Thimbleweed Park

Another masterpiece from Ron Gilbert. The game is a joy to play and provides the perfect mix of humour, challenge and engaging storyline. I genuinely have nothing but praise for the game and I can’t recommend it enough.

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Thimbleweed Park is a classic-style pixel art adventure game with a mysterious and quirky storyline. Players control a group of investigators solving a murder in a small, strange town filled with eccentric characters. The game features multiple storylines, challenging puzzles, and a unique blend of humor and horror.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,021 reviews

story291 positive mentions

grinding27 negative mentions

Captures the charm and essence of classic LucasArts adventure games.
Clever puzzles that are challenging but logical, with a built-in hint system to assist players.
Rich storytelling with quirky characters and a humorous tone, filled with nostalgic references.

The ending is disappointing and leaves many plot threads unresolved.
Some puzzles can feel overly convoluted or illogical, leading to frustration.
Voice acting quality is inconsistent, with some characters delivering lines in a monotonous manner.

story
721 mentions
40 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its intriguing premise and engaging characters, reminiscent of classic adventure games. However, numerous reviews highlight issues with pacing, coherence, and a disappointing conclusion that leaves many plot threads unresolved. While some appreciate the humor and nostalgic references, others feel the narrative becomes convoluted and lacks depth, ultimately detracting from the overall experience.
- “The story is intriguing, with lively characters and many places to discover.”
- “I absolutely loved the puzzles and the story was so much fun.”
- “The story is rich and complex.”
- “The plot was just... all over the place.”
- “I'm mainly giving this a thumbs down because I dislike it when a story seems like a 'forced subvert expectations' -doo-da, in which we build up to one or several mysteries, only to end it all with a 'tee-hee, it was never real!' and none of the loose ends even remotely gathered.”
- “The story as a whole is rather fragmented as you get to play different characters, but each experience was as intriguing and engaging as the previous.”
humor
439 mentions
98 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of nostalgic references, witty dialogue, and self-referential jokes that often break the fourth wall, appealing primarily to fans of classic adventure games. While many players find the humor engaging and reminiscent of titles like *Monkey Island* and *Maniac Mansion*, some critiques highlight that it can feel forced or overly reliant on nostalgia, leading to mixed reactions. Overall, the game is praised for its clever writing and entertaining characters, though its humor may not resonate with everyone, particularly those unfamiliar with the genre's history.
- “Characters feel alive and engaging, with witty and often humorous dialogue.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is a brilliantly hilarious and mind-bending adventure that flawlessly merges retro charm with fourth-wall-breaking antics.”
- “The humor is great, and even though the graphics have a VGA familiarity, the play style is fluid and fitting for a 2017 game.”
- “It really saddens me, but I can't recommend this game; it feels like the 'member??' version of graphic adventures. It tries so hard to reference old stuff that is not funny or enjoyable.”
- “A character who ends their sentences in random words is supposed to be funny?”
- “Thimbleweed Park is an extremely tedious game, fatally unfunny, uninspired, overly nostalgic, and awkwardly designed.”
graphics
277 mentions
51 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of Thimbleweed Park have been widely praised for their stunning pixel art and nostalgic homage to classic 1980s and 1990s adventure games, particularly those from LucasArts. Many reviewers highlight the beautifully crafted visuals that evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining a modern polish, although some note inconsistencies in quality between backgrounds and character designs. Overall, the game's art style, combined with its engaging atmosphere and humor, creates a captivating experience for fans of the genre.
- “The artwork is simply stunning, incredibly well-drawn, and impressive throughout the entire game.”
- “Amazing pixel art - I fell in love with the charming, highly detailed art style.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is a nostalgic and brilliantly crafted point-and-click adventure game that pays homage to classic 1980s graphic adventures.”
- “Today's adventure game with yesterday's graphics.”
- “The quality of the graphics is inconsistent.”
- “There's a notable discrepancy between the quality of the backgrounds and the quality of the characters and inventory items' graphics.”
gameplay
151 mentions
32 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Thimbleweed Park is a nostalgic homage to classic point-and-click adventures, featuring a mix of fresh mechanics and traditional puzzle-solving that keeps players engaged for several hours. While the puzzles are generally well-crafted and fair, some players find them challenging, with a few mechanics feeling outdated or overly complex. Overall, the game successfully combines humor, character-switching mechanics, and a rich narrative, though opinions vary on its execution and the effectiveness of its ending.
