British humour is somewhat of an acquired taste, focusing more on a satirical approach to life as we know it, poking fun at themselves, and a rather emotionless deadpan style that can be hit and miss. Thank Goodness You’re Here puts a lot of eggs in the humour basket, bordering on the absurd as you wander about town. What’s it like? Grab your ten bob, head to the chipper, and prepare for a lot of slapping, as we review Thank Goodness You’re Here for Nintendo Switch
Thank Goodness You’re Here puts you in the boots of an unnamed tiny yellow man who has a meeting with the mayor in the fictional Yorkshire town of Barnsworth, an offbeat town full of interesting and out-there characters who always seem to need a helping hand to get them out of a pickle. So begins your quest to kill some time, helping out the denizens of Barnsworth with things like freeing someone’s arm from a drain, recovering tools for the local handyman, and helping feed a cow so it can produce milk for a child who’s in quite a state as he can’t stomach black tea. It’s a platform/puzzler game that sees you nonchalantly run around and slap pretty much everything while you go on a series of fetch quests. None of it is particularly difficult, and there’s no directions or indicators as what you should do next which may frustrate some players. Much like Untitled Goose Game, there’s a lot of walking around the same parts of town as it evolves the further through the story you go, to uncover new paths, characters, and puzzles.
Thank Goodness You’re Here relies on the repetition of jokes and throwbacks to events that happen early in the game, and in this sense, it succeeds in making the player laugh. It’s full of sexual innuendo and moments of inappropriateness which I found entertaining, but definitely not one for the kids. The whole time playing it, I felt like I was in that episode of Rick and Morty where they have interdimensional cable, as the humour felt unscripted at times where the cast was told to “just roll with it” and for the most part, it works out. Some gags made me audibly laugh out loud, like the alleyway sausage gag, Roger’s large head, or slapping someone eating lunch for them to say “What’s all this about then?” Some gags fell flat too, and I put that more down to my sense of humour, not necessarily the game’s writing.
As you play, the game has the constant sound of a kazoo giving a deflating “womp womp” vibe, on top of a soft woodwind and piano based score. The sound production is actually quite fantastic, and the voice acting is superb with all characters having their own nuances and sometimes stereotypical personalities which plays to its strength. Matt Berry from “The IT Crowd,” “What We Do in The Shadows” and “The Toast of London” makes an appearance as well as the gardener who pops up throughout with some clever lines. It’s all very well done in that sense and hearing the people of Barnsworth talk and have banter while you stroll around is humorous, and this NPC banter unfolds into their own mini-stories as the game progresses as well.
All of this is presented in a wonderfully animated art style that cuts to stock footage as well and makes you feel like you’re watching a TV show. The world is chock full of humorous additions, bright and vibrant colours, and interesting characters. There’s plenty to slap like garbage bags that will make a trio of rats come out to sing, bins to dent, and people to slap to see what they have to say. For my vision-impaired gamers, there are some accessibility options, like being able to adjust the size of subtitles which is a welcome addition, and the game has a bright and contrasting colour scheme, making your character easy to define from the world around him.
Unfortunately, the game is very short in length, and I completed it in under 2 hours. For me, there’s little reason to go back through it again, so much like the kazoo playing in the background, I couldn’t help but feel a little deflated when the credits rolled. This is what makes reviewing a game like Thank Goodness You’re Here so hard. On one hand, it made me laugh and has excellent production values, and on the other, the gameplay feels shallow and the completion time is very short. After seeing what others have had to say about Thank Goodness You’re Here, I feel like I’m missing something like I’m just not getting it, and that’s ok.
Thank Goodness You’re Here is chock full of off-beat humour, hilarious moments, and a bright and colourful world. The gameplay may feel shallow and it’s a shame it is so short because the time spent in the imaginary Yorkshire town of Barnsworth is a funny and enjoyable romp. Its reliance on humour hitting the mark with the player will be what divides players, and I feel you will either love it or hate it. While in the end, it wasn’t really for me, I recommend taking your time to see if the offbeat humour resonates with you.
So, What’s It Like? Thank Goodness You’re Here is like Untitled Goose Game, crossed with The Mighty Boosh
