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A Virus Named TOM

52%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, replayability
52% User Score Based on 510 reviews

Platforms

MOMac OSPCPCSDSteam DeckWinWindowsLinLinuxPlaPlayStationPVPlaystation Vita
Buy Nowfrom $0.96
Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

"A Virus Named TOM" is a unique puzzle game where you play as a mischievous virus. Your goal is to infect computer systems by solving increasingly complex puzzles. With its quirky humor and challenging gameplay, TOM offers a fresh and entertaining take on the puzzle genre.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
A Virus Named TOM screenshot
+4

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 510 reviews
gameplay29 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • Engaging and challenging puzzle mechanics that require quick thinking and reflexes.
  • Charming art style and humorous cutscenes that enhance the overall experience.
  • Offers both single-player and local co-op modes, making it fun to play with friends.
  • Controls can feel unresponsive and clunky, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • Difficulty spikes can be abrupt, making some levels feel unfair and tedious.
  • The reliance on memorization and trial-and-error can detract from the puzzle-solving experience.
  • gameplay
    144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "A Virus Named Tom" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its innovative mechanics and clever level design, while others criticize it for clunky controls and repetitive elements that detract from the puzzle-solving experience. Many reviews highlight the game's attempt to blend action and puzzle genres, but this often leads to frustration due to artificial difficulty and convoluted mechanics. Overall, while the game has charming aesthetics and a solid concept, its execution leaves many players feeling unsatisfied and disengaged.

    • “Developed by Misfits Attic, this indie gem combines clever level design, quirky humor, and infectious gameplay to create a truly memorable experience.”
    • “What sets 'A Virus Named Tom' apart is its innovative gameplay mechanics and clever level design.”
    • “The gameplay is a lot of fun and gets more complex as you progress.”
    • “The difficulty feels entirely artificial and the mechanics clash with each other.”
    • “Excellent presentation, but extremely lame gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay gets repetitive eventually, and the whole deal honestly made me more stressed out than relaxed, so I didn't complete the game.”
  • story
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is characterized as quirky and humorous, often serving as a lighthearted backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. While some players found it entertaining and well-presented through cutscenes, others deemed it forgettable or simplistic, with mixed opinions on its effectiveness in enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the narrative adds a fun layer to the game, but its depth and engagement vary among players.

    • “The story is quirky and funny, with cool cutscenes and a fantastic electronic soundtrack.”
    • “The story never gets in the way of the gameplay, and the art direction is solid.”
    • “A virus named Tom is the story of the world's greatest scientist who created every sort of thing for the city of tomorrow going mad and being fired, so he takes revenge by creating a virus named Tom to destroy his own creations.”
    • “The story is entirely forgettable.”
    • “The backstory is probably better than the actual game.”
    • “The story has so much potential yet the controls are so awful it's unbearable.”
  • music
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and engaging electronic soundtrack, which complements the quirky story and visuals. While many players find the soundtrack enjoyable and even addictive, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and appeal.

    • “The music is super on point.”
    • “The soundtrack deserves a mention as well for its pleasing synthesized tunes.”
    • “Wonderful musical score, innovative gameplay, simple-yet-effective story.”
    • “There felt like there were 3 tracks of music that were randomly selected at the start of a level.”
    • “I would have liked to have seen a couple of tracks for each world, and I would have liked it if the music didn't change every single time I had to restart a level.”
    • “The music is very dubsteppy and electronic (as can be expected from a game where you play a computer virus), and gets very grating after a while.”
  • graphics
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "A Virus Named Tom" are characterized by a charming and whimsical art style that evokes a retro-cartoon vibe, reminiscent of 90s animation. While many players appreciate the colorful visuals and cute character designs, some criticize the outdated rendering and minimalistic approach, suggesting that the graphics may not be future-proof or particularly engaging beyond their aesthetic appeal. Overall, the visuals are generally seen as good for a puzzle game, though opinions vary on their depth and originality.

