A swim in a giant barrel of beer. A mysterious man feeding sausages through a hole in a fence. A chippie-loving cow in desperate need of milking. These are just some of the unusual encounters that await you in Thank Goodness You’re Here.
This charming British comedy game from indie developers Coal Supper has a short run time but a surplus of belly laughs, assuming this style of humour tickles your funny bone.
A Load of Codswallop
In Thank Goodness You’re Here, you play a man with no name and even less personality, sent on assignment to find out about the Northern English town of Barnsworth. This is a world filled with peculiar characters who constantly pester the player to help them solve their surreal predicaments, whether it’s baking an enormous pie or freeing a man’s arm from a sewer grate because he won’t let go of his tuppence.
The absurd wit present in every moment of this game is the obvious highlight, layering nonsensical premises, bawdy wordplay and whimsical musical moments in a manner reminiscent of Monty Python or The Mighty Boosh. The environmental approach to its story progression also brought to mind Untitled Goose Game, which also had the same publisher, Panic.
I was expecting to be amused by the constant silliness of this universe but was surprised by how often the game snuck a legitimate chortle out of me. Running jokes are satisfyingly paid off, sight gags fill the screen throughout and some of the character arcs across the journey are genuinely heartwarming amidst all the nonsense.
A lot of people are going to find this sense of humour off-putting and the barrage of double entendres and coarse language makes this hard to play with your kids, despite the colourful cartoonish presentation. But if you watch a trailer for Thank Goodness You’re Here and find yourself won over, you’re likely to have a delightful time.
READ MORE: Hands-on with Star Wars Outlaws | ‘A true Star Wars experience’
Playing Silly Buggers
One thing I wouldn’t come to this game for is… well, the game part. It’s often more of a lightly interactive animated comedy than it is any sort of traditional video game.
The player progresses by navigating around a 2D environment and either jumping or slapping objects to activate a vignette that continues the story. And that’s it, basically. There’s not much in the way of platforming or puzzle solving and there are no fail conditions to end your game. You generally just wander along, looking for open doors or people to talk to in order to move things along.
The game is never difficult, which is great as it would only get in the way of the writing. But it does leave the gameplay feeling like a bit of an afterthought. Towards the end, finding the next thing to move the storyline forward felt like busywork, even if it only lasted a minute. In these moments, I found myself wondering if I’d enjoy watching this game more than playing it.
Still, the developers have the good sense to not wear out their welcome. I completed the game in a little over three hours and felt like I was exploring just about every nook and cranny in the process. Any longer might have left me saying, “Thank goodness it’s finally over“.
READ MORE: Video games releasing in August 2024
‘Ave a Gander at This
The game’s art style is absolutely gorgeous, never losing the illusion that you’re watching a cartoon world play out in front of your eyes. The character designs are expressive and their lovingly detailed animation brings the personalities to life. When you go from exploring the world into scripted sequences, the close-up angles and vivid art direction go a long way towards amplifying the humour.
Archival footage pops up in the title sequence and menu design in ways that lend so much to the offbeat style of the game. I mean, just look at this pause menu. What a stunner.
I was reminded of when South Park: The Stick of Truth came out and it felt like the first time a 2D cartoon had been so terrifically rendered into a video game. The idea that Thank Goodness You’re Here achieves the same effect with such a small team and an original IP is a testament to the wonderful graphical presentation.
READ MORE: Concord is fun, flashy and moreish!
Quite the Chinwag
Audio makes up so much of what makes comedy work, and this sound design team was up to the task. The original score perfectly soundtracks the constant silliness and the sound effects are appropriately goofy. You hear a cacophony of voices calling for assistance as you roam around, creating a marvellous sense of place in the town of Barnsworth.
And speaking of voices, how have I come this far without mentioning the voice cast? The actors are superb in delivering some truly bizarre dialogue, but the star of the show is clearly Matt Berry, known for his work in The IT Crowd and What We Do in the Shadows. With his delivery style he could make reciting the alphabet funny, but paired with this script, he and the rest of the cast do a brilliant job.
Should I buy Thank Goodness You’re Here?
The need for interactivity in video games often makes the timing and delivery, that’s required for good comedy, rarely work. The minds behind Thank Goodness You’re Here solve this issue by forcing the player through a relatively straight line from beginning to end. While this makes the gameplay somewhat unsatisfying, it thrusts the imaginative storytelling, gorgeous animation and fantastic audio design into the spotlight and this game shines in those areas.
My short journey through the wonderfully weird town of Barnsworth was one I was glad to have made. If you suspect this brand of absurdity will be up your alley, then treat yourself to a can of Peans or one of Big Ron’s Big Pies and you’ll be in for a fun night.
Quest Daily scores Thank Goodness You’re Here:
8/10
A review code for Thank Goodness You’re Here was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
