We Love It's Guide to…
Explore a man’s surreal inner world, changing weather, time, and seasons to solve environmental puzzles and seek a way back.
Released 05 Aug 2014
Change the Weather
Shift Day to Night
Travel Between Seasons
MIND: Path to Thalamus is a First Person Puzzler that throws you into a fantastic and surreal environment. You will bend the natural elements to your will in order to progress in this emotive, mindbending tale. Now also in Virtual Reality!
Developed by Pantumaca Barcelona, @CarlosGameDev, Dani Navarro, Luka Nieto · Published by Talking About Media
You guide a man trapped in his own mind as he tries to return to reality. His journey through surreal forests, caverns, and landscapes of water and ice is tied to his experiences as a father and the grief and regret he faces.
Progress by exploring each area and solving environmental puzzles. Changing conditions such as weather, fog, rain, and the time of day can alter the landscape, reveal routes, and help you reach places otherwise inaccessible.
The puzzles reward careful observation and experimentation with the environment. Narration accompanies the journey, while the changing settings and story develop together; the Enhanced Edition also offers virtual reality support.
In this sample, players who enjoy the game most often praise its dreamlike scenery and atmospheric exploration, along with the idea of changing the environment to solve puzzles. Some also appreciate its introspective story. Responses are mixed: other reviewers find the puzzles unclear or frustrating and feel the narration does not land.
Wrapped in a mind-bending tale, the gameplay of “MIND” focuses on changing the very weather in order to solve puzzles: the player will cycle between day and night, modify the levels of fog and rain and even travel in time between seasons, changing the environment to advance the gameplay-driven story —indeed, the mechanics are directly related to who the protagonist is, what has happened to him and everything he is doing: a man trapped in his own mind, he must use all the tools at his disposition to escape to reality. Accompanied by the snarky yet heartfelt narration of this comatose patient, the player will guide him through fantastical forests, dark caverns and deceptive worlds of water and ice that directly relate to his emotional state at each point in his journey.
Play the game in Virtual Reality for a full immersive experience. VR support only for motion controllers (HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift + Oculus Touch).
Powerfull new Unreal Engine 4 engine gaining even 70% more performance in almost every level.
Steam controller, keyboard, gamepad and VR controllers 100% supported and configurable.
4 secret levels, redesigned interactive ending, narration and also an alternative ending.
More than 40 different, creative puzzles seamlessly integrated into the environment.
6 ways to affect the environment in order to solve the puzzles.
More than 25 distinct landscapes into with which you will be able to interact.
Turn day to night, make it so everything is covered by a blinding fog, summon incredible storms, travel to the past and make use of even more as of yet unknown mechanics.
More than an hour of voice acting that, while integrated into the gameplay itself, will tell you a whole story that is not about saving the world but about living through the pain of a father broken by his mistakes.
Face down imposing enemies by using your creativity and everything you have learnt along the way.
22 achievements full of Easter eggs and references.
OST and Artbook included.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 23 |
| Age ratings |
|
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Metacritic | 75/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
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