MIND: Path to Thalamus

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 92 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 92
  3. Negative: 21 out of 92

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  1. asdgqw23
    Aug 16, 2014
    5
    I don't know why its norm today to remove save feature from game. I quit playing in the middle of Prologue and the surprise was "nice" when I came back to play and realized, that I have to start game from the beginning again. Options are lacking.

    You have to grab objects in this game, you grab them in front of your nose so that they take almost half of the screen and some of them are    I don't know why its norm today to remove save feature from game. I quit playing in the middle of Prologue and the surprise was "nice" when I came back to play and realized, that I have to start game from the beginning again. Options are lacking.

    You have to grab objects in this game, you grab them in front of your nose so that they take almost half of the screen and some of them are shining so bright that you can't see anything.

    Some of the levels are all foggy and it's complete trial and error to navigate through. Maybe the point there was no imitate human mind or something.

    "Simplicity" of game mechanics did make this game only more complicated and annoying. Game looks great and atmosphere is there, but I can't recommend this game for people who are just wanting to waste their time in some puzzles. This game does not have much innovating things and it's just like Dear Esther with a trial and error + puzzles    … Expand
  2. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    5
    It's an interesting game and a cool concept, but it wears out its welcome pretty quickly. I got bored of the game way too fast, because it's just too slow and there's not enough to do. Maybe I would've liked it more as a VR experience.
  3. Sjalka
    Aug 18, 2014
    7
    this game is very tranquil - but it feels like - or is obvious ( if that was actually the case ) that the game suffers from polish. - the pacing is a mixed bag, the puzzles are alright but not too creative. the style and design is very well - but also very minimalistic - in a way. the game looks stylish - while it does hide some graphical deficiencies ( as in ... it could have been muchthis game is very tranquil - but it feels like - or is obvious ( if that was actually the case ) that the game suffers from polish. - the pacing is a mixed bag, the puzzles are alright but not too creative. the style and design is very well - but also very minimalistic - in a way. the game looks stylish - while it does hide some graphical deficiencies ( as in ... it could have been much more in terms of fidelity )

    sound design is well done - difficulty seems more for the casual player, while solving time sometimes seems to be stretched a bit beyond acceptable time ( no big issue ) - meaning, you quickly figure out what you have to do - but it takes a sometimes tedious bit of time to actually execute it.

    the whole tone of this game is very well done - and the overall positive aspects are much greater than the negative ones. it certainly is a game worth the money / worth the time.    … Expand
  4. GameplayExpert
    Mar 13, 2016
    5
    Very boring gameplay awaits you, so be aware of it, if you want to buy this game. And my own impression was literally destroyed by cheesy plot twist and dull ending, it really ruins everything what was good in this game.
  5. Soujirop
    Aug 8, 2014
    6
    The narrative is a little presumptuous and the puzzles aren't particularly difficult. Although the beautiful environments and sound complement each other. The game is not for everyone, and maybe it is too expensive. The most remarkable thing: it was made by just one person!
  6. fartheststar
    Oct 31, 2014
    5
    The visuals are beautiful, great sound, and it's atmospheric. Some neat puzzle ideas in the levels I finished. There's alot really good here and I wanted to like it, but after a few hours in I was increasingly struggling to make myself play and continue onward. I got to where I was forcing myself to plod (you walk slowly) along over hills and valleys, lost, not knowing what to do lookingThe visuals are beautiful, great sound, and it's atmospheric. Some neat puzzle ideas in the levels I finished. There's alot really good here and I wanted to like it, but after a few hours in I was increasingly struggling to make myself play and continue onward. I got to where I was forcing myself to plod (you walk slowly) along over hills and valleys, lost, not knowing what to do looking for an idea or inspiration, and sometimes wondering if I just haven't found something necessary yet. I don't know. I sortof wanted to see more of the story and ideas, but I got stumped, couldn't divine what to do next, and couldn't bring myself to care enough as it sortof became a grind to continue without much of an idea what to do next. It's very possible the game is just too smart for me.

    I enjoyed games like The Swapper, Lifeless Planet, Dear Esther, Kairo - so it seemed like this would be in the vein of what I like - but it just didn't work for me. If you really like puzzle games give it a shot, otherwise be aware you might experience some frustration. I uninstalled it just to save myself the future frustration I knew I'd have if I kept trying to solve puzzles. After playing it left me with the empty feeling of "why am I playing this?" For this reason I give a "mixed" score of 5.    … Expand
  7. smilzoboboz
    Oct 16, 2016
    7
    Even if I'm writing a review for this game I'm still not entirely sure regarding my opinion on it.

    There is actually just one big reason to play (and enjoy) this game, because no other game lets you move around in fully 3D surrealistic environments just like being trapped inside a Dalí painting and this game does it very well. Everything else is really a hit and miss, puzzles are    Even if I'm writing a review for this game I'm still not entirely sure regarding my opinion on it.

    There is actually just one big reason to play (and enjoy) this game, because no other game lets you move around in fully 3D surrealistic environments just like being trapped inside a Dalí painting and this game does it very well.

    Everything else is really a hit and miss, puzzles are either too simple or based on "cluncky" mechanics, the plot is weird (in bad way) and certain sections of the game are clearly visually inferior to others (which for the most part are visually stunning). Finally the audio compartment is kinda bad.