    • “The game's colorful visuals and whimsical character designs bring the world to life in delightful detail, while the witty dialogue and humorous cutscenes provide plenty of laughs along the way.”
    • “The art style is very nice, and they definitely captured a futuristic/comical game look.”
    • “The cinematics are wonderfully realized and play out in the great retro-future aesthetic of a 1950's sci-fi movie.”
    • “Outdated graphics rendering makes it a bit weirdly stuck in the resolutions of its time; not a future-proof product in that regard.”
    • “Game framework is too outdated including bad visuals.”
    • “Graphic part looks really basic and nothing special.”
  • humor
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "A Virus Named Tom" is characterized by its quirky and whimsical storytelling, complemented by witty dialogue and amusing cutscenes that provide a lighthearted take on the game's darker themes. Players appreciate the charming art style and infectious gameplay, with many noting that the humorous elements enhance the overall experience, making it a delightful puzzle game. While the humor is generally well-received, some players find that the repetitive mechanics can detract from the fun over time.

    • “The game's colorful visuals and whimsical character designs bring the world to life in delightful detail, while the witty dialogue and humorous cutscenes provide plenty of laughs along the way.”
    • “There's a very humorous approach to the story through cutscenes before and after the levels, showing the effects of your virus at work.”
    • “It also features a fantastic electronic soundtrack, and some rather charming and humorous cutscenes which somehow manage to make mass hysteria and deconstruction feel lighthearted and amusing.”
  • grinding
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players finding it frustrating rather than enjoyable. While some early areas may offer a fun experience, the overall sentiment is that the gameplay becomes monotonous, with obstacles and hidden elements adding to the frustration.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Fun for a couple of early areas then becomes tedious and frustrating with fast drones.”
    • “The game seemed interesting at first, but the puzzles were just really tedious, boring, and not very fun.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability through its engaging multiplayer modes, allowing for both cooperative and competitive play. However, some players criticize the lack of replay value in the linear puzzle-solving elements and the focus on multiplayer achievements, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Whether you're teaming up with friends to tackle co-op challenges or facing off against them in a frantic battle for supremacy, the multiplayer modes offer endless hours of fun and replayability.”
    • “This technically counts as replay value, but realistically it feels like a letdown.”
    • “A big minus is that achievements are strictly multiplayer, and the linear puzzle-solving lacks replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its neat soundtrack and story-driven elements, creating an engaging environment. While the gameplay may not captivate everyone, it offers a unique blend of original mechanics that enhance the overall experience.

    • “Neat soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “The concept and story-like atmosphere are impressive, but the gameplay itself just doesn't grab you.”
    • “If you dismiss indie games as being either fast, tough-as-nails platformers or artsy atmospheric environments, I highly encourage you to give this game a shot - this is a fine example of original gameplay that requires split-second precision and risk/reward decision making.”
    • “The concept and story-esque atmosphere are neat, but the gameplay itself just doesn't grab you.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is enhanced by its vibrant visuals and whimsical designs, which create an engaging atmosphere. The witty dialogue and humorous cutscenes contribute to the characters' charm, particularly highlighting Tom's fun personality, despite some critiques on depth. Overall, the combination of visual and auditory elements enriches the character experience.

    • “The game's colorful visuals and whimsical character designs bring the world to life in delightful detail, while the witty dialogue and humorous cutscenes provide plenty of laughs along the way.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonist.”
    • “I was disappointed by how little the characters evolved throughout the game; their arcs were predictable and uninspired.”
    • “Despite the interesting premise, the character development was poorly executed, leaving me feeling detached from their journeys.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no significant bugs or glitches reported by users. However, some later levels introduce complex mechanics that may lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, suggesting that while the technical performance is sound, the design choices can impact player enjoyment.

    • “Later levels are patently ridiculous, with the player being expected to multi-task to a degree where there need to be simultaneously dropping glitches (essentially land mines) to catch two bugs at once while trying to work out the orientation of hidden pipes while trying to re-orientate the known pipes.”

Buy A Virus Named TOM

3h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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