- “The puzzles felt fair, and the gameplay mechanics felt both fresh and nostalgic at the same time.”
- “Great puzzles, complex but rewarding gameplay with 5 different playable characters.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is an exceptional adventure game with 10+ hours of gameplay, excellent art, and witty jokes.”
- “Unfortunately, 'casual' chops out entire sub-plots and mechanics that make the storyline hang together, so you'll really want to play through on hard, and just pop out to reference a walkthrough if you can't figure out a puzzle.”
- “Overall, I found Thimbleweed Park interesting, nostalgic, and very ambitious, but the gameplay turned out to be extremely frustrating too many times for me.”
- “Thimbleweed Park doesn't manage to shine for me, since the fun factor stopped after roughly 5 hours of gameplay and I felt like I was pointlessly going back and forth for goals that weren't clear or even important to me.”
music
135 mentions
57 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and evoke nostalgia reminiscent of classic adventure games, particularly from the 80s. While some tracks are noted as memorable and fitting, others are described as average or forgettable, lacking the catchiness of soundtracks from earlier titles. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's experience, though opinions vary on its memorability and variety.
- “The music is incredible and quite memorable, a mix of suspense, tension, epicness, and mystery.”
- “The music really enhances the dark atmosphere.”
- “Everything, from the art style and the music to details like the phone messages recorded by Kickstarter backers, contributes to create a special atmosphere and an experience that will be a pleasure from start to end.”
- “Music is not very memorable.”
- “The background music and sounds fit the tone and setting of the game but aren't anything particularly memorable.”
- “The soundtrack is maybe the single most notable part to clash with the package: it does the job, but it's basically a slow bass guitar riff all the way and there's nothing you're gonna remember in there.”
atmosphere
66 mentions
61 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating blend of art style, music, and character design, creating a mysterious and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of visuals and sound to enhance the overall mood, with many noting its nostalgic ties to classic point-and-click adventures. While some mention minor shortcomings in story and puzzles, the atmospheric elements consistently stand out as a strong point, making the game enjoyable and engaging.
- “The atmosphere, the art style, animations, voice acting, music, the mystery... so much promise.”
- “Characters are designed to reflect their personalities excellently, and the environments are great at creating a tense, mysterious, unnerving atmosphere that lingers throughout the whole game.”
- “Everything, from the art style and the music to details like the phone messages recorded by Kickstarter backers, contributes to create a special atmosphere and an experience that will be a pleasure from start to end.”
- “It did however lack the same atmosphere, adventure and dry humour of other classic point and click games but still worth a place in the collection.”
- “I appreciate the effort of trying to make people relive the atmosphere and memories of playing these types of games, and the game does look good for what it is, but sadly, it doesn't scratch the itch for me at all.”
- “Also this part has no absurd atmosphere at all and it looks like one of 100500 billion other games.”
grinding
28 mentions
11 % positive mentions
-7 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to excessive transitional screens, slow movement, and repetitive puzzles that lack substance. Many reviewers noted that the need for backtracking and item exchanges between characters added to the monotony, leading to a loss of interest as the game progressed. While some appreciated the game's clever elements, they often felt overshadowed by the overall tediousness of the gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
- “By part three, it has all become tedious.”
- “The introduction of multiple characters is really cool and interesting; however, I found it quite tedious when I needed to have them meet up so they could hand items to each other.”
- “The puzzles were extremely tedious, and some did not have any logical explanation behind them.”
emotional
21 mentions
95 % positive mentions
-10 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players experiencing deep nostalgia and satisfaction, particularly from character interactions and the ending, while others felt frustrated or emotionally uninvested due to a lack of character development and unresolved plot threads. Many appreciated the game's homage to classic point-and-click adventures, evoking warm feelings despite some criticisms of pacing and storytelling. Overall, the game elicits a range of emotions, from joy and nostalgia to disappointment and frustration.
