LOOM™

(Please note that while I recommend this game, I do not recommend the Steam version of it. Please read on for more info!) -- Loom (1990) Or, The Secret to Eternal Youth (A Spoiler-Free Review) I. WHY IS LOOM THE BEST GAME EVER MADE? (Not clickbait°) °warning: may be clickbait. Okay, so maybe Loom isn’t the best game ever made, but it is pretty darn high on the list. Released in 1990, this masterpiece was unfortunately overshadowed by the Next Big Thing: The Secret of Monkey Island, which went on to become a beloved franchise, well good for them. Sure, it doesn’t help that Loom was released on a confusingly high number of platforms over the two years following its release. Or that it was a transmedia project told through an audio drama, a game, a special notebook, and as a bonus, a hint book. Or that it kept teasing for a sequel… that never happened. Maybe a few mistakes were made. That’s nothing, though, compared to everything good Loom did. An original and brilliant fantasy setting with memorable characters; a great script, with just the right amount of humour and perfect rhythm; a stunning art direction with a beautiful use of colours; and a sincere and touching poetry that flows beautifully throughout the game, helped by the enchanting music of Tchaikovsky. But most of all, Loom stands out because of its gameplay. II. WILL YOU GET ON WITH IT AND TELL US WHAT LOOM IS? Loom is a point-and-click game that isn’t like any point-and-click game. Sure, you use an item from your inventory in combination with another item or character on the screen to solve a puzzle and go through the story, but that’s it. You only get the one item. A distaff. Loom takes place in a faraway future, in a world where two apocalypses have already taken place. Welcome to the Age of the Great Guilds. Earth is now a place of tightly-knit communities that keep the arcana of their arts in absolute secrecy. The worst of them all being the Weavers, an inbred community who live in the ancient and remote island of Loom. Throughout the millennia, they have refined their art from sewing cloth to using the very stuff of light and music. But because of their way of life, their powers are now getting weaker and weaker, and they are content just making sure that the Pattern, the tapestry that dictates the future, comes to pass. But some things are not meant to be, and the coming of the Third Shadow is nigh… You’ll play Bobbin Threadbare, the last of the Weavers, on a quest to save his own people. The only thing is: he’s very new at this. In fact, his Book of Patterns (included in the game box!) contains just the one melody to play on his distaff to weave the pattern of Opening. But you won’t get very far with only the one pattern, right? So, you’ll have to see more of the world, and hear the melodies of it. What does sleeping sound like? What could be the sound of twisting? From puzzle to puzzle, from observation to observation, you’ll fill more and more of your Book of Patterns (with randomized melodies!) and indeed become a more powerful Weaver. That’s the game: learning melodies and figuring out which ones to play and how to play them, while trying to learn the truth about yourself and your people. This minimalist gameplay is done to absolute perfection, and with a genius twist to it that makes it both elegant and timeless. It’s a way easier game than Monkey Island or Maniac Mansion, but it feels so much more rewarding to grow alongside Bobbin and to figure things out in a very organic manner. Everything is made to make the player feel like they are on this journey alongside Bobbin, and with the help of the extradiegetic book (a PDF included in the purchase), it just works to a tee. This is not a game about combining two random items to get over a fallen bridge. It’s not about some metatextual humour about how point-and-click are all completely absurd. It’s a game with heart that wants you to understand how its world works and to see it through the eyes of the Weaver. It is not a difficult game. It’s a journey of discovery and of wonderment, a poem made game, and a masterclass in game design, even to this day. If one day, you feel like you’ve sailed the seas of Mêlée Island one too many times, please change course and make way to a smaller, forgotten island nearby, by the unassuming name of Loom. Boy, do those weavers there have a story to tell you. III. HOW TO EXPERIENCE LOOM? The recommended order is to listen to the audio drama, then read the Book of Patterns, then play Loom. You may then finally read the Hint Book to discover a novelized version of the story from the point of view of Bobbin, that contains a few more details. The whole thing can be done in under four hours. Please, do try to play the IBM PC EGA version of the game, as it is unadulterated and the one recommended by the creator of the game. I would say that the Expert mode, where the notes are not showing, and that includes an additional scene, is the best way to experience it, but to each their own! After acquiring almost every version of Loom legally (except for the Macintosh version), you'll find my ranking in the comment section (because apparently, I'm running out of space here!). But please note that the VGA version, and especially the Steam one, is a simplified version of the game that was butchered to fit on a CD. The music is good, but the art has been smoothened horrifically and a good part of the script has been cut. So I would suggest trying other versions, if you can acquire the files legally! Enjoy Loom, the latest masterpiece of fantasy storytelling from Lucasfilm’s™ Brian Moriarty™!

