Thimbleweed Park is nostalgia at its best. Not only does the game incorporate gameplay mechanics modern titles don’t utilize, it also tells a hilarious and intriguing story which will keep players discussing it long after the short experience ends. Thimbleweed Park is a murder mystery which pays homage to shows like Twin Peaks and The X-Files. However, unlike those bleak and somber experiences, this game is hilarious and sometimes over-the-top in its portrayal of certain characters and situations. All of this combines to produce an unforgettable and charming title which may end up revitalizing its old-school gameplay.
Thimbleweed Park’s visuals are the same pixelated graphics we’ve seen in many games which try to capture the past. Nothing special. However, the gameplay isn’t. You have the ability to move around and examine your environment, but have to do so by using commands. For example, let’s say you want to give an item to your partner. Well, you’re going to have to select the word “Give”, then select the packet from your inventory, and then click on your partner. The same applies to “combining” items. Let’s say you gave a camera to your partner but it doesn’t have film in it. Well, your have to switch inventories, select the film packet, and “Use” it on the camera. The combinations are endless and on many occasions not immediately obvious. This mechanic makes Thimbleweed Park more of a situational puzzle game than anything else.
Thimbleweed Park focuses on five people with nothing in common who are drawn to this rundown, forgotten town. They don’t know it yet, but they are all deeply connected. And they’re being watched. The enigma behind it all is carefully unraveled as the game goes on and it’s quite surprising. Locations and plot devices like a haunted hotel, an abandoned circus, a burnt-out pillow factory, a dead body pixelating under a bridge, and toilets that run on vacuum tubes all make an appearance in this strange tale.
One of the most interesting aspects of Thimbleweed Park has to be how everyone is hiding secrets. For example, Agency Ray has ulterior motives and is working for someone else. A factory fire figures into the story but Junior Agent Reyes doesn’t share that he knows. There are also ghosts, clowns, game developers and even dead bodies which have so many connections and complicated concerns. You’ll definitely be captivated by the title because you’ll want to know how it all ends.
Summary
Overall, Thimbleweed Park is a great game which is elevated by its story rather than its mechanics. While selecting commands is a novel concept, younger players will be frustrated by the gameplay. Many will want to give up because it can take several minutes to decipher which combination of words and items work. However, the dialogue choices and quirky nature of the game may overcome that. Only time will tell.
Xian was a regular ICXM contributor between 2015–2017, publishing 162 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative.