Developer: Mike Bithell Released: July 2012

Played on: Vita (also available on PS3, PC, Mac, Linux)

Thomas Was Alone is a great example of a game made up of enough strong elements that it turned out better than it had any right to be. As a puzzle platformer, its good but not outstanding. The narration is at times extremely charming, but at other times highlights a lack of satisfying cohesion and progression in the story. But combining these two elements and a perfectly textured soundtrack make Thomas Was Alone a highly memorable and enjoyable game.

The game designer’s commitment to stripping away extraneous visual characteristics and focusing on solid shapes to deliver a pure platforming experience with clear mechanics is an admirable one. The gradual build of the challenges and learning curve are nicely done at first, but it starts to wear thin by the end of the game and is never a huge challenge. Adding the narrator to personify the solid objects you control elevates the player’s connection to the game, but part of me is sad that it kills the game’s potential simplicity and purity.

Thomas Was Alone was a hit for designer Mike Bithell, and he has become one of the more likeable characters in the indie game development scene. His next project, Volume, looks fascinating, and appears to continue his interest in stripping away “realistic” visual detail in favour of focussing on mechanics and clearly defined game rules.

Verdict: While it doesn’t always hit the mark, Thomas Was Alone is a strong indie platformer with great aesthetics and loads of charm. Its even a little bit moving! I kinda cared about them blocks.

Should Bradley play this: Another one he should check out if its cheap and he wants to kill a couple of hours (I picked this up for free on PS+ but would happily have paid a few bucks for it.)