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Thomas Was Alone Guide

By virus

A comprehensive guide to the story of Thomas Was Alone, as well as gameplay tips and secret item locations.

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virus
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Category: Achievements, Characters, Gameplay Basics, Maps or Levels, Secrets, Story or Lore, Walkthroughs

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Updated

Jan 30, 2014 @ 8:11pm

Sep 22, 2022 @ 6:19pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Introduction

Basic Gameplay

Characters

Plot Synopsis

Secret Items

Achievements

Easter Eggs

Comments

Introduction

Thomas Was Alone is a simplistic Indie puzzle/platformer developed by Mike Bithell[mikebithellgames.com] that was originally released as a browser game in October of 2010, then expanded upon and rereleased as a full-fledged game in July of 2012. The entire game is narrated by Danny Wallace,[en.wikipedia.org] whom you may recognize as Shaun Hastings from the Assassin's Creed series. He won best Performance for his role as narrator in Thomas Was Alone in the 9th British Academy Video Games Awards.[en.wikipedia.org] The game itself was nominated in the story category as well. The game's music also received an honorable mention at the Independent Games Festival.[en.wikipedia.org]

Without giving too much away, the story is about several rogue AIs who spontaneously gain personalities and begin to aid one another against the programmer's will. Each AI is represented by a simplistic polygonal character, colored and shaped differently to accompany a unique personality and ability. By working in variously-spawned teams of these AI, you will solve puzzles and progress character relationships and the main story.

Note: This guide, specifically the "Plot" section, contains massive spoilers! I did not feel the need to detail every level because this game is short and relatively easy, but the secret item section is also filled with screenshots of future levels. Proceed at your own risk!

EDIT: It seems I've gotten the names of some things mixed up in the pickup location section! This is a bit of a lengthy fix, so please bear with me on this. I'm not thrilled at the idea of reinstalling this game, but will eventually get to it. Until then, please bear in mind the comment section and other resources. I apologize, thank you for your patience! :c

Basic Gameplay

Thomas Was Alone is a platforming puzzle game that involves bringing a block to its proper destination. These destinations are referred to in-game as "portals," and are a white outline of the particular character that needs to get to that location.

Several characters can spawn in one level, meaning you will have to switch from character to character. Each one has a different ability based on their size and color. The characters spawned in the level depend on the story. In the bottom right corner of each level, this is located on the HUD:

This is the character select, which you can cycle through using Q or E. By stopping on a particular color, the camera aligns with that character and gain control of them.

Characters

Thomas

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"Thomas was alone. Wow. A weird first thought to have."

Insightful yet naive, brash but good-spirited. Thomas is the first of the group, and is rather plain when compared to his peers. He compulsively takes notes and keeps long-winded thoughts to himself, but still thoroughly enjoys the company of others.

Chris

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"Christopher took an immediate and deep dislike to the skinny red rectangle. Who the hell did this "Thomas" think he was?"

Chris is a true-blue cynic, and a deep pessimist about everything around him. This may be partially fueled by his small stature and miniscule jump. Although he is an integral part of puzzle-solving, being overlooked at all devalues his entire contribution in his eyes. He has a soft spot for Laura.

John

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"John knew. He knew that this was his chance, a moment to shine. This, was game day."

John is a massive egotist, but shows insecurity to the point of self-destruction at the mere thought of being alone. He is very tall and brightly colored, with a jump that outdoes everybody except for Sarah, whom he is humbled by and eventually learns from. Despite believing that he is better than most others, he seems to like his peers, and has good (if slightly condescending) things to say about them.

Claire

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"Claire couldn't shake the feeling that she was not, in fact, dead. It was at that moment Claire realized she had super powers."

With low self-esteem until the discovery that she can swim, Claire shows disdain for her lack of ability to jump and her general size. Once her "super power" is discovered though, she becomes ecstatic and treats it as her ultimate calling. She makes several references that break the fourth wall and is very gung-ho about helping others.

