Man makes game in 24 hours, is ace

By Fred Dutton Published 19 October, 2010

Check out Thomas Was Alone.

Want conclusive proof, if any were needed, that you don't need a 200-hundred strong design team, a $50 million dollar budget and a three year development cycle to make a fun, innovative game?

Ladies and gentlemen, we present Thomas Was Alone.

The game, playable at Kongregate, is an after-hours project of Mike Bithell – a 24-year-old designer from Leamington Spa currently employed by Dead To Rights: Retribution developer Blitz Games.

It's a puzzle platformer that follows the plight of a lonely rectangle as he ventures off on a quest to expand his social horizons. It's really rather good, and it only took 24 hours to make.

"I wanted to make a simple game focused on one interesting mechanic, spinning it out in cool ways to create something fun and challenging," Bithell told Eurogamer. "I was also bored."

"I made it in 24 hours, spread out over the course of two calendar days. I had breaks to sleep and eat - that's it. And I only slept for five hours. I managed to keep going on a diet of pizza and red bull."

Take a look – this could be a talent worth keeping an eye on.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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