Just finished Thimbleweed Park, quite the joy especially for its timeless pixel art. It's been a while since a game made me laugh out loud so many times, though these moments were between long passages of tight puzzles and "what do have to do next..?"

The game is sometimes a bit too self referential and it's a shame you don't really feel close to the characters except one. It's very meta too, but hey, what isn't these days. Overall I highly recommend it.

Storytelling-wise, the way the game handles its characters is interesting. Arguably the best written character is Ransome, the insult clown. He insults people who come to his shows, similar to how some stand up comedians handle hecklers – except that's all he does. Now spoilers:

His job is just an expression of his personality. He's very mean, insulting every object and character in the game. And not just because of @IanJames007 's perfomance it can be funny. You actually get why people see his shows. Yet, Ransome isn't liked by anyone – and he knows it.

One day, someone he insulted during the show had cursed him, destroying his fame and leaving him unable to remove his make up. Ransome is a dick, but he already got punished, so his are not just meaningless insults. You almost feel sorry for him, since you see him suffer.

Another character in the game is just distant and mean for no other reason than to be distant and mean. I never felt desire to play them, they were actually kind of annoying. But with Ransome, even if it were the exact same lines, there was just a different emotional context.

While it's storytelling 101 to give all characters a desire, none of the other characters in the game actually seem to struggle with their own goal.
No one likes Ransome, he became a failure, and yet he goes "*beep* you world, here I am!" And I was thinking "Yeah, you go man!"

Sure it can be a fantasy to go around insulting everyone without consequence – but there was already consequence to his actions. It isn't just self serving. And that's why it's touching to see his story conclude.
I've seen comments like "the clown's ending made me cry."

So yeah, go play Thimbleweed Park, you *beep*ers https://www.deviantart.com/moskidraws/art/Ransome-the-BEEPing-Insult-Clown-710403869