An episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror has spawned a virtual pet sim, described as a ‘Tamagotchi-gone-wrong’.
Several episodes of Black Mirror have explored dystopian near-future depictions of games, between the interactive Bandersnatch and the augmented reality nightmare in Playtest, but an episode in the latest season takes a different approach.
In season seven episode Plaything, a former games journalist who is obsessed with a mysterious game from the 1990s becomes the main suspect in a murder case. Peter Capaldi and Lewis Gribben play the lead role, with Bandersnatch character Colin Ritman, played by Will Poulter, making a return guest appearance.
The game in the episode, titled Thronglets, is a twisted spin on virtual pet sims like Tamagotchi, where you nurture cuddly creatures which multiply into a ‘harmonic Throng’. If the episode didn’t entirely put you off, you can now actually play Thronglets yourself.
Developed by Oxenfree’s Night School Studio, who were acquired by Netflix in 2021, Thronglets is available to download on mobile devices for free if you’re a Netflix subscriber.
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A description of the virtual pet simulator reads: ‘These pixel art critters won’t just take over your phone; they could take over your life.’
As you progress, you’ll unlock video fragments from a mockumentary called the ‘Ritman Retrospective’, which dives into the fictional creator of Thronglets, Colin Ritman, and his boss at Tuckersoft, Mohan Thakur (played by Asim Chaudhry).
Black Mirror’s creator, Charlie Brooker, was a games journalist for PC Zone in the 1990s. It’s unclear if the episode is based on his experiences but it isn’t exactly a glowing portrayal, with the lead character Cameron Walker being a socially-inept recluse.
Netflix has released several other games based on its shows in the past, including Stranger Things: 1984 and Squid Game: Unleashed.
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