Maybe the story itself is well written, could very well be the case.

But the "puzzles" are ruining it.

They are so mind-bogglingly easy, that you almost instantly see, what the solution is supposed to be and I was right 99% of the time.
When the solution is so clear, the slow movement of the blocks, paired with the necessety to move every block on its own, etc., the annoyances pile up to much.

Thomas Was Alone is a charming puzzle platformer that has aged surprisingly well. I bought the game about a decade ago but never really got into it (I was never much of a platformer, and I think it came in a bundle). After many restarts over the years, I finally started over and completed it in a couple of days — worth it.

Most of the puzzles are pretty straightforward. They require some outside-the-box thinking, but only one or two felt truly "unfair." With around a hundred levels, that's not too shabby. While platforming dexterity plays a role, it's nowhere near as important as figuring out the mechanics.

In Thomas Was Alone, you play as different quadrilaterals—squares and rectangles—that represent AIs in a computer. Each one has unique abilities and limitations. As the game progresses, you must learn how to use these mechanics to navigate increasingly varied puzzles. The key word here is varied—while the puzzles grow in complexity, they never felt overwhelming. A bit of trial and error, combined with some thought, was usually enough to work through them.

What surprised me most was how the game keeps introducing new mechanics almost to the very end. Just when you think you've seen it all, the developers throw in another twist that forces you to rethink your approach. This is impressive because many games reveal their full hand within the first few minutes. While a few sections felt a little stale, they were the exception rather than the rule.

The art style has aged fantastically, the music and sound design are phenomenal, and the narration is spot-on. The story, while a bit contrived and occasionally nonsensical, was still a nice touch—it gave the game more personality than just moving blocks around.

While some might find the puzzles a bit too simple, I found Thomas Was Alone to be a relaxing yet engaging puzzle platformer. It stretched my brain just enough to feel challenged but rarely frustrated. Unlike many puzzle platformers that seem designed to drive players to rage, this one maintains a more thoughtful and measured approach. Even though it’s an older title now, it's still a worthwhile buy for anyone who enjoys indie games and puzzle platformers.

fun simple puzzle platformer with an interesting story. very cute game despite just being blocks