Black Mirror is a show about current and future technology, and the potential dark sides of that technology. One episode in its latest season (Season 7) has inspired Netflix to create a mobile game directly referenced in an episode called Plaything. And I can heartily recommend watching the episode AND playing the game.
Thronglets Is Not Only Real, But Unsettling
If you have already seen the Black Mirror episode titled Plaything, then you’ll know the backstory of Thronglets. Which is that it’s a game that was abandoned halfway through development by Tuckersoft, the same fictional games studio previously seen in Bandersnatch. But wait. The game actually exists, and you can play it to see what all the fuss was about.
Thronglets is a heady mix of Tamagotchi, Lemmings, Pokémon, and even Populous (the original god game). But it gets weird, fast. While you start out with just one Thronglet to care for and nurture, after a while, it will split into two. And from there, the Thronglets keep on coming. Before you know it, you have a whole brood to feed, educate, and more besides.
You have to make choices throughout the game, and the Thronglets also break the fourth wall by communicating directly with you. So, are you happy to be a benevolent deity, or are you willing to let a few Thronglets perish to get ahead? The decisions you make can and will be used against you in the form of a personality test result you can share on your socials.
To be perfectly honest, I’ve probably revealed too much about the game, and the best thing you can do is just play it. Some of Netflix’s mobile games are very good, and this is certainly one worth giving a go. Especially as the games are a free perk available to all subscribers.
Watch Plaything and Then Play Thronglets
While you don’t need to have watched the Black Mirror episode Plaything to play Thronglets, I would recommend doing so. Because this is interactive media at its finest, with a TV show influencing a mobile game, and that mobile game then influencing the TV show in return. And if you’ve never watched Black Mirror, this could be your gateway into the show.
As for the preferred order, while it isn’t required, I would suggest watching Plaything before playing Thronglets. That way, you’ll see the fictional story behind the fictional game before playing the real-life version of that game. It’s all very meta and very modern, but that’s Black Mirror’s modus operandi.
Black Mirror Season 7 is now available to stream on Netflix, and Thronglets, which Netflix revealed on Tudum, is available to download on Android and iOS. It’s free (and free of ads) for anyone with an active Netflix subscription. Just sign in to your Netflix account when prompted to do so after downloading the game.
