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

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,082 reviews

story590 positive mentions

grinding55 negative mentions

Captures the spirit of classic LucasArts adventure games with nostalgic graphics and humor.
Clever puzzles that are challenging but logical, with a built-in hint system to assist players.
Engaging story with quirky characters and plenty of references to 80s pop culture and other adventure games.

The ending is disappointing and leaves many plot threads unresolved, feeling rushed and unsatisfying.
Some puzzles can be overly convoluted or illogical, leading to frustration and reliance on hints.
Voice acting is inconsistent, with some characters delivering lines in a monotonous manner that detracts from the experience.

story
1,452 mentions
41 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of "Thimbleweed Park" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its intriguing premise and nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic adventure games. However, critiques often highlight its disjointed narrative, lack of resolution, and a disappointing ending that undermines the initial setup. While some found the humor and character interactions enjoyable, others felt the plot became convoluted and failed to deliver a satisfying conclusion, leaving many threads unresolved.
- “It's a must-play for anyone who loves the genre and rich storytelling.”
- “The story is intriguing, with lively characters and many places to discover.”
- “The story is great and full of surprises, the puzzles challenging and the humor very amusing.”
- “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 [spoiler] end it all with a 'tee-hee, it was never real!' and none of the loose ends even remotely gathered.”
- “The ending (not much of a spoiler here) is just a cheap and rushed wrap-up of a pointless story that leaves most of the characters' storylines and personal development (if there is any) hanging.”
humor
885 mentions
98 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Thimbleweed Park" is a blend of nostalgic references, witty dialogue, and self-referential jokes that often resonate with fans of classic adventure games, particularly those from LucasArts. While many players find the humor engaging and reminiscent of titles like "Monkey Island," others feel it can be overly meta or reliant on outdated tropes, leading to mixed reactions. Overall, the game is praised for its clever writing and humorous character interactions, though some critiques highlight that not all jokes land effectively.
- “Thimbleweed Park is a brilliantly hilarious and mind-bending adventure that flawlessly merges retro charm with fourth-wall-breaking antics.”
- “The humor is great, I love the style, and the mystery was really fun to work through.”
- “The writing is genuinely funny, and the voice acting is mostly good, though it doesn't always hold up.”
- “A character who ends their sentences in random words is supposed to be funny?”
- “After an initial poor first impression, I was going to give it a full hour of playing before making up my mind and/or refunding it, but unfortunately, I find this game so thoroughly unfunny, badly written, and tedious to play; it felt like playing it for a full hour would only amount to nothing more than more time wasted.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is an extremely tedious game, fatally unfunny, uninspired, overly nostalgic, and awkwardly designed.”
graphics
556 mentions
51 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of Thimbleweed Park are widely praised for their stunning pixel art, which effectively captures the nostalgic essence of classic 1980s and 1990s graphic adventure games. Many reviewers highlight the game's charming and detailed art style, which evokes fond memories of titles like Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island, while also noting some inconsistencies in quality between backgrounds and character designs. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere and appeal, making it a must-play for fans of retro aesthetics.
- “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.”
- “Also, there's a notable discrepancy between the quality of the backgrounds and the quality of the characters and inventory items' graphics.”
gameplay
309 mentions
32 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Thimbleweed Park is a nostalgic homage to classic point-and-click adventures, featuring a mix of clever puzzles and multi-character mechanics that enhance the experience. While many players appreciate the fair challenge and engaging design, some find the difficulty frustrating and the reliance on outdated mechanics a drawback. Overall, the game offers a solid blend of humor, intriguing story elements, and a satisfying gameplay flow, though opinions vary on its execution and pacing.
- “The puzzles felt fair, and the gameplay mechanics felt both fresh and nostalgic at the same time.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is a triumph of entertainment, intrigue, and quality gameplay.”
- “Great puzzles, complex but rewarding gameplay with 5 different playable characters.”
- “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.”
- “I grew up playing games like these in the 90s and really wanted to like this game, but ended up being irritated by the insane difficulty, the use of outdated game mechanics, and the game designer's pat on his own back in the storyline.”
music
270 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 like Monkey Island. 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 overall art, music, speech, and design are top notch and nothing is missed, except fatally the glaring lack of a proper and satisfying ending for all the time the player has put in to all the puzzle solving.”
- “The music really enhances the dark atmosphere.”
- “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
