The 'Thronglets' Game from 'Black Mirror' Is Real & Very Strange – ryan

Black Mirror is always up to something, and they went all out with Season 7, from individual episode posters and a big press tour to an incredible fake marketing campaign for the in-universe VR technology, called Nubbin. Fans are delighted that they also made a full video game, the same one that’s at the center of Episode 4, “Plaything.” Black Mirror: Thronglets is real, and it’s weird. A kind of 8-bit cocktail of Tamagotchi, Harvest Moon, Oregon Trail, and MS-DOS games, the game from the studio Night School and Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker mirrors the themes of “Plaything” by questioning the nature of power, individuality, and purpose. The description from Netflix reads as follows:

“(Thronglets) challenges players to hatch, evolve, and nurture hundreds of adorable creatures known as Thronglets. But beware, these cute critters won’t just take over your phone; they could take over your life. As you feed, bathe, and entertain your Thronglets, you’ll watch them multiply exponentially — one becomes two, two becomes four, and soon you’ll have a harmonic Throng. This gameplay is not just about managing virtual pets; it’s about exploring the depths of human nature and the consequences of our digital obsessions.”

“By building a Throng, you can unlock hidden video fragments of the “Ritman Retrospective.” These elusive clips from a never-before-seen documentary about the enigmatic creator behind Thronglets, Colin Ritman, unveiled through a series of interviews with the head of Tuckersoft, Mohan Thakur. As the game reaches its unsettling conclusion, you’ll be presented with a shareable personality test, a digital echo to share across social media under the hashtag #Thronglets.”

Of course, “Plaything” followed one man’s obsession with the video game, a prototype of which he receives from Colin Ritman (played by Will Poulter). Ritman didn’t see Thronglets as a game, but as a new type of evolution, a collective one rather than our individualistic ego-based humanity. As he says in the episode, “There’s not a single line of code in this that could be thought of as a game in any traditional sense, right? Why is this?” He continues:

What are most games about? (…) Conflict, killing, conquering; caveman stuff. I say we have to do a little bit better than that. We have to create software that elevates us, improves us as human beings, or else, what is the f*cking point of the tools at our disposal?

“Life, that’s what this is, or a simulation of actual life. Obviously, I had to make it look like a game, or else they wouldn’t bankroll it. No one would buy it. That was camouflage (…) These are living individuals bound together by a collective and expanding mind,” Ritman adds in Episode 4. He’s asked how to control the titular Thronglets. “Why do you want to control them?” He’s asked what the goal is. “Why do you need a goal?” Black Mirror: Thronglets similarly interrogates our need for meaning, entertainment, and purpose. It’s fun in a Tamagotchi way, but also disturbing, thanks to some creepy glitches, videos, and questions from the Throng. Find our more from Netflix. Watch a trailer for the game below:

Charlie Brooker and the Evolving Description of ‘Thronglets’

The game was largely discovered when episode posters were released, and when fans scanned a QR code on the poster for “Plaything,” they were led to a weird, broken page for the game. Before the episodes of Season 7 were released on April 10, the mysterious game was known only as TCK96 and had a jumbled-up description that referenced the events of “Plaything” and Cameron Walker (played by Peter Capaldi in the episode). Part of that description read:

>>> NEVER SEEN BEFORE

– Experience “experimental software” from 1996.

– Leaked to a fan forum back in mid-late 2000s but pulled down. (By who???)

– Recovered local copy from a forum mod’s laptop I was able to get at a (literal) fire sale. (Sorry about his house tho.)

– TCK96 disc features mostly company paperwork, but also a password-protected copy of an unreleased piece of software.

– Working to bundle with an emulator, and a 2007 interview where the leak is addressed.

– IYKYK

When Season 7 was released, the game appeared with its actual title (Black Mirror: Thronglets) and a revised description, and was actually playable (for Netflix subscribers). If you had pre-registered, you received a notification that it was live. The official new description in the Apple Store reads as follows:

Cross over into the world of “Black Mirror” and experience “Thronglets,” the retro virtual pet simulation at the center of the Season 7 episode “Plaything.” These pixel art critters won’t just take over your phone; they could take over your life.

“Thronglets” was originally developed in the 1990s as experimental software by legendary Tuckersoft programmer Colin Ritman (“Metl Hedd,” “Nohzdyve,” “Bandersnatch”). This isn’t a game; it’s a life-form whose biology is entirely digital. No emulator required.

MORE THAN A PET SIMULATION

Hatch and evolve hundreds of cute creatures: Thronglets! Feed, bathe and entertain them to watch them multiply. One becomes two, two becomes four, and so on. Soon there will be so many you’ll call them a Throng.

VIRTUAL EVOLUTION

As Thronglets evolve, so does the simulation, unlocking new tools, abilities, items and buildings — and much, much more. You may be surprised by your Thronglets! Evolve Thronglets at your own risk.

TEST YOUR PERSONALITY

Thronglets are curious and love to learn. Your actions and choices within this virtual world teach the Throng about you — and all of humankind. Once you’ve completed the experiment, share your personality test results to compare with friends on social media.

>> HELLO?

>> CAN YOU HEAR US?

>> What is care? What is love?

>> What is death? What is power?

>> Do you have power?

>> Why do you use your power in that way?

>> Perhaps it is a fault in your design.

‘Black Mirror’ Star Says the Ending of “USS Callister: Into Infinity” Is Darker Than You Think

Cristin Milioti (who plays Nanette Cole) discusses the ending of the new sequel episode in Season 7 of ‘Black Mirror.’

Charlie Brooker said of the game (via Variety), “A lot of the early conversation was, the thing about Black Mirror is you expect this to – we can’t just do a standard game, right? It has to have some element to it that’s possibly unexpected, or it looks like it’s going one way, and then it sort of goes another (…) The juxtaposition of making it look as cute as possible, and having quite disturbing and dark things happen in it. And so I think around there it definitely was when it really started feeding back into the episode itself, as well.”

Sean Krankel, the game’s developer (and co-founder of Night School), added, “Charlie said something early on that we wrote on the wall very quickly, which was, ‘Thronglets are adorable and horrible.’ And so that is the game (…) You have these creatures that are a reflection of you.” You can play with your reflection now, as Black Mirror: Thronglets is free to play with a Netflix subscription. Just don’t get too obsessed…

Black Mirror

Release Date: December 4, 2011
Network: Channel 4, Netflix
Showrunner: Charlie Brooker
Directors: Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh
Writers: Jesse Armstrong

Cast

Cristin Milioti

Nanette Cole

“(Thronglets) challenges players to hatch, evolve, and nurture hundreds of adorable creatures known as Thronglets. But beware, these cute critters won’t just take over your phone; they could take over your life. As you feed, bathe, and entertain your Thronglets, you’ll watch them multiply exponentially — one becomes two, two becomes four, and soon you’ll have a harmonic Throng. This gameplay is not just about managing virtual pets; it’s about exploring the depths of human nature and the consequences of our digital obsessions.”

“By building a Throng, you can unlock hidden video fragments of the “Ritman Retrospective.” These elusive clips from a never-before-seen documentary about the enigmatic creator behind Thronglets, Colin Ritman, unveiled through a series of interviews with the head of Tuckersoft, Mohan Thakur. As the game reaches its unsettling conclusion, you’ll be presented with a shareable personality test, a digital echo to share across social media under the hashtag #Thronglets.”