Thimbleweed Park gets a lot of things right - the look, feel and puzzling components of many of the adventure games we loved from the '80s, as well as tons of easter eggs, multiple paths to solutions, interchangeable characters who sometimes need to work together, a degree of non-linearity, and amazing attention to detail. Everything you missed from the point-n-clicks of yore can be found in this well-made gem of a game. All text descriptions are fully voiced (very well too), and the pixel graphics are detailed enough to draw you fully into the world where this murder mystery takes place.

I'll not say too much about this because the less you know about the plot, the better. But the game is definitely effective in pushing you to find out more, even if the answer may have been a bit too obvious (at least to me) from a certain point quite early in the game. Though you may have an inkling of what's probably happening, the way the narrative unfolds, and the fact that there are five playable characters' tales to resolve, keep you going.

Pop by the forum to see just how much other users caught! (Or don't, if you don't want any spoilers!) The fact that the game includes these small bits 'n' pieces here and there for the contemplative and/or observant player to stumble upon really makes the exploration and adventuring aspects - that are truly the heart of what a true adventure game is - fun, and sets Thimbleweed Park apart from its other more cookie-cutter type contemporary same-genre competitors.

This isn't one of those standard generic HOGs where you have to find stupid objects that have nothing to do with the game, or solve yet another boring slider puzzle in order to progress, so don't worry! Some puzzles in the second half of the game could have clued the player in a bit better (e.g. I didn't know one of the ladders could be moved), and there was one puzzle that just downright didn't make sense (e.g. how can a phone number be dialled and a call get through when the receiver has not been picked up?!), but flaws aside, the majority of problem-solving in the game made sense to me, and I didn't have to consult any hints playing in hard mode, except for the 2 examples mentioned above. Also, there are a few instances where you can reach the same outcome by doing different things, or taking different paths - flexibility in an adventure game: wow!!!

Mabye not so much "easter egg" per se, but something similar - basically the player is rewarded for going the extra mile, or utilising that extra bit of knowledge he has gained from a more detailed and thorough exploration of his surroundings and items. This really encouraged me to not just rush through the game so as to reach the ending, but take my time and examine every nook and cranny and tiny little thing for extra clues - while still having fun in the process. I'd say this was a great strategy in upping player motivation, especially with regards to fully exploring a scene and thinking about the many different possibilities available.

I won't say too much here so as not to spoil your experience, but basically the ability to switch between 5 characters worked very well at keeping things fresh (you see things from a different perspective, for one). Each character also has their own story arc and objectives, so if you get stuck using one character you can switch to another and see if you can advance that character's story first instead.

Yes, 2D pixel graphics. But so what? They were still good. Other than being a retro throwback to the classic adventure titles of the '80s we all loved, they were also very fitting to the plot. Sound was good. As was the music (I've got that song stuck in my head now!). And the voice acting was quite well done for the most part (loved the sheriff/coroner/hotel receptionist in particular), with 1 or 2 mispronounced words here and there or off-pitch sentences (e.g. voiced like a question when it should be an answer). Everything came together very well, and I wouldn't change any part of it. You can tell this was a thoughtful and lovingly made project that, despite possible budget constraints, has managed to look and feel like a quality good.

Long story short: a must-play for old-school adventure game diehard fans, especially those who grew up in the '80s with Sierra and LucasArts classics. This game will recreate a lot of feelings you had playing the likes of King's Quest, Monkey Island and stuff... but without the death! For everyone else, if you like a good mystery and value the journey more than the destination, check out Thimbleweed Park. Not sure how many of the references you'd get (especially for younger players), but it's a worthy experience and the game is well put-together.

[h1]Old-school adventure gamers will love this one.[/h1] Thimbleweed Park gets a lot of things right - the look, feel and puzzling components of many of the adventure games we loved from the '80s, as well as tons of easter eggs, multiple paths to solutions, interchangeable characters who sometimes need to work together, a degree of non-linearity, and amazing attention to detail. Everything you missed from the point-n-clicks of yore can be found in this well-made gem of a game. All text descriptions are fully voiced (very well too), and the pixel graphics are detailed enough to draw you fully into the world where this murder mystery takes place. [h1]Story[/h1] I'll not say too much about this because the less you know about the plot, the better. But the game is definitely effective in pushing you to find out more, even if the answer may have been a bit too obvious (at least to me) from a certain point quite early in the game. Though you may have an inkling of what's probably happening, the way the narrative unfolds, and the fact that there are [b][i]five playable characters'[/i][/b] tales to resolve, keep you going. [h1]Attention to detail[/h1] Pop by the forum to see just how much other users caught! [i](Or don't, if you don't want any spoilers!)[/i] The fact that the game includes these small bits 'n' pieces here and there for the contemplative and/or observant player to stumble upon really makes the exploration and adventuring aspects - that are truly the heart of what a true adventure game is - fun, and sets Thimbleweed Park apart from its other more cookie-cutter type contemporary same-genre competitors. [h1]Puzzles[/h1] This isn't one of those standard generic HOGs where you have to find stupid objects that have nothing to do with the game, or solve yet another boring slider puzzle in order to progress, so don't worry! Some puzzles in the second half of the game could have clued the player in a bit better (e.g. [spoiler]I didn't know one of the ladders could be moved[/spoiler]), and there was one puzzle that just downright didn't make sense (e.g. [spoiler]how can a phone number be dialled and a call get through when the receiver has not been picked up?![/spoiler]), but flaws aside, the majority of problem-solving in the game made sense to me, and I didn't have to consult any hints playing in hard mode, except for the 2 examples mentioned above. Also, there are a few instances where you can reach the same outcome by doing different things, or taking different paths - flexibility in an adventure game: wow!!! [h1]Easter eggs[/h1] Mabye not so much "easter egg" per se, but something similar - basically the player is rewarded for going the extra mile, or utilising that extra bit of knowledge he has gained from a more detailed and thorough exploration of his surroundings and items. This really encouraged me to not just rush through the game so as to reach the ending, but take my time and examine every nook and cranny and tiny little thing for extra clues - while still having fun in the process. I'd say this was a great strategy in upping player motivation, especially with regards to fully exploring a scene and thinking about the many different possibilities available. [h1]Characters[/h1] I won't say too much here so as not to spoil your experience, but basically the ability to switch between 5 characters worked very well at keeping things fresh (you see things from a different perspective, for one). Each character also has their own story arc and objectives, so if you get stuck using one character you can switch to another and see if you can advance that character's story first instead. [h1]Production quality[/h1] Yes, 2D pixel graphics. But so what? They were still good. Other than being a retro throwback to the classic adventure titles of the '80s we all loved, they were also [spoiler]very fitting to the plot[/spoiler]. Sound was good. As was the music (I've got [i]that song[/i] stuck in my head now!). And the voice acting was quite well done for the most part (loved the sheriff/coroner/hotel receptionist in particular), with 1 or 2 mispronounced words here and there or off-pitch sentences (e.g. voiced like a question when it should be an answer). Everything came together very well, and I wouldn't change any part of it. You can tell this was a thoughtful and lovingly made project that, despite possible budget constraints, has managed to look and feel like a quality good. [h1]TL;DR[/h1] Long story short: a [b]must-play[/b] for old-school adventure game diehard fans, especially those who grew up in the '80s with Sierra and LucasArts classics. This game will recreate a lot of feelings you had playing the likes of [i]King's Quest[/i], [i]Monkey Island[/i] and stuff... but [i]without the death![/i] For everyone else, if you like a good mystery and value the journey more than the destination, check out Thimbleweed Park. Not sure how many of the references you'd get (especially for younger players), but it's a worthy experience and the game is well put-together.