I’ll be the first to admit that any comparison I make in this review is heavily influenced by my personal experiences, so it may or may not resonate with everyone. British humor has been a staple on Norwegian television, and many of us grew up with shows like Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Mr. Bean, Benny Hill, and Keeping Up Appearances (really showing my age here).
The game is set in the fictional northern British town of Barnsworth. You are a silent protagonist sent there on an assignment through work, but it doesn’t take long before you’re entangled in a series of increasingly surreal jobs for the locals in town. With only two buttons in your arsenal, you proceed to jump and slap your way through Barnsworth in your journey to finally meet the mayor.
Beyond the description above, there’s not much more I should reveal about Thank Goodness You’re Here. Every moment starting with the very first scene is something you should experience unspoiled, so I would even suggest you avoid trailers (which might be too late considering the game has been out for a while). When I say it’s Monty Python-esque I can’t really go into details to avoid spoiling the gags, but I’ll give a couple of key words like bin, sausage, potato and chimney and hopefully you’ll get that little a-ha-I-get-it-moment when you find it. There are hilarious scenes rooted in what you can almost call reality, but the game also takes you to some really weird places.
The cartoon style perfectly complements the actions you perform, translating both the material and slapstick humor equally well. Some say you can finish the game in an hour, but I dare say that includes missing out on a lot and also actually having previously played through the game. There are plenty of secret, fun discoveries, and slapping your way through all the puzzles and the insane amount of details will likely take you closer to 2-3 hours, in my opinion.
There’s not much to fault the game for. The game is very British, so if that is inherently not your jam you might not find this funny at all. The other thing I personally noted was the lack of a way to skip longer conversations and cut scenes. Not that you’d want to skip anything on your initial run, but I was aiming for the platinum trophy and prefer playing without a guide, so I ended up doing two more playthroughs, which might be necessary if you missed out on some fun or secret content.
In summary, Thank Goodness You’re Here is a laugh-out-loud funny game that can easily be enjoyed in a single evening. It’s definitely one I wish I could forget, just to experience all its oddities again.
The trophy angle: It’s an easy platinum, but you need to be thorough.
This copy was bought. Thank Goodness You’re Here! was developed by Coal Supper and published by Panic. The game was released on August 1st, 2024
