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The Thin Silence

A basic platform-puzzle game which confuses as often as it frustrates.
57%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, atmosphere
84% User Score Based on 19 reviews
Critic Score 56%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

PCWindowsMac OS

About

"The Thin Silence" is a narrative-driven adventure game following Ezra Westmark's journey out of self-imposed exile, exploring themes of depression, self-doubt, and trials. With a unique item-vs-environment interaction mechanic, players navigate 4-5 hours of challenging gameplay, interspersed with moments of quiet contemplation and stunning visuals. This game emphasizes endurance through difficult moments rather than success.

Play Modes
The Thin Silence screenshot
The Thin Silence screenshot
The Thin Silence screenshot
The Thin Silence screenshot
The Thin Silence screenshot
The Thin Silence screenshot

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews
story9 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions

  • The game features a compelling and emotional storyline that explores themes of depression and self-doubt, resonating with players on a personal level.
  • The crafting system is well-designed and adds depth to the gameplay, allowing players to create useful items to solve puzzles.
  • The atmospheric soundtrack and pixel art graphics effectively enhance the game's mood and immersion.
  • The character's movement is excessively slow, which can hinder exploration and frustrate players.
  • The puzzles can be confusing and sometimes lead to fail states that require checkpoint reloads, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The story is often disjointed and lacks clarity, making it difficult for players to fully engage with the narrative.
  • story
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Thin Silence" is praised for its engaging and emotional exploration of mental health and recovery, though it suffers from disjointed narrative elements that can confuse players. While the characters and their connections to the protagonist, Ezra, add depth, the overall execution can feel vague and unsatisfying, detracting from the game's potential impact. Despite its shortcomings, the game is recognized for its gripping plot and the meaningful themes it attempts to address.

    • “The thin silence is a well-crafted game that weaves the intricacies of mental disorder into a storyline of recovery and self-worth.”
    • “Twopm studios manages to create an intriguing story revolving around mental health issues that are even today unjustly stigmatized.”
    • “It tells a story of hope and meticulously explains it.”
    • “A bit hard to grok some of the story.”
    • “Since it also covers broad spectrums of mental illness and political topics, the story and its original meaning seem to be lost sometimes, especially in a game that only takes roughly four hours to beat.”
    • “The story is so disjointed and confusing in an obvious but poor attempt to be vague that the only reason I finished the game was because I was hoping I might finally get some good answers at the end.”
  • music
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beautiful and calming qualities that complement the slow-paced gameplay. The ambient soundtrack effectively contributes to the overall mood, creating a relaxing yet emotionally resonant experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that adds depth to the game's ambiance.

    • “Beautiful music too.”
    • “Nice platformer/puzzle game, with (for me) relaxing atmosphere and music.”
    • “You can feel depressed and sad in movies with such slow-paced scenery, calm music, and a dark atmosphere, but not in a game like this.”
    • “The game pace is slow, but atmospheric, and the music adds a lot to the overall feel.”
    • “Nice platformer/puzzle game, with a relaxing atmosphere and music.”
  • gameplay
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay primarily involves progressing through the map by solving logic and word puzzles, which are complemented by a gripping plot and solid core mechanics. While some players feel that the character's emotional struggles could be better integrated into the gameplay, the introduction of new items keeps the experience dynamic, albeit occasionally disorienting. Overall, the gameplay is generally well-received, despite some minor shortcomings.

    • “The gameplay centers around progressing through the map by solving logic and word puzzles.”
    • “What the thin silence lacks in terms of graphics is more than made up for in terms of its gripping plot and its solid core gameplay mechanics.”
    • “I do wish the character's turmoil had more representation in the gameplay (e.g. like when you want to read that note and the character refuses).”
    • “This level of emphasis makes it hard to root against, despite its shortcomings from a gameplay perspective.”
    • “Just as the player gets comfortable with the game’s mechanics, a new item is introduced and players are immediately disoriented.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a pervasive sense of depression, enhanced by a slow pace, ambient soundtrack, and moments of silence that create an eerie and nuanced experience. This dark atmosphere effectively immerses players in the protagonist's struggles with mental health, making it a compelling yet somber journey.

    • “The game pace is slow, but atmospheric, and the music adds a lot to the overall feel.”
    • “The thin silence is atmospheric, dark, and eerie, succeeding in bringing to light some of the struggles that those who deal with depression face every day.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is very depressing; the ambient soundtrack fits that mood (it’s really good, by the way).”
    • “Pervasive depressing atmosphere.”
    • “The silence adds nuance to the game, building to the atmosphere and seeming to provide an avenue for players to gain entrance into Ezra’s wonderfully multifaceted mind.”
  • graphics
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics feature appealing pixel art and well-designed backgrounds that enhance the game's emotional depth, though some feel they fall short in representing influential characters. Overall, while the visuals are satisfactory, they are overshadowed by the game's compelling narrative and gameplay mechanics.

    • “The pixel graphics and backgrounds look good and work well for the game.”
    • “The feelings of the character are considered at all times, which shows in the background with text and visuals alike.”
    • “The graphics are good for what you get.”
    • “However, the pixel graphics didn’t convey the characteristics you’d expect from influential people.”
    • “What the thin silence lacks in terms of graphics is more than made up for in terms of its gripping plot and its solid core gameplay mechanics.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game aims to explore deep emotional themes such as suicide and depression through its main character, but some reviewers feel it falls short of delivering a profound experience, often resorting to superficial narratives. However, players can still form a strong emotional connection with the character as they navigate a touching storyline filled with challenging puzzles and meaningful interactions.

    • “Players progress through this emotional and touching storyline by completing carefully crafted levels that are comprised of challenging puzzles and making use of various items that they pick up over time.”
    • “The similarity in Ezra’s and players’ labors helps players forge an intimate emotional bond.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome inventory and crafting system, which can lead to frustration when trying to discover item combinations. The lack of a speed-up option further compounds the slow pace, making the experience feel laborious and potentially discouraging for some players.

    • “Inventory and crafting can be tedious; a few times I didn't realize what combinations of items I hadn't tried, and it nearly made me quit (exacerbated by the lack of guides available).”
    • “With no speed-up button, the game forces you to take things nice and tediously slow.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is criticized for being disjointed and unsatisfying, failing to provide a coherent story or meaningful exploration of themes like depression.

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