Thimbleweed Park

As someone who loved point 'n' click adventure games growing up, I was very much looking forward to this game. And for the most part, it delivered. One of the biggest challenges for the designers was catering to a modern audience while keeping the old-school fans happy. Hand-holding is thankfully kept to a minimum with an optional tutorial, handy to-do lists and a steady increase in game difficulty. Being able to run was a godsend! The writing is decent, though lacking in laugh-out-loud moments. Most of the humor is based on snarkiness, in-jokes (more on that later) and a we-can-get-away-with-naughtier-stuff attitude. Ransome is the stand-out character for many *beep*ing reasons, and Delores was unexpectedly endearing. The music is well-written and fits with the overall atmosphere, but isn't as memorable as past P&C titles. As someone with (I hope) normal intelligence, the majority of the puzzles were logical and fair; no 'monkey wrench' puzzles here. Some could have used some tweaking to make them clearer, and a few puzzles couldn't be solved until an arbitrary point in the game. After reading some reviews, there are two common criticisms, both of which I share. The first is the overuse of adventure game references. Most retro-inspired games are too afraid to make their own unique impression- they fall back on the 'remember this?' crutch far too often. TWP is no exception, with Sierra/LucasArts gags aplenty. Easter eggs are always fun, but a little fanservice goes a long way. I realize that there was a point to their overuse, but it still got old fast. The second criticism is the ending, which I won't spoil here. If this game had been made 20 years ago the ending would have been fresh and innovative, but the concept seems a bit cliche today. The actual execution was alright, but I did roll my eyes when the big 'reveal' was made. While the game is not without its flaws, TWP can proudly stand with the classics that came before it. I hope Ron & Co. return soon.

Brought back memories of the games I played as a kid, but definitely stands on its own too. Great graphics and sound, really long story that went much further than I was anticipating, and memorable characters. Loved the meta humor too!

I was really expecting a lot more to be honest. The soundtrack and the graphics and the general feel was nice. The voiceover talent for some characters was simply off (such as agent Reyes and the bookstore owner). The most memorable character was Ransome the clown. It was an ok game but i didn't like the ending. Would not play it again.

When i first played Thimbleweed Park, it was on Xbox game pass. i didn't know what it was, so i went in with surprises and no real excitement prior to my time playing. I fell in love with the style, graphics, tone, humor, old school gameplay, and soundtrack. But when I finished the game, cracks started to become clearer. The main characters lacked development and chemistry, they never really grew or became a team. One of them doesn't do anything at all or even leaves his place. The story ruins its own surprises early on with already predictable outcomes, and lacks good mystery once you get past chapter 3. And overall by the end, it feels like you played for nothing and it just cuts to black. Generic plot points and devices, cheap copouts, and underdeveloped characters make this one of the most frustrating stories to play through because of how much potential it has. And not much can save that when gameplay isn't super interactive or something. I still enjoy it for its amazing presentation, but not much else honestly. Even the humor runs dry with repeating jokes, barrage of references to other Ron Gilbert games, constant cheap shots at Lucasarts and Sierra that just feel weirdly forced in and like Ron has a weird grudge against them, and overall such an emphasis on humor that it forgets to write a good story. And even gameplay runs into some bad puzzle design. Like one character being aware of something another needs despite having no way to know that. Overall, Thimbleweed Park is a game dripping with tons of 80s nostalgia which makes it an absolute joy to walk around and listen in. It really brings you back to the time period, both in how its set during 1987 and it feels like a game from that time. Well, with voice acting and some graphical effects only possible in todays world. But no amount of nostalgia can hide its major story problems. And yet i still recommend it, but only on sale. Just to feel what I did when i first played.

One of the better adventure games out there , with mostly good, logical puzzles. The game is played through the eyes of different characters but the individual story didn't coalesce together very much, making the plot good but not great. The biggest appeal is the abiltiy to tap into the old school, tongue in cheek, adventure game nostalgia. Overall, still very much recommended with one or two hiccups.