While Black Mirror often throws a critical lens on new tech, it's also been at the forefront of transmedia storytelling and blurring the line between the on-screen and real worlds.
It already brought a choose-your-own adventure to screen with the interactive film Bandersnatch back in 2018. Now it's breaking the fourth wall again by making a real playable version of the fictional in-episode video game Thronglets from the new season.
See our pick of the best retro games consoles for more nostalgic gaming, and see our roundup of the best game development software if you want to make your own retro game.
Plaything, the fourth episode in Black Mirror Season 7, returns to the retro gaming theme that the series previously explored in the one-off Bandersnatch. It even features the reappearance of fictional game developer Colin Ritman.
The episode sees a journalist delve into the history of Thronglets, an abandoned retro virtual pet simulation game. Think Tamagotchi meets The Sims. The game requires players to take care of their pet Thronglet, helping it to multiply. But, this being Black Mirror, the little pixel art critters soon take on a life of their own. And now the game is real.
How to play Thronglets
The real Thronglets has been developed for Netflix by Night School Studio as an extension of the episode. It takes us into the show's world, inviting us to raise the little Thronglets on our phones
You can play the Thronglets game now via the Netflix app on iOS or Android. You'll need a Netflix subscription. Just download the app and sign in to your Netflix account.
The game is played out in isometric perspective. You need to care for your Thronglets by feeding them and keeping them clean. As they multiply, the game gets harder as there are more to care for, and one can easily starve or wander off and die if you lose track of it.
To help the critters, you can collect resources like wood and gems and upgraded tools to make things easier, like a pickaxe instead of a hammer or upgraded factories.
Easter eggs in Thronglets
The Thronglets game can be completed in a couple hours but rewards replaying. In typical Black Mirror style, a bunch of Easter eggs have been hidden in the game.
Look out for the "White Bear” glyph and some other nods to Tuckersoft dotted around. You might even spy Tuckersoft's Colin Ritman himself. There are also unlockable development diary videos, where some of the developer’s other projects are hidden, adding to the on-screen world.
You don’t need to watch Plaything before playing Thronglets, but it's probably a good idea to do so to pick up on the references. Having background knowledge from the show will give you a bit of a heads-up on what to expect.
Wondering what else to watch? Get ready for The Eternaut on Netflix, coming later this month. And for more TV gems, check out how they made the Severance title sequence.
