Thomas Was Alone

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 79 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 79
  3. Negative: 15 out of 79
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  1. drlowdon
    Nov 25, 2013
    7
    In terms of storytelling telling and atmosphere Thomas Was Alone gets everything pretty much spot on, managing to create a memorable cast of characters from little more than squares and rectangles despite its minimalist approach.

    Unfortunately the gameplay itself, while competent, can't quite live up to the excellent presentation. I expect many will find it to be a little slow paced and    In terms of storytelling telling and atmosphere Thomas Was Alone gets everything pretty much spot on, managing to create a memorable cast of characters from little more than squares and rectangles despite its minimalist approach.

    Unfortunately the gameplay itself, while competent, can't quite live up to the excellent presentation. I expect many will find it to be a little slow paced and its a shame that the puzzles never evolve to be as difficult, or indeed as clever, as the very best in the genre (such as Braid). It may not be a true classic but I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different.

    *Having played both the PS3 and Vita version I must say it suited the handheld better.    … Expand
  2. sityoazzdown
    Apr 3, 2014
    7
    pretty unique and addicting game. the story was very sweet and charming at first, seeing the blocks who dont get along work together to get to a goal. the game is pretty simple, but it does have 100 levels, with some variety in each new level. gameplay got repititive as you kept playing, and I gradually lost interest in the storytelling, but it's a good game for what it is, I gotta say ipretty unique and addicting game. the story was very sweet and charming at first, seeing the blocks who dont get along work together to get to a goal. the game is pretty simple, but it does have 100 levels, with some variety in each new level. gameplay got repititive as you kept playing, and I gradually lost interest in the storytelling, but it's a good game for what it is, I gotta say i agree with metacritic and the 78 score for this game.… Expand
  3. Filipes
    Jun 10, 2013
    8
    It's not epic story about end of the world, but it's personal and full of emotions. Told with minimalistic set pieces that works right, because soon you will sympathize with these little colorful rectangles.
  4. Zime
    May 7, 2013
    7
    Can blocks have personality? Yes, in Thomas Was Alone they have. They don't speak for themselves, but an excellent narrator give them life and makes this game more than a simple, random platformer/puzzle game.
  5. Acidblood83
    May 11, 2013
    9
    I got Thomas Was Alone because it was free this month on PS Plus, but I would have been very happen to purchase it. If I had to describe it I would say 'portal with quadrangles'. It is available on multiple platforms but with well implemented touch controls that complement the standard buttons and most levels only taking a few minutes to complete it is a perfect fit for Vita.
  6. timsim26
    Feb 14, 2014
    9
    a game that makes you care about characters that are nothing more than rectangles or squares. Thomas was alone provides a really unique and interesting experience. It is a puzzle platformer that requires some thinking and the use of numerous "abilities" that the shapes possess. There are a number of powers and it is a treat to use the shapes numerous sizes and jumping abilities to navigatea game that makes you care about characters that are nothing more than rectangles or squares. Thomas was alone provides a really unique and interesting experience. It is a puzzle platformer that requires some thinking and the use of numerous "abilities" that the shapes possess. There are a number of powers and it is a treat to use the shapes numerous sizes and jumping abilities to navigate through a series of levels. the game is around the perfect length for something like this at about 3 hours (maybe less) but despite the excellent gameplay it is not the star of the show.

    an excellent story told by narrations from an UN-named narrator describes the feelings and thoughts of most of these shapes as they attempt to escape their doom. The story is really interesting and is brilliantly written.

    this game was an absolute treat to play on vita.    … Expand
  7. Glynnister
    Aug 2, 2013
    9
    Mike Bithell makes a game that is such an incredible joy to play, I hated having it finished.
    Sporting hilarious narration, beautifully simplistic design and truly enjoyable mechanics that was only let down by the simple technicality that there was just not enough of it.
    Originally finding its way into my life as one of the PS+ freebies for April, Thomas Was Alone was randomly selected    Mike Bithell makes a game that is such an incredible joy to play, I hated having it finished.
    Sporting hilarious narration, beautifully simplistic design and truly enjoyable mechanics that was only let down by the simple technicality that there was just not enough of it.

    Originally finding its way into my life as one of the PS+ freebies for April, Thomas Was Alone was randomly selected to be the first game I've played in a long time on the dust collector called my PS Vita.
    The story of Thomas is a simple one. He is an AI gone rogue, but an AI with a heart that is ultimately filled with friendship and heroism as he joins a band of other misfit AI to escape into the world.

