By GARETT VALCOURT
A local legend from Esto, Florida, is gaining national attention with its inclusion in the upcoming video game South of Midnight, set to release on April 8, 2025. The game, developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, will feature Two-Toed Tom—a figure rooted in Southern folklore—reimagined in a new digital context.
Two-Toed Tom, a mythological alligator with a fearsome reputation, is part of a broader narrative in South of Midnight, an action-adventure title for Windows and Xbox Series X/S. The game follows the journey of Hazel, a young woman who enters a magical version of the Deep South in the aftermath of a devastating hurricane. In this alternate world, folklore and fantasy intersect, and Hazel must navigate encounters with legendary Southern figures, including Two-Toed Tom and Huggin’ Molly, as she becomes a “Weaver”—a mystical healer of broken bonds and spirits.
The in-game portrayal of Two-Toed Tom depicts him as a decayed, albino alligator of extraordinary scale, carrying an entire island on his back. This creative reimagining aligns with the spirit of folklore as a living tradition, according to Ben Tew, Clerk for the Town of Esto and organizer of the 2024 Two-Toed Tom Festival.
“Folktales aren’t fixed—they’re living stories meant to be reimagined for each generation,” said Tew. “Tom’s legend isn’t about the details—it’s about the feeling it evokes. And with Two-Toed Tom, that feeling is awe: nature is wild, powerful, and way bigger than us. Seeing our local legend come to life in South of Midnight is a thrilling way to share that legacy with the world.”
According to regional lore, Two-Toed Tom was a massive alligator that prowled the swamps along the Alabama-Florida border during the early 20th century. His name derives from an incident in which he lost all but two toes to a steel trap, leaving behind uniquely identifiable tracks. By the 1910s, reports placed the creature in Sand Hammock, a 75-acre lake near Esto, where livestock deaths and unusual sightings fueled the legend. These accounts are documented in Holmesteading: A History of Holmes County, Florida by E.W. Carswell.
The legend has appeared in popular culture previously, including a reference in Go Set a Watchman, the 2015 novel by Harper Lee.
The town of Esto began hosting the Two-Toed Tom Festival in 1987 to celebrate this iconic figure. Although the event has varied in its continuity over the decades, it was revived in 2024 and continues in 2025 with renewed community engagement.
The 2025 Two-Toed Tom Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at John Clark Park in Esto, running from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Staff Report 