So this will be a rather short Impressions piece as the “game” itself is not so much a game as a playable test. Confusing, I know—some quick background. In 2017 a few point and click legends and their team released the fantastic game Thimbleweed Park. The game was very much a nostalgia bomb both in terms of gameplay and story and character development.

A very clearly stated “not sequel” for the game was released for free on Steam. In it, you take over one of the more popular characters from Thimbleweed and go back to the town to do some quick jobs as a photojournalist. As the intro to the adventure explains, it is a small little thing that came out of running tests for a new engine. The introduction warns that you may encounter problems (although I didn’t) and that it’s more for fans of the game to enjoy and get to experience a little more of Thimbleweed.

The premise is simple, Delores is taking a break from game development to help out the newspaper. You are given a camera and a list of five pictures you have to take. There are thirty in total, but you do them in randomly assigned groups of five. Some puzzles you solve will carry over, some will need to be repeated.

There is not a lot to say because there isn’t a lot happening, intentionally so. You are given only a small pocket of the entire town to explore, and there are limited characters. However, some of the puzzles are clever, as with the base game, and there is some good humor. For example, some of the characters act the exact opposite as they were in the game for a little in-joke. Some jokes from the game, such as questioning particular characters about their speech pattern, are carried over.

And, of course, the ending is a nice little surprise and ties back to the base game. It is also odd… much like Thimbleweed itself.

This is mostly a quick thing to say, hey if you were a fan of Thimbleweed and you missed this being released, go get it now. It’s short and sweet, but it is worth it. It was nice solving puzzles again and interacting with the world and characters. It also made me want to play Thimbleweed Park again, desperately.

If you haven’t played Thimbleweed Park, don’t start here. Most of the humor won’t land, and the characters and setting will likely feel a bit hollow. However, now does seem like a great time to remind you that if you like point and clicks, Thimbleweed Park is on multiple platforms and is phenomenal.