    In spite of what I wrote in the last paragraph, I'd still like to recommend this game because the feeling you get from being trapped in gorgeous surrealistic anvironments is just so good that everything else is just "some annoyance", and also the price tag is not that high (if this was a 15€ game I most likely would have not recommended it).    … Expand
  8. Bumblebugbee
    Oct 23, 2016
    7
    I am quite a big fan of the emerging genre of story-driven adventure games: or walking simulators as the skeptics like to say. However they could hardly call that the case in Mind Path to Thalamus. This game actually blends heavy narrative elements with a bunch of puzzles. Its a unique combination thats has never really been split as evenly as they are in this title. Caught in a dream likeI am quite a big fan of the emerging genre of story-driven adventure games: or walking simulators as the skeptics like to say. However they could hardly call that the case in Mind Path to Thalamus. This game actually blends heavy narrative elements with a bunch of puzzles. Its a unique combination thats has never really been split as evenly as they are in this title. Caught in a dream like state you must solve various challenges to reawaken your cognitive functions while battling your emotions regarding your tragic past.

    In my mind the story is the highlight of this experience. There isn't too much I can say as I don't want to spoil anything. The game starts with a hurricane crashing down on your home and you go charging in looking for your daughter Sophia. Immediately after you find you yourself in a strange land hoping from one landscape to the next. The protagonist is clearly going through a lot of turmoil and has a very dark outlook. The narrative starts out quite vague and hard to follow but as you progress it becomes more and more clear what is troubling your character.

    In order to recuperate you'll have to put your mind back together through a series of puzzles. The core mechanic revolves around these little tumbleweed balls. You must move the balls to different parts of the level to activate various features such as rain to lift bridges and darkness to open various gateways. Its a really simple idea that is milked for all its worth throughout this adventure. The difficulty doesn't seem quite as balanced as it could have been with many puzzles being quite easy while some are a bit frustrating.

    From a narrative perspective the puzzles actually seem purposeful. I'm used to story-driven adventure games typically being more relaxing so it was quite a different experience trying to solve puzzles at the same time. For the easier puzzles it wasn't so bad but two or three of the harder ones kind of pulled me out of my immersion in the story. I think the main problem is that this isn't a particularly long game. That is no surprise for a well polished indie game however in other puzzle centered games there is usually more time to train your brain on how to gradually get better at the puzzles.

    Mind Path to Thalamus was an interesting experience. Visually it isn't as stunning as some of its predecessors but some of the panoramic scenes are quite striking. I really grew to like the story and I found the protagonist's struggles quiet interesting. The puzzles are definitely a unique addiction to the genre and most of them are quite enjoyable. The tougher puzzles may disengage you from the experience but once you see them through you'll be right back sucked in. This definitely wasn't the smoothest ride I've been on but I'm glad I saw it through to the end.    … Expand
  9. Gracz-org
    Aug 8, 2017
    7
    MIND: Path to Thalamus to intrygujący tytuł, który łączy w sobie cechy kilku gatunków - z zagadkami logicznymi na czele. Fabuła potrafi jednak momentami znużyć, a powtarzane wciąż monologi głównego bohatera nieźle zirytować. Ukończenie gry zajęło mi natomiast około 5 i pół godziny (gdyby nie zagadki logiczne, czas ten byłby zapewne o połowę krótszy). Historia opowiedziana w tej produkcjiMIND: Path to Thalamus to intrygujący tytuł, który łączy w sobie cechy kilku gatunków - z zagadkami logicznymi na czele. Fabuła potrafi jednak momentami znużyć, a powtarzane wciąż monologi głównego bohatera nieźle zirytować. Ukończenie gry zajęło mi natomiast około 5 i pół godziny (gdyby nie zagadki logiczne, czas ten byłby zapewne o połowę krótszy). Historia opowiedziana w tej produkcji nie jest w końcu aż taka zła, można było ją jednak nieco dopracować - tak, by szła w parze z całkiem niezłą rozgrywką. Nie każdy tytuł musi być przecież idealny, prawda? Wtedy szybko byśmy się nimi wszystkimi znudzili… Grę możecie nabyć tutaj.

    Plusy:
    + surrealistyczny świat, który momentami wygląda rewelacyjnie
    + intrygujące i nieźle zaprojektowane lokacje
    + całkiem przyjemne zagadki logiczne
    + momentami ścieżka dźwiękowa i grafika

    Minusy:
    – niedopracowany wątek fabularny
    – irytujące monologi głównego bohatera
    – finałowe starcie i zakończenie

    Pełna recenzja dostępna jest na blogu Gracz.org    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 18, 2015
    85
    Nice, surrealistic puzzle game. [Feb 2015]
  2. Adventure Gamers
    Feb 11, 2015
    70
    MIND is a great-looking first-person puzzler with a nice atmosphere and promising but flawed gameplay that’s often held hostage to a narrative that falls flat on its face.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 25, 2014
    70
    Fascinating experiments with spheres are clouded by the vastness of locations, the lack of clues and ingenuity of puzzles. And if you get used eventually to the intricate brain-teasers with their dreamlike logic, then boring mumbling narrator keeps you annoyed until the very end. Hero spits stamps like a fifth-grader and cites quotes on about everything. But this is forgivable minus, because Carlos Coronado did programming, game design, script and music himself. And games that made with love are rarely bad. [Nov 2014, p.75]
See all critic reviews »