Thin Ice (Thalamus Digital Publishing) $4.99 USD
Game description: Thin Ice is an arcade action game developed by Chris Shrigley and Terry Lloyd of Thalamus Digital Publishing, the team behind classics such as Bounder, Bulldog, Future Knight, and Skate Crazy. The game casts the player as the guiding hand behind Binky the Ice Dragon, guardian of the endless caverns beneath Camp Nice 'n' Icy, who must clear each level of nasties spewing forth from ancient portals before diving into the exit. Each level requires the player to eliminate all enemies before the timer expires, then reach the exit portal within a further countdown. Binky dispatches enemies either by pushing ice cubes into their path, which slide across the floor crushing anything in their way, or by smashing stationary cubes and freezing enemies with his icy breath. Some ice cubes contain frozen nasties that thaw over time, while others marked with a "?" contain letters spelling B-O-N-U-S; collecting all of these activates a temporary Fire Breath ability that lets Binky torch everything in his path. Each level also features a pair of teleports that allow Binky to cross the screen quickly or escape danger, with roughly one second of invincibility granted after use. The game features five enemy types, each with distinct behaviour: Pengo wanders aimlessly until it spots the player, Thrud gives chase without much guile, Snowy rolls quickly and flattens anything in its path, Bomber moves slowly but explodes at close range, and Boopy is fast, intelligent, and relentless.
-
Production - 85%
85%
-
Fun - 71%
71%
-
Depth - 82%
82%
Summary
Thin Ice succeeds where it matters most: the core act of pushing, sliding, and smashing ice cubes into oncoming nasties feels tight and satisfying, giving the game a strong tactile foundation that carries the experience even when other elements are less remarkable. There is real pleasure in lining up a slide at just the right angle to flatten a cluster of enemies, and the freezing mechanic adds a welcome secondary option for dealing with threats that will not cooperate with a well-placed cube. The decision to hide the exit on many levels adds a genuinely clever layer of tension, since clearing every nasty before locating the exit invites tougher enemies to spawn in the meantime, turning what could have been a straightforward search into a real risk-versus-reward puzzle.
Visually, the game is solid and charming rather than spectacular, with Terry Lloyd’s character designs giving Binky and the assorted nasties plenty of personality without pushing the C64 to any technical extremes. The audio follows a similar pattern: Tomas Danko’s soundtrack is decent and fits the tone of the game comfortably, without producing anything that lingers long after the game is switched off.
The Fire Breath mechanic is one of the more interesting ideas on paper, rewarding players for tracking down every B-O-N-U-S letter with a brief window of unrestrained destruction. In practice, however, it feels underused, arriving too rarely and lasting too briefly to become the strategic centrepiece it could have been. The mini-boss battles fare rather better, injecting welcome variety and a genuine sense of occasion into the level progression. This mixed picture is emblematic of the game as a whole: the individual pieces are well made, but the level-to-level structure does not always build on itself as effectively as it might, and the sense of discovery that drives the strongest arcade puzzlers begins to thin out as familiar enemy patterns repeat. The result is a game that is easy to enjoy in short bursts and genuinely well crafted at its core, but one that stops short of demonstrating the deeper replay value that would elevate it from a pleasant diversion to an essential addition to the collection.
Overall
79%User Review
( votes)Pros
Tight core mechanic: Pushing and smashing ice cubes into enemies feels satisfying and precise, giving the game a dependable moment-by-moment foundation even when its structure grows repetitive.
Hidden exits raise the stakes: Many levels conceal the exit, so clearing all enemies too eagerly can be punished with tougher spawns, adding a smart layer of risk and depth to what would otherwise be a simple search.
Engaging mini-boss battles: These encounters break up the level rhythm and provide some of the most memorable moments in the game.
Characterful presentation: The visuals are solid and charming, with distinct enemy designs that give Pengo, Thrud, Snowy, Bomber, and Boopy each a clear identity.
Fitting soundtrack: Tomas Danko’s music suits the game’s tone well and supports the action without becoming intrusive.
Cons
Underused Fire Breath: The Fire Breath mechanic has strong potential but appears too infrequently and does not last long enough to become a meaningful strategic tool.
Fading variety: The moderate replayability suggests that level design leans on familiar enemy patterns rather than consistently introducing fresh challenges, and the sense of discovery diminishes over time.
ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS:
