Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Spoiler Warning for the Ending of Thimbleweed Park
Content Warning for mention of suicide
In 2017, Thimbleweed Park was released as an effort to recapture the glory of the point-and-click adventure game of the 1990s. In addition to recapturing the mechanics of the genre, it greatly exemplified the genre's relationship to Absurdism. Though with the story's end, many fans were left unsure of the game's potential messages, which this video seeks to analyze.
Music by Molly Noise: https://linktr.ee/MollyNoise
Twitter: twitter.com/kathmanhenry
Tumblr: henrykathman.tumblr.com
Podcast: pinkaisle.podbean.com
Patreon: patreon.com/Henrykathman
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:06 - Adventure Game & Theatre of the Absurd
6:57 - The Mystery of Thimbleweed Park
10:30 - That's a Loadbearing 4th Wall
14:31 - The Absurd
18:43 - Meaning out of Absurdity
Games Featured:
Thimbleweed Park
The Secret of Monkey Island (Original and Remastered)
King's Quest
Deponia
Grim Fandango
Undertale
Doki Doki Literature Club
Whispers of a Machine
Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo
Bibliography:
Camu, Albert. “Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays (Audiobook).” YouTube, 22 June 2020, youtube.com/watch?v=3Jf6cGbNVt8.
Camu, Albert. “The Myth of Sysiphus.” University of Hawaii, Oct. 1942, https://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil360/16.%20Myth%20of%20Sisyphus.pdf.
Danskin, Ian. “Three Short Arguments on the Secret of Monkey Island.” Innuendo Studio, YouTube, 28 Feb. 2018, youtube.com/watch?v=IJcJevvWGP8.
“From Maniac Mansion TO Thimbleweed Park | Ron GILBERT.” Talks at Google, YouTube, 9 Mar. 2017, youtube.com/watch?v=KgzWorfLjeE.
Kevin. “Thimbleweed Park: They're Not in a Video Game... until They Are. (4500 Words).” Alternative Readings, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.lecturesalternatives.fr/2017/07/thimbleweed-park-they-re-not-in-a-video-game.4500-words.html.
Miessler, Daniel. “The Difference Between Existentialism, Nihilism, and Absurdism.” Daniel Miessler, 17 Nov. 2020, danielmiessler.com/blog/difference-existentialism-nihilism-absurdism/.
Posner, Sam. “Arcade of the Absurd.” Nightmare Mode [Archived], Wordpress, 24 June 2011, nightmaremode.thegamerstrust.com/2011/06/24/arcade-of-the-absurd/.
#Thimbleweedpark
Spoiler Warning for the Ending of Thimbleweed Park
Content Warning for mention of suicide
In 2017, Thimbleweed Park was released as an effort to recapture the glory of the point-and-click adventure game of the 1990s. In addition to recapturing the mechanics of the genre, it greatly exemplified the genre's relationship to Absurdism. Though with the story's end, many fans were left unsure of the game's potential messages, which this video seeks to analyze.
Music by Molly Noise: https://linktr.ee/MollyNoise
Twitter: twitter.com/kathmanhenry
Tumblr: henrykathman.tumblr.com
Podcast: pinkaisle.podbean.com
Patreon: patreon.com/Henrykathman
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:06 - Adventure Game & Theatre of the Absurd
6:57 - The Mystery of Thimbleweed Park
10:30 - That's a Loadbearing 4th Wall
14:31 - The Absurd
18:43 - Meaning out of Absurdity
Games Featured:
Thimbleweed Park
The Secret of Monkey Island (Original and Remastered)
King's Quest
Deponia
Grim Fandango
Undertale
Doki Doki Literature Club
Whispers of a Machine
Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo
Bibliography:
Camu, Albert. “Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays (Audiobook).” YouTube, 22 June 2020, youtube.com/watch?v=3Jf6cGbNVt8.
Camu, Albert. “The Myth of Sysiphus.” University of Hawaii, Oct. 1942, https://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil360/16.%20Myth%20of%20Sisyphus.pdf.
Danskin, Ian. “Three Short Arguments on the Secret of Monkey Island.” Innuendo Studio, YouTube, 28 Feb. 2018, youtube.com/watch?v=IJcJevvWGP8.
“From Maniac Mansion TO Thimbleweed Park | Ron GILBERT.” Talks at Google, YouTube, 9 Mar. 2017, youtube.com/watch?v=KgzWorfLjeE.
Kevin. “Thimbleweed Park: They're Not in a Video Game... until They Are. (4500 Words).” Alternative Readings, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.lecturesalternatives.fr/2017/07/thimbleweed-park-they-re-not-in-a-video-game.4500-words.html.
Miessler, Daniel. “The Difference Between Existentialism, Nihilism, and Absurdism.” Daniel Miessler, 17 Nov. 2020, danielmiessler.com/blog/difference-existentialism-nihilism-absurdism/.
Posner, Sam. “Arcade of the Absurd.” Nightmare Mode [Archived], Wordpress, 24 June 2011, nightmaremode.thegamerstrust.com/2011/06/24/arcade-of-the-absurd/.
#Thimbleweedpark