- “This game made me cry.”
- “Yet playing through those final moments, knowing where it was all going, ended up being quite satisfying, even emotional.”
- “I'm sad it's over, the ending was hilarious, incredibly creative and actually a bit touching.”
- “The game has a really boring story, and the characters lack any real development.”
- “I found the emotional aspects to be flat and unengaging.”
- “There was no connection to the characters, making it hard to care about their journeys.”
replayability
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting the presence of achievements, multiple difficulty settings, and various content to explore, which enhance replay value. However, others feel that the lack of multiple endings and limited replay options detract from its longevity. While many enjoy the game enough to revisit it, opinions vary on how much replayability it truly offers.
- “Funny jokes and references, with achievements that add replay value.”
- “Snappy dialogue, fourth wall moments, and I know I missed some content even on casual play mode, so I think this game will have good replay value.”
- “It's a pixel art indie point and click game with a lot of the modern bells and whistles (extra objectives, easter eggs, replay value).”
- “Replayability: none.”
- “Near as I can tell, not much replay value.”
- “I hope they added some multiple endings or some kind of replay value?”
character development
9 mentions
44 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the clever writing and engaging story, many criticize the lack of depth and growth in the characters, particularly the main character, Ray. The character-switching mechanic offers limited opportunities for meaningful interactions, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the characters. Overall, while there are hints of potential character arcs, they often feel underdeveloped and unresolved.
- “Clever yet intuitive puzzles, great character development, dialog and voice acting, lots of attitude - and a very engaging story.”
- “Added layers of references and hints for those having played Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island and the like but well worth a try for everyone looking for good game design and character development.”
- “From what short time I've played, I can tell that this game has a great plot, writing, and character development, just like all the classic adventure games.”
- “It is hard to connect with these characters as there is absolutely no character development.”
- “The female main character, Ray, is a nasty, egotistical woman with zero character development.”
- “The character-switching mechanic provides few opportunities for character development or dialogue variety.”
stability
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with most users reporting no glitches or crashes throughout their playthroughs. A few minor sound issues were noted, but they did not significantly impact the gaming experience. Players generally found the game to run smoothly, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures.
- “No glitches or crashes.”
- “No glitches or issues found.”
- “Played through to the end on another computer with no freezes. This is a long game! Sometimes it felt too long, but I still think the game is excellent.”
- “Bugs: there were occasional sound glitches for me on my PC setup (Asus Xonar) - voices would go quiet and then only come from my left speaker (varies) - but nothing that was game-breaking.”
- “Awesome and classic point and click adventure game, just like in the old days, but faster and with fewer glitches.”
- “(update: played through to the end on another computer with no freezes.. this is a long, long game! sometimes it felt too long. the puzzle quality and humor levels seemed to go down in the second half, although the quality of the stories went up. I still think the game is excellent, even though the latter half needed some editing.)”
optimization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The optimization of character development and voice performances has received mixed reviews, with some praising the excellent voice acting while others criticize it as subpar and lacking depth. Overall, the characters are seen as underdeveloped, leading to a disjointed experience.
- “Even if one were to mute the voice performances that sound like narcoleptic drones reading a book report to their class, the characters have little to no arcs and development and are at best passable and at worst screechingly unbearable.”
- “I don't know who the hell they picked for the unbelievably subpar performances.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for being intrusive, with constant advertisements for a hint line disrupting the immersive experience. Players feel that the promotional content detracts from the game's integrity, featuring irrelevant and outdated material that undermines the quality of adventure gaming.
- “The game feels annoying when you try to immerse yourself in the adventure, as every screen seems plastered with signs advertising a hint line you can call if you don't figure out the answer in under thirty seconds.”
- “The content provided by complete strangers ranges from shameless self-advertisement to squalid, out-of-context, and outdated memes that dishonor the integrity of adventure gaming.”