GAME REVIEW – Slender Threads (PC)

By Marty Mulrooney

Slender Threads is a point-and-click thriller adventure developed and published by Blyts, the team behind the ‘genuinely funny, often hilarious’ 2016 comedy adventure Kelvin and the Infamous Machine. In Slender Threads, players must take control of travelling book salesman Harvey Green – himself an aspiring author with writer’s block – as he explores the sleepy seaside town of Villa Ventana. But with death dogging him at every turn, how many people will die before sunrise?

The first thing players will notice about Slender Threads is the graphical style, which is reminiscent of Kelvin and the Infamous Machine but will perhaps be most familiar to those who have played the latest Monkey Island game. However, this new adventure takes things a step further with its hand-drawn art, blending 2D animation with 3D elements to create a diorama-like visual effect.

The result is often stunning, with Villa Ventana coming to vivid life as Harvey heads deeper into the town and its surrounds. Arriving during the twilight hours, Harvey tries to get some writing done at his hotel; however, he nods off and has a nightmare where his head is mounted on a wall with others who remain in shadow. Still shaken, he walks into town to clear his head.

The premise is pleasantly concise, and the way the town is slowly opened up to the player works incredibly well. While Villa Ventana isn’t massive, it is packed with businesses and tourist attractions that naturally draw the eye. Harvey is a bit of a downtrodden individual, and it’s always interesting to see how the extensive supporting cast reacts to him.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a thriller adventure if Harvey simply saw the sights, sold a few books and went home. It soon transpires that something evil is afoot, and it appears that Harvey has unwittingly found himself in the middle of a plot that will see many of the town’s residents meet their untimely demise.

The interface is smooth and streamlined, with the game automatically selecting the correct ‘quick action’ for each hotspot. Right-clicking the mouse will bring up the full range of actions, but this isn’t really necessary unless you’re a completionist who wants to hear every line of dialogue. Then again, the voice acting across the board is impeccable and charming, so perhaps interacting in every possible way will be more attractive to players than the developers realised.

The only downside to the nimble controls (whether using a mouse or a controller) is that the difficulty level remains somewhat low; the puzzles make sense for the most part, and having the game select the correct quick action each time ensures a fast pace that perfectly fits the story being told. I certainly don’t want to criticise well-designed puzzles either, as Slender Threads often makes the player feel clever by having one solution cascade into the next in a highly satisfying manner. Still, the challenge isn’t always there, and the short length (5–6 hours) is undoubtedly a byproduct of this.

The story is engaging throughout, but it’s the town and its residents that will draw players in. Making supporting characters both interesting and integral to the plot is a challenge many developers struggle with, but Blyts makes it appear effortless here. Whether Harvey is listening to an over-enthusiastic realtor, pranking a barber or trying to convince the sheriff that he had nothing to do with the latest grisly murder, the script always manages to keep things light without undermining the unshakeable sense that something isn’t right.

A dash of humour can go a long way, and it’s to the developers’ credit that Slender Threads manages to be funny without betraying its horror roots. Things will only get weirder as Harvey continues to explore, and the central mystery of just what the hell is going on in Villa Ventana is never anything less than compelling… until the ending arrives. When I first finished the game I felt somewhat dissatisfied with the final twist, but I reloaded an earlier save to experience it again and it ended up growing on me.

Divisive endings are often seen as a bad thing, but after some careful reflection, I think the denouement works well here. The clues for what’s really happening are there all along, and the player doesn’t need to like what happens to Harvey for the story to reach its natural conclusion. In truth, I think I was enjoying being in Villa Ventana so much – even when tripping out on mushrooms – that the sudden ending was always going to feel like a plaster being ripped off.

With wonderful graphics and voice acting bringing Harvey Green’s waking nightmare to life, Slender Threads is easy to recommend – especially to those who like their point-and-click adventures with a dark edge. It’s undoubtedly a little bit too easy and a touch too short, but the production values (including the subtle soundtrack) and script are excellent throughout. You’ll grow to care about Harvey and what happens to him, even as his actions put everyone else in the town at risk. The developers at Blyts have raised their game with this engaging adventure, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

9 OUT OF 10