    Thomas, as the name suggests, begins the story as a lone jumping rectangle that you guide through various simple side scrolling levels. On your journey however you meet various other quadrangles of different sizes that provide different skills; including a short wide pink one that functions as a trampoline, a large blue square that cant jump very high but floats on water and a tall slim yellow one that jumps to enormous heights. It is in this part of the design that the games concept truly excels, instead of learning skills you meet friends, instead of fighting enemies you tackle the changing levels as a team, you must use your brain and work out the correct way and place to make use of each characters skills to guide you through the story, a concept I really warmed to.

    Each shape is given unique personality and character via the stunningly charming and soothing narration by Danny Wallace continuing to add to the nonsensical depth of a group of shapes and giving you an idea of the importance of their adventure from their perspective. It is at this point where Thomas Was Alone really becomes an experience. The story narration, alongside beautiful music by Danny Housden, and lighting effects that are pointlessly beautiful, bring the mechanics of this little game to life. On face value this is a game where you play as a series of shapes jumping around a world, but the more you play, the more it becomes, making you care for the characters, cheer for them, vilify them and genuinely be happy for them as they progress through their journey, a journey that is all too short.

    And it is here where my only issue, but a personal argument lies. At around 3 hours this game is short as you'd expect from the price point and genre but I cant decide if I want more. There is a fascinating commentary edition to play through that as a fan of movie commentaries I loved but what I really wanted was more to play in this world. However the issue I'm facing is that I feel much more would have devalued it, risked the ‘novelty wearing off’ or myself becoming frustrated at an eventually rising difficulty curve.

    Thomas Was Alone is the beautiful vision of a single man that takes any ‘graphics over gameplay’ argument by the scruff of its neck and gives it a good smacking. You become engrossed in the story, the characters and the world in a way I haven't felt with any triple A games in a long long time and any indie games since Journey. Its low price point and short compact ‘experience it’ story make it a must buy with the latter being this games only downfall. Give me more.    … Expand
  8. bendmelikebecks
    Jun 11, 2013
    6
    What 'Thomas' does, it does very well, and kudos to the developer for actually making me care about these blocks can't fault them for that. Danny Wallace's narration in particular is one of the best I've heard in a game for some time, and never grates unlike Steven-bloody-Fry in LBP.

    It would be deeply unfair, however, to aim my main criticism at TWA, which is (I reiterate) a Good    What 'Thomas' does, it does very well, and kudos to the developer for actually making me care about these blocks can't fault them for that. Danny Wallace's narration in particular is one of the best I've heard in a game for some time, and never grates unlike Steven-bloody-Fry in LBP.

    It would be deeply unfair, however, to aim my main criticism at TWA, which is (I reiterate) a Good Game. However it is also the kind of thing I was playing 23-bleedin' years ago on my Amiga 500 (I know, I've still got it). My PS Vita is, as Sony keeps telling us, a titanic piece of kit, a handheld monster that once PS4 comes along will dominate all life but when I've paid £240 on Day One for it, and eighteen months down the line some of the top-rated Vita games are antiquated 2-D side-scrolling platformers WTF? Seriously WTF?

    Sony has today announced that PS4 will be cheaper and better than XBOne. Frankly I'm not holding my breath.    … Expand
  9. MrGingerGeek
    Apr 28, 2014
    8
    This game is fantastic. The story is incredible, as are the graphics and soundtrack. It is near perfection. It works really well on the PS Vita, and I found the touch-screen controls very useful, as I often lost track of how to control each character on the PC version. I am very excited to play Mike's next games!
  10. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 22, 2015
    8
    Thomas was Alone
    A roller Coaster of Emotion
    Thomas Was Alone is a puzzle platforming game The first half of the game really tugs on your heart strings as characters are being introduced, As youre getting smacked with real life metaphors, it just punches your right in the gut, but after the initial introductions the narration and story feels stale, leaving you with only the experience    Thomas was Alone
    A roller Coaster of Emotion
    Thomas Was Alone is a puzzle platforming game
    The first half of the game really tugs on your heart strings as characters are being introduced,
    As youre getting smacked with real life metaphors, it just punches your right in the gut, but after the initial introductions the narration and story feels stale, leaving you with only the experience of the games world
    Disappointingly though there isn’t too much to experience.
    The main objective to the game is to get each character to their shaped portal, you do this by simple platforming and team work.
    There are the occasional really neat levels, but for the most part they are bland, colorless, boring, and offer no challenge.
    I was flying through most of the game, it got really boring and tedious fast.
    The only thing that kept me going was my love for the story, I cared about these squares and rectangles,
    You are introduced to 7 initial characters that each have their own mechanic to them such as inversion, doubles jumps, and floating.. All feeling equally important to the overall level progression.
    But as I said earlier the story gets out of hand and feels jumbled by the 6th world out of 10.
    I was hoping it would pick back up again, but they felt the urge to introduce even more characters rather than give a satisfying ending or conclusion for the previous characters.
    There are 100 levels in total in Thomas was alone, 2 collectibles in each of the 10 worlds to find, and a cute story and idea,
    Id recommend a play through only to experience the narrative, who knows you may appreciate the 2nd half of the game, I personally didn’t
    There isn’t much actual game here though, no risk, no reward.
    You can get through most levels on aggressive instinct rather than sitting back and thinking.
    For what it is
    Puzzle Platformer 7/10
    Overall: 7.5/10    … Expand
  11. TheQuietGamer
    Jun 26, 2014
    7
    A rather basic and simple 2D platformer that is made enjoyable thanks to it's fantastic characters and story. The game just has a way of pulling you into it's world thanks to the excellent atmosphere, charming narration, and humorous writing. It did not take me long to find out that the game was making me care for these characters.

