A Virus Named TOM

About

A Virus Named TOM is a single player and multiplayer arcade puzzle game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Misfits Attic and was released on August 1, 2012. It received neutral reviews from players.

"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

Skip User Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 512 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

A Virus Named TOM offers a unique twist on classic pipe puzzle gameplay, combining clever level design with fast-paced action.
The game features charming visuals and a quirky sense of humor, making it an enjoyable experience for players.
The multiplayer mode adds an extra layer of fun, allowing friends to work together or compete in solving puzzles.

The controls can feel unresponsive and clunky, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially in later levels.
The difficulty spikes abruptly, with some levels relying heavily on memorization and quick reflexes rather than logical problem-solving.
The game can become repetitive and tedious, particularly when hidden tiles and time limits are introduced, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
145 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay of "A Virus Named Tom" is characterized by its innovative mechanics and clever level design, blending puzzle-solving with fast-paced action. However, many players find the controls clunky and the introduction of numerous mechanics leads to frustration rather than enjoyment, resulting in a repetitive experience that can feel artificial in difficulty. While the game has charming aesthetics and a solid presentation, the core gameplay often fails to engage, leaving some players feeling overwhelmed and dissatisfied.
- “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.”
- “At its core, gameplay revolves around rotating segments of 'infected' pathways to spread your viral signature through each level.”
- “The difficulty feels entirely artificial and the mechanics clash with each other.”
- “The gameplay gets repetitive eventually, and the whole deal honestly made me more stressed out than relaxed, so I didn't complete the game.”
- “While this game's aesthetic is charming, I found the gameplay to be rather repetitive and boring.”
story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
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 the narrative entertaining and well-presented through cutscenes, others deemed it forgettable or simplistic, with mixed opinions on its integration with gameplay. Overall, the story adds charm and context to the experience, though it may not be compelling enough to sustain interest for all players.
- “The story is quirky and funny, with cool cutscenes and a fantastic electronic soundtrack.”
- “The story is funny and the artwork enjoyable.”
- “The story is entirely forgettable.”
- “The backstory is probably better than the actual game.”
- “The story - which is, let's face it, pretty much secondary and merely a frame for the gameplay portrait - is actually pretty entertaining and good for a few chuckles in between levels.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
38%
5%
The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many players praising its catchy electronic and synth-driven soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some noted that the tracks can become repetitive over time, others found the music to be memorable and enjoyable, even considering it worth adding to personal collections. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a standout feature that complements the quirky story and engaging visuals.
- “The music is super on point.”
- “The soundtrack deserves a mention as well for its pleasing synthesized tunes.”
- “The catchy soundtrack and quirky sense of humor are in perfect company here.”
- “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
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
41%
8%
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 humorous cutscenes, some criticize the outdated rendering and minimalistic design, suggesting that it lacks depth and modern appeal. Overall, the graphics are generally seen as cute and fitting for the game's quirky theme, though opinions vary on their impact on gameplay.
- “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.”
- “Graphics: I do not dig the comic/flash art style at all.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "A Virus Named Tom" is characterized by its quirky and whimsical tone, enhanced by witty dialogue and amusing cutscenes that provide a lighthearted contrast to the game's darker themes. Players appreciate the charming art style and the infectious gameplay, which is complemented by a fantastic electronic soundtrack. While the humor is generally well-received, some find that the repetitive mechanics can diminish the comedic experience 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
8%
92%
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 brief sense of fun, the overall experience is marred by monotonous gameplay and obstacles that detract from the enjoyment of solving puzzles.
- “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
33%
67%
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 offers no replayability.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its neat soundtrack and story-driven elements, creating an engaging experience. While the gameplay may not captivate everyone, it offers a unique blend of original mechanics that complement the atmospheric design, making it a worthwhile exploration for fans of indie games.
- “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
50%
50%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its vibrant visuals and whimsical designs that enhance the overall experience, complemented by witty dialogue and humorous cutscenes that add depth to the characters. While the character design and sound design are praised for giving Tom a fun personality, the overall development may feel lacking in substance.
- “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.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no significant bugs or glitches reported by users. However, some later levels introduce complex mechanics that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, suggesting that while the technical performance is sound, the design may challenge player stability in terms of engagement.
- “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.”