Thistledown: A Tragedy of Blood
Thistledown is a tragedy, dealing with themes of pain, loss, and hopelessness. It's a small story set in an expansive fantasy world.
Developer
Publisher
Release
May 28, 2020
6 years and 67 days ago
Steam Reviews
9 user reviews9 reviews100.0%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
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Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
12 itemsAbout the Game
A personal tragedy forces Oni to push beyond the borders of her village, in search of an unspeakable horror. As she assembles the pieces of an ancient magical contract, Oni leaves a bloody trail behind her, careening towards darkness, death, and worse.
Thistledown is mechanically light, but I've worked to make the gameplay as satisfying as possible.
Oni carries an oversized thistle with her. You can make your way a little safer by killing things with it.
Oni is a Kouneli, a rabbit person. If nothing else works, she can always jump her way to safety.
What's going on? Explore the edges of this world. Figure out the backstory. Nothing's given to you, this game expects you to figure it out.
Best of luck.
Pain
Thistledown is a small, personal story set in an epic fantasy world. It's a meditation on the pain and helplessness that we feel in the face of tragedy, and how we cope.Story
Stories help us navigate our lives, stories move us, and make us better. Thistledown is a great story, told with deep respect.World
We sought to make a world that felt real and bigger than the story itself, so we put in major work building the world of Thistledown, only 10% of which will be in the game. We made a world that feels like you are only glimpsing a bit of it, because you are.Characters
You'll encounter sad, real stories as you explore the world. Characters are well-developed, varied, and real.Story Only Mode
I believe everyone should be able to experience the story, so I've included a "Story Only" mode, which skips challenging platforming and all combat. Players of all skill levels can experience what Thistledown has to offer, without the need to reach a certain skill level.GAMEPLAY
Thistledown is mechanically light, but I've worked to make the gameplay as satisfying as possible.
Fight
Oni carries an oversized thistle with her. You can make your way a little safer by killing things with it.
Jump
Oni is a Kouneli, a rabbit person. If nothing else works, she can always jump her way to safety.
Explore
What's going on? Explore the edges of this world. Figure out the backstory. Nothing's given to you, this game expects you to figure it out.
Best of luck.