    The presentation is minimalistic to a fault. While it's    A rather basic and simple 2D platformer that is made enjoyable thanks to it's fantastic characters and story. The game just has a way of pulling you into it's world thanks to the excellent atmosphere, charming narration, and humorous writing. It did not take me long to find out that the game was making me care for these characters.

    The presentation is minimalistic to a fault. While it's true the game doesn't need fancy graphics to suck you into it's story, the basic presentation combined with the short and simplistic gameplay end up making this feel like it could have been a free flash game on a website like Kongregate or something, and not necessarily one you should be paying for. You can beat the experience in a few hours, and it never offers any real challenge in it's puzzles or platforming. Still, I in no way regretted spending time with the game at all, and it's still an incredibly enjoyable experience.

    Truthfully the strength of this game is not necessarily in it's gameplay or presentation. It is in it's ability to make you care about the characters and their fates, as well as make you laugh. This one is more about the experience. There's nothing wrong with it outside of some issues with the cross-save system, and the gameplay remains fun throughout, but the real depth here is in the story. So while that does hurt it as a game, it doesn't ruin the overall package. There's a great adventure here, and it's one you won't regret spending a penny on. My total score for the game is a 7.5/10=Good.    … Expand
  12. Benh0123
    Aug 15, 2015
    6
    I thought I'd give this game a go, considering its largely positive response, and that it sounded as though the creator aimed to achieve something rather interesting: giving personality to coloured squares and rectangles. Being interested in innovation in video gaming encouraged me to give this game a shot, and honestly I can't complain considering the relatively low price of admissionI thought I'd give this game a go, considering its largely positive response, and that it sounded as though the creator aimed to achieve something rather interesting: giving personality to coloured squares and rectangles. Being interested in innovation in video gaming encouraged me to give this game a shot, and honestly I can't complain considering the relatively low price of admission (£6.49 on PS Vita) and the fairly short time investment of a couple of hours (including acquiring all the available achievements). However, with such a simple concept, the execution needs to be impressive, combining strong level design with an interesting narrative. The game unfortunately falls short on both of these criteria: from the outset to the end, the level design is pretty lacklustre at best, and for me this is unforgivable in any side-scroller. The narration is clearly where the effort has been applied, but even this largely didn't work for me, and felt rather twee, albeit whilst adding depth and identity to an otherwise pretty basic game and "characters". I would still recommend this game, as just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean others won't find value in it. That said, I think it could have been executed far better.… Expand
  13. OttawaExile
    Jul 31, 2014
    8
    I bought this game when it was on a flash sale for 99 cents, it was an awesome game it was challenging but not frustrating. I loved how they took this simple puzzler and made it so much more interesting by giving each small shape a name and personality as well as a British narrator to chronicle their journey. The only reason I gave it an 8 instead of a 10 is that I found it somewhat shortI bought this game when it was on a flash sale for 99 cents, it was an awesome game it was challenging but not frustrating. I loved how they took this simple puzzler and made it so much more interesting by giving each small shape a name and personality as well as a British narrator to chronicle their journey. The only reason I gave it an 8 instead of a 10 is that I found it somewhat short for a 10$ game. (probably because it was so good I rushed through it) but if you love puzzlers or get it on sale it is a must buy.… Expand
  14. luvi970
    Aug 21, 2023
    0
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Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PS Vita Game of 2013
20
#20 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2013
29
#29 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Gamereactor Denmark
    May 13, 2013
    80
    Sharp and peculiar platformer that may look repetitive at first glance, but is more than worth the price of admission.
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  2. Eurogamer Sweden
    May 13, 2013
    80
    A charming and beautiful minimalistic puzzle platform game that offers both a gripping and amusing story through its great narration.
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  3. Thunderbolt
    May 9, 2013
    70
    Thomas Was Alone does a stellar job in doing what it sets out to achieve. It uses simplistic visuals and basic gameplay to convey a sense of wonder and tell a very personable, well written and well realised story of isolation and companionship.
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