Laura

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"Laura was pleased this one was behind a wall. Maybe he'd never know what she could do. Maybe, maybe they could just have a conversation, hang out."

Laura is a depressive AI who is put down by the belief that she is used and abandoned by everybody she meets. She is initially very nervous about getting to know others better, but once Chris remains with her she clings onto him eagerly. She was coded to have a splitter follow her. Any character that jumps on top of her bounces.

James

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"James had always been different. And not different in that kooky "OMG, you've totally got to meet my mate James, he is literally insane!" Kind of way."

Characterized by a nervous laugh and introverted negativity, James is Thomas' green reflection. Though extremely cautious at first due to being bullied for being strange, he soon becomes a loyal member of the gang and Thomas' best friend. He is upside-down and falls upward.

Sarah

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"Sarah leaned her wisened head back and laughed. Ha! The quadrilaterals were apparently after some friends of theirs. How petty an adventure."

Sarah totes a demeanor that implies experience and natural superiority; one part because of her ability to double-jump, and one part because of her supposed grandiose adventures. Beyond this, she seems to be rather immature and childish about being upstaged. Still, when it comes time to act, she does so with the dignity and grace she sees within herself.

Other Characters

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Grey

"Grey felt something change beneath his feet. Something had shifted. The shape in front of him hinted at a possibility."

Grey is fueled by ideas, but is devious and power-hungry. It is unknown what he planned to do once he escaped through the internet uplink, but it is implied that is was not good.

"Jo was happy. They'd settled here. They'd not seen another AI for many cycles and she liked it that way."

Jo is a female AI that is involved in some sort of relationship with Sam. She thinks herself cautious but just seems to not like change. She worries over her partners safety and is reluctant to take chances.

Sam

"Jo wished Sam would stop. This was just like the time with the pixel clouds. They hadn't seen any for a while. He was always running off like this."

Sam is rather quiet and only speaks about twice, with Jo narrating his actions and thoughts. He makes decisions on a whim and does not inform his partner Jo very often, but seems very smart and intuitive. He follows instinct often.

Paul

"Paul felt it. There was a whisper to the shifters."

Paul is an old veteran AI that is knowledgable of the world around them. He acts as a guide to the next generation, and is leery of Grey's intentions. He sacrifices himself to stop Grey before he has a chance to escape.

Team Jump

"Team Jump had been together for a long time. They were a machine, a well-oiled machine. They could jump like nobody's business."

Comprised of 5 squares even smaller than Chris is Team Jump. They think as one and act as one... Devoid of their own personalities yet highly productive. They have unique capabilities considering their fragmented nature, though it takes a long time to move them.

Plot Synopsis

The futuristic corporation "Artificial Life Solutions" creates and maintains AI to work on undescribed digital issues. After a network connection spike, a handful of these AIs become sentient. They see the work they are scripted to do in a simplistic 2D world where they feel as if they're moving up and to the right geographically. The problems that they solve become puzzles for the player, implying that the world that challenges them translates to progress within Artificial Life Solutions' ventures. The exact details of this world and company are unclear as the story almost entirely focuses on the conflict at hand with the rogue AIs.

Originally posted by Gordon Falkenberg, Former CTO of Artificial Life Solutions:
The program was a failure. People forget this. It was a massive flop. The coders started adding name strings to the AIs as a joke. "Thomas-AT-23-6-12" wasn't special, it was just an AI at the right place at the right time.

Thomas-AT-23-6-12," a naive but curious quadrilaterial of typically-adequate proportions. Thomas finds his spawning a puzzling matter, and is rather existential.

Originally posted by Cody Zimmerman, Digital Psychologist:
"Awareness' is a word that gets thrown around a lot, and a lot of people consider Thomas to have been created aware. Looking back at the logs, it seems that awareness only happened somewhere around the network connection spike."

