"Threshold: A Creepy Indie Game About a Boring Job's Mysteries"

Threshold, an indie game that has been generating quite a buzz, takes players on a unique journey. In this game, you assume the role of the new "yellow clerk" stationed at a train station high on a mountain. The altitude is so great that it's difficult to breathe, and as a result, the clerk training you resorts to writing down instructions instead of speaking.

Your Mundane Yet Intriguing Job

Your daily tasks are both strange and basic. There's a train that needs to maintain a specific speed, indicated by a colored light. If the train goes off track, you can use a Half Life 2-looking whistle machine to bring it back on pace. Additionally, you're responsible for cleaning out the gunk that accumulates at the end of a river and depositing it in a machine. For completing these tasks, you're rewarded with punchcards that can be used to purchase air canisters. These canisters are made of glass due to the altitude, and biting them creates a dramatic crunching sound while filling your mouth with blood in the corner of the screen.The game's trailer initially gives the impression of high energy, but in reality, during most of its short playtime, it moves at a relatively slow pace. Although the need for air canisters adds some pressure, it's quite easy to keep yourself supplied. For a significant portion of the game, you simply focus on your job - wandering from the river to the dumping place and rushing to the whistle machine when you hear the train slowing. You have enough downtime to watch the punchcard machine print your air tickets, and this downtime also allows you to start exploring the station, which is where the real strangeness begins.

The Mysterious Queries

Threshold gradually prompts you to start asking questions. You wonder about the whistle - what's its purpose? What lies behind the dam? What happened to the previous yellow clerk? Why are some of the buildings broken? Where did the fish in the river come from? And what's inside the train? You explore these questions by observing and poking around. Clues lead to more clues, and it's easy to miss things. If you want to uncover everything, multiple playthroughs are necessary, but with a playtime of about an hour per run, it's not too burdensome. The more you find and piece together, the stranger and more oppressive the game becomes.

Unanswered Questions and Personal Interpretations

After finishing Threshold, you might find yourself searching the internet for some kind of consensus about its meaning. However, there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. (The game claims to be based on a "true story," but its true nature remains a mystery.) There are numerous possibilities for what the game could be a metaphor for or a commentary on, and you'll likely find yourself agreeing and disagreeing with different interpretations. The more you think about it, the more you appreciate what the game is doing - how much lies beneath its surface and how, for every question it answers, it leaves even more unanswered, allowing you to bring your own perspective to it. You'll feel uneasy about everything you did in the game, from following your routine to deviating from it. You still won't know if you should have trusted the characters or made the right choices, whether it's regarding the multiple endings or the opaque country-based difficulty system.

The Emotional Impact

Initially, you might have been worried that Threshold would be too scary for you as an inveterate wuss. But in reality, it's more unsettling than truly horrifying. (It was a relief to find a Steam discussion from the creator reassuring players that there are no jump scares, although there are a few mildly startling moments, and the Steam page warns of the "presence of dead bodies.") Despite this, you still enjoyed your time with the game. Watching other players ponder and evaluate the strange experience has added to your enjoyment. It's a game that leaves a lasting impression and makes you think deeply about its themes and messages.Please play Threshold so that you can share your thoughts and interpretations with me. It's a game that offers a unique and thought-provoking experience.