Slender Threads (2025)

At first glance, Slender Threads might look like a 2D point-and-click adventure, but it’s actually a cleverly disguised 3D game that mimics the look of traditional 2D art. It’s a nice visual trick that fits perfectly with the game’s strange, layered tone.

Gameplay-wise, it sticks to the classic formula: you explore, talk to characters, manage your inventory, and combine items to solve puzzles. The puzzles themselves are mostly logical and fair—nothing too obscure—which I appreciated as someone who isn’t exactly a puzzle master. There are a few standouts, like mapping a sequence or deciphering alien-looking numbers (which I admittedly brute-forced), but for the most part, it’s all familiar and satisfying point-and-click fare.

What sets Slender Threads apart is its tone. While it presents itself as a horror mystery, it’s really more of a dark comedy. You’ll do typical genre stuff like trying to prank a barber just to get a pile of hair you might not even need—except the barber ends up having a heart attack. It walks that strange, uncomfortable line between absurd and unsettling, and it does it well.

The challenge doesn’t come so much from the puzzles themselves, but from the sheer number of locations and characters you have access to almost right away. It’s easy to end up with an inventory full of items and no clear sense of where they go. Thankfully, there’s a helpful hint system built in, which is a lifesaver. It’s not the ‘90s anymore, after all.

As the story unfolds, it takes a surprisingly meta and surreal turn. I kept expecting a classic twist—the protagonist is secretly from an asylum, or maybe the player is somehow controlling things directly. But the actual reveal is more abstract and theatrical: all the characters are marionettes, literally controlled by threads. The episodes you play through are essentially Twilight Zone-style vignettes, and the radio at the beginning? That’s the announcement for the next “performance.” At one point, you’re even told, “You will kill us in many different ways every evening,” which lands with a haunting sort of theatrical weight.

There are also fun nods and references sprinkled throughout—like “the veil and the window,” which feel straight out of Lovecraftian mythos—and the game’s visual style is distinct and memorable.

All in all, Slender Threads is a smart, stylish, and approachable adventure game. It’s not overly difficult, it respects your time, and it tells a story that’s both eerie and oddly playful.

Games like this remind me why I tend to enjoy modern adventure games more than many from the so-called Golden Age. Back then, developers stretched difficulty to justify a full-price tag, often to the point of frustration. Today’s adventure games are shorter, more focused, and often much more affordable—and I honestly don’t mind finishing them over a couple of evenings.

Slender Threads is really up my alley, and It's so exciting to see good point-and-click games still coming out in 2025.

The story is intriguing almost from the start and pulls you in with its mystery and eerie vibes. The puzzles are mostly good, though I did find myself often doing things while not really understanding why, like I was a bit ahead of the story. I kept opening new areas or picking up items that were useless to me at this point, while failing to achieve the solution that'll actually advance the story. Not a big deal, but slightly frustrating when you think you made a breakthrough only to get immediately stuck again...

I like the weird art style, and the voice acting was really good too, which is crucial for a classic point-and-click. The game actually reminded me of Monkey Island, but with more dead bodies. Well, with more dead bodies that stayed dead, anyway...

Slender Threads is a point and click game with a Tim Burton style, similar to Fran Bow and Prim. It’s been on my wishlist for a while and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint.

It’s got a really impressive art style, it’s technically 2.5d, with flat 2d sprites navigating a 3D environment. It’s not frame-by-frame (definitely spine animated), but it still is done so well that it doesn’t feel cheap at all. The art direction and environments are an extreme highlight.

The puzzles are very top notch as well. The first couple were a bit confusing, but I think the game finds its stride soon after as the world opens up. I had to take notes as it’s semi-open world… at the peak of the game there’s about 30 locals you can visit.

The only complaint I could muster is that the ending feels a little bit abrupt, and of course I wish it was much longer (it’s about 4 hours). But the quality is extremely high, and I would recommend it to most any point and click gamer!