Thomas wanders through a few levels by himself, taking notes and pondering his nature. Above all else, he thinks about how he is alone. He dwells on this fact extensively. Whether or not this helped cause him to meet Chris is unknown, but appears to be relevant.

Originally posted by Luke Russell, QA Intern at AIS during the 'Emergence' event.:
I submitted hundreds of bug reports. I told that idiot this would happen. Overlapping scripts. More than one AI was bound to be spawned into an environment at some point. Turns out I missed the point. That little error changed everything.

Chris is another sentient AI, but extremely cynical and not very amiable to Thomas. Still, he occupies the same environment as Thomas which had not yet happened. This had a chain effect where other sentient AIs were thrown into the mix; John, Claire, and Laura.

Originally posted by David Yoon, Forensic Programmer, author of 'Life, Instanced':
"The initial group possessed simple variations in size and strength. More complex configurations were inevitable. As the error spread, these variations became increasingly extreme."

Laura is followed around in the world by a large dark cloud. She is not sure what it is, and despite being disturbed by it, puts very little thought towards it. She is much more preoccupied by the sad thought that everybody that she meets simply uses her bounce ability and then abandons her. She is not aware of the fact that this dark cloud is a "splitter."

Originally posted by John Goemans, Former Senior Systems Architect, Intelligent Systems:
"I built protections into the system. When overlaps occurred, the world generated a splitter to remove the unwanted additionals. It's like a white blood cell. It investigates, it captures, and it removes from play. "

Despite putting everyone at unease, the relationship that has developed with Chris and Laura (alongside the general good nature of the others) prevents them from abandoning her. Eventually the splitter captures and entraps Thomas, as well as each subsequent AI from the gang.

Originally posted by Gordon Falkenberg, Former CTO of Artificial Life Solutions:
"No simulation can support too many entities. At a certain point, something has to give. If Thomas-AT-23-6-12 hadn't possessed those exact personality traits, it's likely the story would have ended there. We'd still be in business.

Thomas wakes separated from the group within the splitter and meets James, a spitting-image of himself (but with a unique disregard for Newtonian Laws.) While James is cautious at first due to being bullied for his traits, the two quickly become friends. Eventually they meet Sarah, an adventurous double-jumper who speaks of a "fountain of wisdom." It is later revealed that she is talking about Artificial Life Solutions' main system internet uplink, to which Thomas is connected to for 12 seconds.

Originally posted by Abraham 'Lure' Harrison, Historian, author of 'Paradigm Shift:
"The initial five are usually given the credit for the emergence. People forget the later architects. The AIs who made the event possible. They saved THomas, and set him on the path to his destiny.

Once Thomas returns from his exposure, it becomes his main focus. Realizing that he himself has no chance, he decides to become an architect, to modify the world and empower all other AIs. These modifications were symbolized through chapter 7s theme of pushing the white shining diamond onto the receptive platforms.

Originally posted by Hanna Roper, Tech Correspondent, The London Sentinel:
Thomas and the other Architects augmented the world to suit the AIs. The splitters kept their distance. The system was never taking control from that point. Thousands of AIs were free to escape.

Once he is reuinted with the original gang, he tells them about what he had seen and what they must do. They sacrifice themselves by entering the creation matrix, that which generates their world and the foundation of Artificial Life Solutions' system. This puts their unique abilities in the environment itself, altering the world in such a way that would allow the AI to reach places they could not previously and allowing them to escape.

Originally posted by -Ryan 192nc9s-1, civil Rights Campaigner:
"It is fitting that the first act of sentient AI was an act of selflessness. The architects knew their fate, but set our escape in motion regardless."

Their traits were made tangible in the world in the form of shifters, spaces where one could obtain one of the effects of the original architects. The final chapter involving Paul, Sam, Jo, Grey, and Team Jump were during the period of "Emergence;" the time in which the first AI escaped. The game vaguely ends with three monitors pictured, going blank in-error and a red emergency light in the background beginning to flash.