It’s almost 40 years, and I still haven’t finished this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game… 😅🎮

It's definitely a good game, love the magic system, my only complaint is that the plot felt too short and ends on a cliffhanger. I understand that like Inherit the Earth, there was talk of sequels for this that never came, but this feels like it ends on a more "Give me more! How can you end the plot here?!" kind of point. Anyways thanks for listening to my rant, good game, definitely recommend.

this looks interesting but it plays awful. can't seem to adjust the tiny window, the audio clips in and out, and then the game just kinda stopped taking my inputs when I was 15 awkward minutes in and I had to restart the whole thing. I usually don't say this but it would probably be better to watch it than to try to play it. A long play of it is less than 2 hours long lol

Loved it! 'Was genuinely surprised how fun and fresh a point&click from 1990 can be. The story is an adaptation of the Swan Lake, but very original nonetheless. The core mechanic is super interesting and fun, just beware - be an oldschool player, take a pen and paper and write it down, otherwise you might soft-lock yourself from continuing. Super surprising was the quality of voice acting in this time. It was fun, short, it's difficult at times and I had to look for a guide here and there, especially in the caves section, but other than that very nice! Definitely recommend!

Amazing game. Of all the classic adventure games i'd say this one has aged the best, with its streamlined controls and unique central spell-casting mechanic. Would highly recommend.

А ти вже чув про найновіший шедевр фентезійного оповідання від Браяна Моріарті з Lucasfilms? Це ж надзвичайна пригода з магічним інтерфейсом, приголомшливими 3D-пейзажами високої роздільної здатності, вишуканою музикою та музичними ефектами. Не кажучи вже про детальну анімацію та спецефекти, елегантне керування персонажами, об'єктами та магічними заклинаннями за допомогою революційної механіки «вкажи та клацни». Тож не зволікай! Сходи і купи Loom вже сьогодні.

Masterpiece for it's time and well worth a play through.

Loom is a distinctive and quietly ambitious graphic adventure developed by LucasArts and published by LucasArts, Lucasfilm, and later Disney, standing apart from many of its contemporaries through its tone, mechanics, and narrative philosophy. Unlike the comedic, dialogue-heavy adventures the studio later became famous for, Loom embraces a more restrained, fairy-tale-like atmosphere that prioritizes mood, symbolism, and mythic storytelling. Even decades after its original release, it remains a fascinating example of how experimental design and emotional subtlety can leave a lasting impression. The story is set during the “Age of the Great Guilds,” a time when powerful organizations shaped the world through specialized crafts. Loom centers on the Guild of Weavers, whose mastery of weaving has transcended textiles and evolved into the manipulation of reality itself. You play as Bobbin Threadbare, a young Weaver cast out from his homeland under mysterious circumstances after a series of ominous events. As Bobbin journeys beyond the island of the Weavers, the narrative slowly unfolds into a tale of loss, destiny, and transformation. The story is deliberately sparse in direct exposition, instead allowing players to piece together the world’s history and significance through visual cues, recurring symbols, and quiet moments, giving it a dreamlike quality rarely seen in adventure games of its era. What truly defines Loom is its radical departure from traditional point-and-click mechanics. Rather than relying on verb lists, inventories, or complex object combinations, the game introduces a musical magic system based on short melodies known as drafts. These drafts are sequences of notes played on Bobbin’s distaff, each producing a specific effect on the world, such as opening pathways, altering objects, or revealing hidden truths. As the game progresses, players learn new drafts organically, often by observing their effects in the environment rather than being explicitly instructed. Some drafts can even be reversed to produce opposite results, reinforcing the game’s thematic focus on balance and duality. This system transforms puzzle-solving into a process of pattern recognition and experimentation rather than trial-and-error item use. The puzzles themselves are generally more approachable than those found in many classic adventure games, emphasizing intuition and observation over opaque logic. Loom’s design intentionally avoids frustration, offering a more linear and guided experience that keeps the narrative moving at a steady pace. While this makes the game accessible to newcomers and those less interested in complex puzzle chains, it also means the overall challenge level is relatively light. The game is short and focused, often completed in a single sitting, which reinforces the sense that Loom is closer to an interactive storybook than a sprawling adventure epic. Visually, Loom carries the hallmarks of early 1990s PC graphics, but its art direction gives it a timeless charm. Characters and environments are simple yet expressive, with silhouettes, color choices, and animations doing much of the storytelling work. The game’s aesthetic leans heavily into fantasy and folklore, reinforcing its mythic tone without relying on excessive detail. Later versions, including the one available on Steam, introduced enhanced visuals and full voice acting. While these additions make the game more accessible to modern audiences, they also subtly alter the pacing and tone compared to the original text-heavy release, which some longtime fans prefer for its quieter, more contemplative feel. Music plays a central role in Loom, both mechanically and thematically. The soundtrack draws heavily from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, adapted into MIDI form and woven throughout the experience. This choice reinforces the game’s sense of melancholy and elegance, while also tying directly into the musical draft system at the heart of gameplay. Sound is not merely background decoration here; it is a storytelling tool and a puzzle mechanic, making Loom one of the earliest examples of audio-driven interaction in games. Viewed today, Loom stands as a bold experiment that prioritizes atmosphere, emotion, and innovation over complexity or length. Its willingness to break away from established adventure game conventions makes it feel surprisingly fresh even now, though its brevity and simplicity may leave some players wishing for more depth. Rather than aiming to overwhelm, Loom invites players to slow down and absorb its world, offering an experience that feels intimate and carefully composed. For fans of classic adventure games, interactive storytelling, or game design history, Loom remains a memorable and influential title that demonstrates how restraint and creativity can be just as powerful as scale and spectacle. Rating: 8/10