132 mentions
61 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating blend of art style, music, and character design, which together create a tense, mysterious, and often nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures. Reviewers highlight the effective use of visuals and sound to enhance the overall immersion, with many noting the game's ability to evoke a spooky, surreal, and engaging environment that keeps players invested throughout. Despite some criticisms regarding the story and puzzles, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and appeal.
- “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.”
- “The aforementioned superb usage of visuals and sound coincide to create the brilliant atmosphere the game maintains throughout.”
- “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 humor 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 100,500 billion other games.”
grinding
57 mentions
0 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to repetitive puzzles, slow movement, and lengthy transitional screens. Many reviewers noted that the lack of engaging content and the need for backtracking contributed to a frustrating experience, leading to a loss of interest as the game progressed. While some appreciated the introduction of multiple characters, the necessity of item exchanges often felt like a chore, further detracting from the enjoyment.
- “By part three, it has all become tedious.”
- “That was tedious and the puzzles were gimmicky; none of them gave me a sense of accomplishment, so even if I reached act 4, which may be the final act, I lost interest and quit the game.”
- “Thimbleweed Park is an extremely tedious game, fatally unfunny, uninspired, overly nostalgic, and awkwardly designed.”
emotional
42 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players experiencing deep nostalgia and satisfaction, particularly from the ending, while others felt frustrated and disconnected from the characters and story. Many appreciated the charming, humorous moments and the homage to classic point-and-click games, but some criticized the lack of character development and emotional investment. Overall, the game elicits a range of feelings, from joy and warmth to disappointment and confusion.
- “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 lacks character development, making it hard to feel any emotional connection.”
- “The characters are dull and the story is unengaging, resulting in a complete lack of emotional investment.”
replayability
26 mentions
23 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting the presence of achievements, multiple difficulty settings, and extra content that encourage replaying. However, others feel that the lack of multiple endings and limited replay value detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements that can lead to replaying, opinions vary on how substantial the replayability truly is.
- “Funny jokes and references, with achievements that add replay value.”
- “Offering different difficulty settings for the more casual player and the more advanced player, the game has some replayability and definite potential for creating enjoyable let's play style videos.”
- “Good game; very long with good puzzles and has great replay value.”
- “Replayability: none.”
- “Near as I can tell, not much replay value.”
- “There is not much replayability, but the game has hours of content and is super fun.”
character development
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the engaging story and clever writing reminiscent of classic adventure games, many criticize the lack of meaningful character arcs and emotional connection. The character-switching mechanic limits opportunities for dialogue variety, and although there are hints at deeper development through cut scenes, these often feel unresolved. Overall, the atmosphere and design are praised, but the characters themselves leave much to be desired in terms of growth and relatability.
- “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
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with no major glitches or crashes reported by most users. Some players experienced minor sound issues, but these were not game-breaking. The game is praised for its classic point-and-click experience, with smoother performance compared to similar titles.
- “No glitches or crashes.”
- “No glitches or issues found.”
- “No glitches or issues found.”
- “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.”
- “(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.)”
- “Awesome and classic point and click adventure game, just like in the old days, but faster and with fewer glitches.”
optimization
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The optimization of character development and voice performances has been criticized, with many users noting that the characters lack depth and arcs, leading to a disjointed experience. While some praise the voice acting, the overall consensus leans towards disappointment in the quality and engagement of the performances.
- “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
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is heavily criticized for detracting from the immersive experience, with constant advertisements for a hint line disrupting gameplay. Reviewers express frustration over the low-quality content associated with these ads, which they feel undermines the integrity of the adventure gaming genre.
- “The game feels annoyed that you would immerse yourself in the adventure, afraid that you will see the frayed ends of each frame, and seemingly every screen has been plastered with signs advertising a hint line you can call if you don't figure out the answer in under thirty seconds.”
- “Still, the content these complete strangers provided ranged from shameless self-advertisement to squalid, out-of-context and outdated memes that dishonor the integrity of adventure gaming.”