The Thin Silence Review for Mac

Developed by TwoPM Studios and published by Nkidu Games Inc, The Thin Silence is a cinematic, story-driven adventure puzzle game. The Thin Silence deftly tackles weighty topics like depression, self-doubt, and suicide, telling the tale of a man’s search for self-forgiveness and purpose in life to shed light on stigmatized mental health disorders. Players progress through this emotional and touching storyline by completing carefully crafted levels that are comprised of challenging puzzles and making use of various items that they pick up over time. What The Thin Silence lacks in terms of graphics is more than made up for in terms of its gripping plot and its solid core gameplay mechanics.

In The Thin Silence, players control Ezra Westmark, a man plagued by depression and the traumas of his past. Not much is revealed about Ezra at the game’s commencement, but players can learn more about the protagonist as they advance. The Thin Silence builds intrigue by beginning in medias res and making players work to get a firm grounding in Ezra’s world.

In stark contrast to the game’s reticence to divulge information about Ezra’s past as soon as possible, The Thin Silence introduces players almost immediately to the thin silence that bequeaths to the game its name. No matter where players guide Ezra, they and Ezra both will be able to take solace in the constancy of the melancholy yet somehow reassuring sound. The silence adds nuance to the game, building to the atmosphere and seeming to provide an avenue for players to gain entrance into Ezra’s wonderfully multifaceted mind.

Players advance The Thin Silence’s storyline by working their way through increasingly difficult levels. What enable players to achieve their objectives are the various items that are dispersed throughout the game’s world. Within the first few minutes of play, players will get access to a boot, their first item. Owning the boot allows Ezra to kick boulders out of the way, opening up new possibilities in terms of paths through levels.

Players acquire numerous items as they play The Thin Silence. However, what keeps this aspect of the game fresh lies not in the accretion of items but rather the ability to craft new items out of the ones that players already own. For example, players can combine their boot with the hook they find soon after to craft a climbing boot. Even after forming new items such as the crafting boot, players still have access to the original items.

The level system works perfectly with The Thin Silence’s plot. Everything new appears to Ezra to be a punch in the gut just as he feels like he has gained his footing in the world again. This idea is expressed through the ever-increasing difficulty of the levels. Just as the player gets comfortable with the game’s mechanics, a new item is introduced and players are immediately disoriented. Just like there is no respite for Ezra in his struggles with mental health, so to there is no letup for players as they trudge through the 4-5 hour game. The similarity in Ezra’s and players’ labors helps players forge an intimate emotional bond.

The developers of The Thin Silence determine to do more than just raise awareness about depression through their game. TwoPM Studios plans to donate 10% of its sales to mental health organizations such as CheckPoint. More information about CheckPoint can be found on their website at https://checkpoint.org.au/.

TwoPM Studios manages to create an intriguing story revolving around mental health issues that are even today unjustly stigmatized. The Thin Silence is atmospheric, dark, and eerie, succeeding to bring to light some of the struggles that those who deal with depression face every day. The game’s levels are challenging and its crafting system is fun to play around with, two positives that really enhance the story and uplift the entire game.

Rating: 8/10

Watch The Thin Silence Trailer:

The Thin Silence is available now on Steam, Itch, and Humble for Windows PC and Mac.

Jori Grossman

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I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.

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