When I was given the mobile version of Thomas Was Alone to review, I was unsure how I felt about it. First off, I was delighted to have an excuse to play the game again, as I’m a big fan of the original PC release. However, I was also somewhat apprehensive, as I’ve been disappointed by mobile adaptations of old favourites before. What if it was terrible? On top of that, I was unsure about how effectively they could adapt the game to a touch-screen device. After all, it’s a platform title; something not traditionally suited to the touch-screen medium.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I downloaded the game and got to it.

Reassuringly the game itself remains pretty much unchanged. While this might hardly sound like a good point, the original version was so excellently crafted that any change would likely be to its detriment. It’s clear that great care has been taken to ensure that the experience remains much the same as with the PC version.

The game boot-up is begun with a logo which suggests the use of headphones while playing and to fully appreciate the game, this is a must. The soundtrack is exemplary, as evidenced by its nomination for an award in the ‘Best Original Score’ category at the 9th British Academy Video Games Awards. This is a game that needs to be experienced, not just played and the soundtrack is a big part of that.

Even more than the soundtrack or, arguably, the gameplay itself, the narration is what gives the game is unique charm. Fortunately Danny Wallace’s superb oratory is present and correct in full. Let’s be honest, the narrative is the reason why this game is so beloved by its fans and Wallace’s effortless and charming rendition is more or less perfect and manages to convey a level of personality and character on the blocks that form your protagonists absent even in many RPG stories. Put simply, without sound this game is very limited. With it? It’s a hugely engaging and emotive experience that will keep you playing for hours. Indeed, the BAFTA award Wallace received for the work he did on the game is testament to the quality on display.

The big issue that I expected to have with the mobile version was the controls and, truth be told, I was not completely proven wrong. They take the form of taping the bottom right of the screen to jump and pressing a left or right arrow in the bottom left to move the character. Different characters are selected by tapping a coloured tab on the side of the screen. This works surprisingly well; indeed, far better than I expect on seeing it. However, the proximity of the directional arrows and the small size of the tabs does mean you don’t always input the commands you expect. I was playing on an Ipad Mini and found that my character would go shooing off in the opposite direction to where I intended or the character tabs would not press when I required relatively often. However, while annoying, these issues were infrequent enough to be forgivable.
The main concern is that holding the device in a way to allow you to control it is a bit tough on the fingers and writs, holing it at the bottom as you are required. Even with the comparatively light Ipad Mini I found my arms and hands tiring after any extended play. With heavier devices this can only be exacerbated.

All in all, I was delighted with the mobile version of Thomas Was Alone. The game itself is, thankfully, the superb and engaging experience I knew and loved and the controls, while far from perfect, as good as could be expected from the medium.

Is it as good as the PC version? No; just for the slightly temperamental controls. But it’s damn close and to be honest, the fact you can now take such a charming and lovable game out and about and play in your spare moments more than makes up for it. The fact that I’m looking forward to playing it on my 10 hour flight at the end of the week tells you a lot about how much I like this version, controls and all.

If you’ve played the game you’re getting nothing new, just the same excellent game. If you haven’t played it, you now have no excuse not to.

Do yourself a favour and pick it up; find out what can be done with basic visuals and a huge dose of character and imagination. You won’t regret it.

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