you don’t have shapes; you have distinct personalities that share a common goal of wanting to collaborate, complete, and quell a peculiar meta narrative that, frankly, only becomes stranger the more you subject yourself to its quarters. A narrator ushers you forward, and you, being at the end of it all, allocate the shapes to reach new heights.

To give credit where it’s due, there is an incredibly creative game here that, while evidently without a lot of graphical wizardry or visual effects, is bursting at the seams with origami, originality, and a polarizing score that makes you want to push on to unravel a bittersweet crescendo. With a treasure trove of well-mapped chapters, platforming-based puzzles, and a compelling plot that serves only to draw you deeper into its world, Thomas Was Alone brings a significant amount to the drawing board.

While I wouldn’t call Thomas Was Alone a powerful story-driven game, it is one that takes full advantage of the assets it has at its disposal. With a well-rounded narrative aspect, vastly conflicting characters, and a simple yet inviting visual style, the game itself boasts a lot more than mere rectangles and platforms. And that’s something that is pretty easy to lose sight of with a game like this. It might not look the part, but it walks the walk and delivers a great surprise with a loaded meta-filled message. To that end, I’d say that it stands tall as an excellent indie. A perfect indie, no — but one that ought to grab your attention for a couple of hours, nonetheless.

Of course, Thomas Was Alone is niche, and therefore the odds of it striking all of the right chords are slim. That said, the game has a fantastic set of puzzles, each of which bring their own challenges, environmental hazards, and blocks of text that act as a pathway to illuminate the underlying plot. In other words, it’s a real crowd pleaser—a game that, at least in the eyes of puzzle fans, is likely to attract the target demographic.

Verdict

Thomas Was Alone makes an effort to prove a point that simple game design doesn’t necessarily make for mediocre experiences. Against the odds, it delivers a surprisingly strong meta-loaded narrative that’s as equally bursting at the seams with personality, charm, and enough thought-provoking puzzles to keep even the most eagle-eyed spectators drawn to the field. With award-winning narration, an emotional twist, and a lot of creative platforms to keep it afloat, it clearly stands out as a unique, albeit niche experience.

With all of the above said, if you have yet to take a chance on Thomas Was Alone, then I’d recommend checking it out. It might not be the carb-loaded puzzle of the century, though it is a peculiar one that just so happens to get a lot of things right. For that reason alone, I’d say that it makes for a brilliant contender in the puzzle-platforming sphere.