Ron Gilbert, creator of Monkey Island, is developing Thimbleweed Park 2, with a release target of 2028. The project defies traditional sequel logic. Gilbert describes it as "not really a sequel, not really a prequel," positioning it as something altogether different from the original 2017 adventure game.
This announcement arrives after Gilbert's previous project, a Zelda-meets-Diablo-meets-Thimbleweed Park hybrid RPG, was cancelled last year. That cancellation left fans disappointed, but Gilbert's new direction suggests he's refocusing on what made Thimbleweed Park work: pixel art adventure design with strong narrative bones.
Thimbleweed Park originally launched on PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch to modest acclaim. The point-and-click adventure, developed by Gilbert and Gary Winnick, drew obvious inspiration from LucasArts classics like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. It found an audience among retro adventure enthusiasts but never achieved blockbuster status.
The ambiguous nature of Thimbleweed Park 2 raises interesting questions about what Gilbert intends to deliver. If it's neither sequel nor prequel, the game might exist in a parallel narrative universe, share the same setting with new characters, or explore the world from a radically different perspective. Gilbert has built considerable goodwill since returning to game development, and fans will likely embrace whatever direction he takes.
A 2028 release timeline gives Gilbert three years of development runway. That's reasonable for a pixel art adventure game, especially if the scope remains grounded. The indie adventure market has matured significantly since Thimbleweed Park's launch, with titles like Disco Elysium and Outer Wilds redefining what narrative-driven games can achieve. Gilbert's return to Thimbleweed's world suggests