One of the most inspiring things about humanity is that no matter where we end up, we can find a way to thrive. Take for example the setting of Threshold valuean indie game from a developer who previously worked on Death loop And Dishonored. Threshold value takes place at the top of a high mountain, where you play as someone embarking on one of the most stressful maintenance gigs around. I watch the trains go by and make sure they run on time. The air is so thin that I often struggle and fight my way through a service. My pastor is buried nearby and my colleague is just relieved that there is someone to share the burden.
There is a country-based difficulty system, or at least the Steam page advertises one. I’ve chosen Canada and the game begins with an ominous display of my home country and flag. I load into my little worker’s room and see a shirt that says “I love Ottawa.” As a proud Torontonian, I frown. This game already offends me. This is real psychological horror.
I spend the first half hour indoors Threshold value just going through the motions of the track. I get to choose a two-letter name: Bo. My colleague Mo guides me through the job. I blow a big horn when the train slows down, and that encourages it to speed up. Then I take a punched card and exchange it for a bottle of air. When I’m struggling to breathe, that bottle of air is a lifesaver. Unfortunately I have to bite it, which leaves me refreshed but spitting out blood.
Mo teaches me a few tricks to make the service a little easier. I can go to the lock and scrape off some calcified junk, which rewards me with a second ticket. The station is designed as clumsily as possible. I have to walk around buildings and take side paths. If whoever set up this station took even a few minutes to add a few doors, I could save minutes at a time on each task. But they didn’t, and that feels intentional. Like the air bottle that is designed to break when biting, whoever set up this arrangement can do a fine job of placing small hooks and hooks in each step.
Anyway, I work hard, and soon I have a small supply of air bottles. Maybe it’s the country-based difficulty system, but I’m breathing easy. That’s when Threshold value opens. There are secrets hidden all over the map, and digging into them will progress the story. For example, I find a dead body and decide it’s worth telling Mo. I find a secret door that I can open with a whistle, and it takes me to a wonderful place with endless sky and the chance to ask questions about things I found on the job board. Part of me wants to stay here forever, but the train has to run on time.
Threshold valueThe simple PSX-style graphics and lack of music make riding the train and collecting tickets an almost meditative experience. Over time I fall in with the rhythm of the train, the grinding of gears, the sound of a loudly printed ticket. It takes just over an hour to beat Threshold valuebut the game’s hidden secrets and multiple endings make it worth revisiting.
Threshold value was released on November 19 on Windows PC. The game was reviewed using a download code from Critical Reflex. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.