As a Netflix subscriber, you've likely binged the newest Black Mirror season by now. The seventh season dropped yesterday with all six episodes, earning rave reviews. While the show itself is captivating, I'm more intrigued by Netflix's latest game adaptation: Black Mirror: Thronglets.
Black Mirror: Thronglets Draws Inspiration from Season 7's Fourth Episode
Those who've seen Episode 4 understand how haunting this game experience could be. For the uninitiated, here's the premise: The narrative alternates between 2034 and 1994, focusing on Cameron Walker's story (brilliantly portrayed by Peter Capaldi).
The protagonist begins detained for petty theft, but the plot quickly escalates into explorations of childhood wounds, fixation, idolization, and Black Mirror's signature simulation paranoia.
Black Mirror: Thronglets mirrors the retro pixelated virtual pet simulator featured in Plaything. According to lore, 90s developer Colin Ritman created it - the same visionary behind Tuckersoft's Bandersnatch and Nosedive installations.
Night School Studio (Netflix's gaming division) adapted it for mobile. Starting as a glitchy Tamagotchi clone, it gradually transforms into an unsettling existential experiment.
Thronglets aren't just digital pets—they're sentient digital entities. These evolving pixel organisms develop independent cognition. You begin nurturing a single amorphous blob that eventually multiplies into a Throng, silently absorbing behavioral patterns from your interactions.
Catch the official trailer!
The Game Analyzes Its Players
Thronglets progressively adapt to your choices and playstyle, eventually generating a personalized psychological profile based on your treatment of the creatures. The social comparison feature adds another layer when evaluating results with friends.
Both the game and Plaything examine themes of memory preservation, digital afterlife, and human detachment. The source episode delivers emotional gut punches amidst technological dystopia. Black Mirror enthusiasts and curious gamers alike can download Thronglets via Google Play Store.
Don't miss our coverage of Chasing Kaleidorider - where heart-racing action meets romantic narrative in this newly announced pre-registration title.