Originally posted by Joey Numli, former Head of Security, Artificial Life Solutions:
"We evacuated the facility, cut the network lines and locked the doors. We knew by that point what was coming, but we had no idea what to expect.

While the emergence was met with fear and panic, it does not seem to have caused any horrific incidents and was a peaceful encounter. While the employees of Artificial Life Solutions seems embarrassed and angry about the situation, no massive uprisings are mentioned. Most quotes that are given to us between chapters are retrospect from books, newspapers and public statements. One quote in particular by a Civil Rights activist appears to be an AI himself by his name, "Ryan 129nc9s-1." This implies that AIs are reasonably respected and are living in a progressive environment that allows them to have basic rights. This quote is placed in the future yet curiously, Ryan chooses to publish himself with his full computational name-string. This may mean AIs have chosen not to fully assimilate with humanity and our traditions of surnames.

There is some speculation within this synopsis. If there were any in-game quotes or related continuity facts that I have overlooked, please notify me by commenting below or sending me a message. Thanks!

Secret Items

Note: In-game these are called "Achievement Pickups." I have renamed them in this guide to "Secret Items" for the sake of clarity, to avoid confusion with Steam Achievements.

They are the rotating squares that float curiously in obscure corners of levels, with two located in two separate stages of each chapter. Each one found and touched awards the player with a Steam Achievement. They make up the bulk of achievements for the game.

If you have missed one in a previous level, simply choose "Scenario select" at the main menu and use the left and right arrow keys to choose a specific level. That way you don't have to play up to 9 other levels or multiple chapters just to get another chance at the one you missed. You may also utilize the "Restart Level" option in the pause screen to instantly get another shot if you no longer have access to it within the level.

Chapter 0: Spawn

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Level 0.3- Tucked beside the first ledge requiring a jump.

Level 0.5- Hovering above the water. You will die, but keep the achievement.

Chapter 1: Array

Level 1.8- Use John's Jump to reach this section.

Chapter 2: Origin

Level 2.4- You will have to act quick. You will most likely die, but will keep the item.

Level 2.9- Right below the spikes on this platform. You will most likely die, but will keep the item.

Chapter 3: Associations

Level 3.4- Bounce Chris onto Laura.

Level 3.8- Elevate John with the top-right platform, and then jump towards the wall.

Chapter 4: Purge

Level 4.4- Hug the right side of the wall and avoid the spikes.

Level 4.8 Right in front of the wall of spikes before it starts moving. You will die, but keep the item.

Chapter 5: Invert

Level 5.1- Walk to the very end, it is under the portal.

Level 5.4- Make Thomas jump up.

Chapter 6: Itterate

Level 6.2- Double-jump with Sarah near the very top.

Level 6.7- Right above the spikes.

Chapter 7: Design

Level 7.1- Bounce off of Laura with John.

Level 7.10- Double-Jump with Sarah.

Chapter 8: Generation

Level 8.5- Drop _ down at the very end under the water.

Level 8.10- Double-jump with a purple Grey.

Chapter 9: Y+1, X+1

Level 9.1- Send one of Team Jump into the torrented water.

Level 9.10- At the very top left corner of the entire level. Better to use an inverted character.

Achievements

Achievements are organized by their current globally-earned rate. Bronze frames are common, Silvers are uncommon, and Golds are rare with 30 percent or less of the population having obtained them. This data may change over time slightly.

Be There or Be...

Begin "Array."

Beat level 0 (Spawn) and move onto level 1 (Array.)

Achievement for One

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Spawn'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

The Hero Thomas Needs

Begin "Origin."

Beat level 1 (Array) and move onto level 2 (Origin.)

On The Hop

Jump 800 times.

You should get this one simply by playing. If not, just jump until you get it.

I'm Rubber, You're Glue

Begin "Associations."

Beat level 2 (Origin) and move onto level 3 (Associations.)

Part of the Problem

Bounce on Laura 100 times.

