New Black Mirror Season Gets Its Own Mobile Game: Thronglets

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Summary

  • Netflix releases a companion mobile game for Black Mirror‘s season 7 episode Plaything, embracing 90s nostalgia.
  • Thronglets, inspired by Tamagotchi, is a strategy game where virtual pets take dark turns.
  • Black Mirror’s Plaything episode follows Peter Capaldi’s Cameron, who gets caught in a cold case while carrying an obsession with a mysterious video game.

Netflix’s “Black Mirror” series offers tantalizing peeks into what the actual world’s future might look like, with several of these concepts proving unsettlingly plausible. The streaming service has taken things a step further by releasing season 7, which includes a mobile game based on one of the episodes as an added feature. Netflix has announced its intentions to create narrative games and party titles that complement their original content. Additionally, the “Black Mirror” game serves as a tribute to the 90s era.

Initially airing in 2011, “Black Mirror” was conceived by creator Charlie Brooker as a dark and contemporary counterpart to “The Twilight Zone.” It found a platform on the UK’s Channel 4 before moving to Netflix, where it has housed a variety of acting greats such as Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Jon Hamm, Will Poulter, and Josh Hartnett. This series is among Netflix’s most compelling rewatchable programs, with its chilling perspective on the ominous advancement of technology making it difficult to turn away.

In the captivating fourth episode of Black Mirror’s seventh season, titled “Plaything,” I found myself drawn into a narrative that pays homage to the 90s digital pet phenomenon, Tamagotchi. As Cameron, brilliantly portrayed by Peter Capaldi, finds himself ensnared in an old crime mystery, his life becomes intertwined with an enigmatic video game – Thronglets. This innovative mobile game combines strategy elements and village management, allowing players to nurture virtual pets that propagate exponentially.

However, typical of Black Mirror, the pets in this game aren’t just pixels. They exhibit sentience, and occasionally, their thoughts veer towards the sinister. It’s a compelling exploration of technology, obsession, and the unsettling blur between digital and reality.

Black Mirror’s Season 7 Mobile Game Thronglets Inspired by Tamagotchis

In the vein of “Black Mirror”, the chilling technology is what makes it tick, and players may find themselves shuddering while engaging with Thronglets. For instance, one instance showcasing the pets’ ambiguous motives presented by Netflix involved the act of cutting down trees. Instead of using an axe, these creatures consider bones to be a quicker option. The player is then faced with the choice of whether or not to follow the destructive path involving Thronglets.

Throughout its seven-season span, the hit series “Black Mirror” has produced many standout episodes. For instance, from season 3, there’s the poignant “San Junipero,” while season 1 introduced Toby Kebbell’s memory-replayer in “The Entire History of You.” The third season also kicked off with Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance in “Nosedive.” This year, season 7, which comprises six episodes and was released on April 10th, includes a follow-up to USS Callister, featuring Cristin Milioti who recently had a stellar run in DC’s “The Penguin” series.

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2025-04-11 10:53