Discover the Dark Side: ‘Black Mirror’s’ New Game Will Mess with Your Mind!

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With Netflix’s introduction of a video game derived from an in-show game featured in Season 7, “Black Mirror” is growing even more reflective of its own themes.

In the seventh season episode titled “Plaything,” we encounter a game called “Thronglets.” This particular episode marks the reappearance of Will Poulter’s character, who was last seen in the 2018 interactive version of “Black Mirror” named “Bandersnatch.

In Netflix’s description for the “Thronglets” game, it’s stated that this game, which was initially developed by Tuckersoft and was last seen in 1994 following its cancellation, is now back. It resembles a faulty Tamagotchi that serves as an examination of human character instead. This game is set within the same universe as ‘Bandersnatch’ from ‘Black Mirror’.

Thronglets” is a creation of Netflix’s game studio, Night School, collaboratively developed with the creative team of Charlie Brooker, the mastermind behind “Black Mirror.

The game, titled “Thronglets,” was released at midnight Pacific Time on Thursday, synchronizing with the premiere of “Black Mirror” Season 7. This game can only be accessed by Netflix subscribers through their app. The good news is that it’s free for subscribers to play and there are no additional in-game purchases required.

Brooker explained that when creating ‘Black Mirror’, they aimed to avoid a typical game format. Instead, they wanted to incorporate an element of surprise or unpredictability. He described this as making the series appear adorable on the surface, while beneath it lies disturbing and dark content. This contrast is what truly influenced the development of the episode itself.

Brooker explains that there was an influence between the program and the game, as they both had an impact on each other, despite the episode being finalized prior to this interaction.

Brooker explained that when examining the creature designs, they underwent an evolution. The version we see was initially shot with the intention of saving money by keeping everything in-camera. However, after reevaluating their work based on insights from the Night School team, they ended up having to replace all the elements because they later revised the Thronglets’ design.

Sean Krankel, co-founder of Night School Studios and developer of the “Thronglets” game, explained the premise in a way that doesn’t reveal the full storyline: “Talking about this episode might spoil everything, but let me put it this way: Colin Ritman, the talented game designer from ‘Bandersnatch’, reappears and there is a game reminiscent of ‘Lemmings’ or an early life simulator. However, as you’d expect from us, it offers much more than that.

After you’ve downloaded and started playing the game, Krankel explains that the mobile game has a unique quality of being both adorable and frightening simultaneously.

Krankel explained, “Charlie made a statement at the start that we hastily scribbled on the wall: ‘Thronglets are both cute and terrifying.’ This sets the stage for our game. Essentially, it’s about fostering affection for a character and propagating it. But here’s the twist – you also take care of these creatures. In the storyline and in playing the game, you nurture creatures that mirror aspects of yourself. The experience then traverses various genres as the plot unfolds.

Watch the trailer for the “Thronglets” game below.

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2025-04-10 10:17