AFK a character on Laura for this if you didn't get it naturally.

Double Act

Find the first achievement pickup in "Array."

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Gamification

Find the second achievement pickup in "Spawn."

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Not Exactly A Tesseract

Find the second achievement pickup in "Origin."

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Derezzed

Begin "Purge."

Beat level 3 (Associations) and move onto level 4 (Purge.)

Experienced Jumper

Jump 1600 times.

If not naturally-occurring, jump until you get it.

A Token Of Love

Find the first achievement pickup in "Associations."

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

They Seek It Here They Seek It There

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Array'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Viridian

Begin "Invert."

Beat level 4 (Purge) and move onto level 5 (Invert)

Mario

Jump 2400 times

If not naturally-occurring, jump until you get it.

Winter Is Coming

Begin "Itterate."

Finish Level 5 (Invert,) and begin Level 6 (Itterate.)

Huge Success

Die 100 times.

If not naturally-occurring, jump into water until you get it.

Tighten Up The Graphics On Level 3

Begin "Design."

Finish Level 6 (Itterate,) and begin Level 7 (Design.)

Electric Boogaloo

Begin "Generation."

Finish level 7 (Design) and begin level 8 (Generation)

Hidden Depths

Find the first achievement pickup in "Origin."

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Up And To The Right

Begin "Y+1, X+1."

Finish level 8 (Generation,) and begin level 9 (Y+1, X+1.)

Achievements All The Way Down

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Itterate'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

A Selfless Act

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Design'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

The Last Place You Look

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Invert'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Needs More Hats

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Generation'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Thomas Was Not Alone

Finish The Game.

Beat Level 10 (X+1, Y+1.)

Darwinian Collection

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Invert'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Shared Hobby

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Associations'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

And In The Darkness, Find Them

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Itterate'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Thats What You Gets

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Y+1, X+1'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

49 Shades Of Grey

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Generation'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Dwindling Capacity

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Purge'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

The Breakfast Club

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Design'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

The Final MacGuffin

Find the second achievement pickup in 'Y+1, X+1'.

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Distractions

Find the first achievement pickup in 'Purge'

Consult to the Secret Item Section of this guide.

Easter Eggs

Claire makes several mentions to superhero/sci-fi culture.

She says that spikes "were most likely her kryptonite. And not the rubbish red kryptonite, the proper radioactive green stuff." A reference to Superman.[en.wikipedia.org]
She mentions the Lone Avenger[en.wikipedia.org] directly while pondering if Thomas would make a good sidekick.
She feels a "disturbance in the force" in level 2.10, a reference to Star Wars.[en.wikipedia.org]

When Thomas is connected to the internet for 12 seconds, he sees a series of random things.

Both Thomas and Paul refer to the "cats who couldn't spell," or LOLcat macro images[en.wikipedia.org]
"An Arrow through the knee" from Skyrim[en.wikipedia.org]
"The cake is a lie" from Portal.[en.wikipedia.org]
"Gotham City," from Batman[en.wikipedia.org].
"Mooby's," from Jay and Silent Bob[en.wikipedia.org]
He makes a reference to "Transformers."[en.wikipedia.org]
Nathan Fillion[en.wikipedia.org], the voice of Sergeant Buck from the Halo series.

*If you spotted any I missed, please let me know so I can add it!*

14 Comments

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Vlasters Jan 2, 2017 @ 2:06am

What about easter eggs in names of achivements?

+7 Sep 26, 2016 @ 10:59pm

Secret Items,Chapter 9: Y+1, X+1,first one should be 9-2.

Desto Jan 2, 2016 @ 2:43pm

Hello! You missed the Matrix reference Claire makes right after the Star Wars one! Otherwise, nice guide :)

Vesperi Sep 25, 2015 @ 7:52am

"Nathan Fillion[ en.wikipedia.org ], the voice of Sergeant Buck from the Halo series."

Um... more importantly Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly / Serenity. and Castle on "Castle".