70) Thank Goodness You're Here! (2024)

Developed by studio Coal Supper, a team consisting of programmer Will Todd and artist James Carbutt, Thank Goodness You're Here! is an adventure puzzle game with a distinctly British sense of humor. The initial concept for the game was a series of sketch comedy vignettes with plans to incorporate deep puzzles, complex controls, and non-linear elements to string them together. Fearing that without a stronger vision for the game that they would end making a bad puzzle game, the pair decided to strip the more complex elements back in order to focus more on the humor. Stripping back the non-linearity of the game, instead having it play out in a mostly straightforward manner, alleviated the concern of players missing out on jokes.

The player assumes the role of an unnamed salesman who travels around the fictional town of Barnsworth in Northern England. With our only true objective being a meeting with the mayor, who is currently occupied, our diminutive protagonist explores the town which is filled with odd characters in need of assistance with a myriad of tasks. With our controls limited to simple movement and a singular slapping mechanic, the puzzles presented have a greater focus on surrealist humor than any sort of thought provoking solutions. Still, it's fairly impressive just how far this simple premise is stretched, and the focus on humor serves well to distract from the otherwise lacking complexity.

As the writing process for the game primarily consisted of the pair inventing voices and characters to try to make the other laugh, it's no surprise that the majority of characters in the game are voiced by James and Will. The pair are joined by only a handful of others, among them actor Matt Berry, who is always a delight. The humor in the game is mostly surreal and absurdist, with the situations and tasks ranging from mowing a lawn and helping retrieve lost tools to exploring a grocery store with a smaller, rat themed store above it. It's the kind of humor that either hits hard or completely misses the mark depending upon the tastes of the player with very little in between. That said, even the oddest joke should elicit a chuckle or two by virtue of the excellent timing and delivery.

Though a fairly short game, Thank Goodness You're Here! was an absolute delight to play through and experience. While not hard or complex in the slightest, the game does offer a few secrets and rewards the player for exploration. While most of the jokes and scenarios are, on paper, mundane and forgettable, the unique charm and phenomenal execution help them stick the landing. That said, if the style of comedy doesn't gel with you, there's little else on offer. If you're curious, I'd recommend watching a trailer or short gameplay video in order to gauge and temper expectations, but as the comedy is exactly in line with my sense of humor, I had an amazing time with the game that I look forward to experiencing again when I have a few hours to spare.