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. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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

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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