It’s hard to put into words just how much I enjoyed playing Thank Goodness You’re Here! I mean, I wasn’t exactly going in blind. You don’t pick up a game like this just because it looks a bit quirky and colourful. But even after watching every teaser and trailer available, I could never have fully prepared myself for just how unapologetically, brilliantly “British” this experience would be.
If jokes like:
I bought some shoes from a drug dealer once. I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day.
Or:
Why did the biscuit go to the doctor? Because it was feeling crumbly!
Get you chuckling with a cup of tea in hand, then Thank Goodness You’re Here! is the game you didn’t know you needed.
The only way I can begin to describe it is to say that it’s an absolute masterclass in British humour and classic gags. The game kicks off with an advert for Peans (“Not quite peas, not quite beans, but something delicious in-betweens”)—and from there, it just keeps getting more absurdly and unapologetically bonkers, in that wonderfully British way.
But let’s kick off this review where any good story begins – at the start. You’ll step into the shoes of a nameless bloke of indeterminate age and a rather questionable, wilfully inconsistent height. As the adventure begins, our hero, if you can call him that, finds himself dispatched to the fictitious Northern town of Barnsworth, for a work trip with reasons that remain about as clear as a British summer.
One of the very first choices that players will make in the game will be to exit their boss’s office by leaping out of a ten-storey window instead of using the perfectly good door. And without exaggerating (unlike the game, which loves a bit of hyperbole), Thank Goodness You’re Here! repeatedly pulls off the sort of comedy that leaves you in delightful disbelief, constantly subverting expectations at every ridiculous turn.
Its brand of surreal, anything-for-a-laugh humour might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the way it gleefully embraces truly British humour is a joy to witness. Now, don’t get me wrong, this game is unapologetically silly from start to finish.
It teeters on the edge of complete absurdity, like a Brit trying to explain the rules of cricket, but never quite tumbles over. Instead, it dances on that line with reckless abandon until the credits roll, leaving you with a smile as broad as a Yorkshire pudding.
When it comes to gameplay, Thank Goodness You’re Here! walks the tightrope between engaging puzzles and never, ever taking itself too seriously. This isn’t a game that’s going to weigh heavy on your mind or make you regret your life choices—it’s here for a laugh, not to darken your doorstep with its complexity.
Overall, Thank Goodness You’re Here! has a storybook-like simplicity that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere and even harder-pressed to see done this well. You’ll work your way through a series of loosely connected set pieces, all in the noble quest to satisfy the whims of Barnsworth’s wonderfully weird inhabitants.
As for the mechanics? You can walk, jump, and, most importantly, give things a good old-fashioned kick or wallop. Fancy a chat with the locals? Kick them up the backside. Need to open a door? Why use a handle when a punch will do? At first, it feels a bit odd, like trying to drink tea out of a boot, but you’ll soon get used to the fact that progressing conversations in the same way you’d knock over a dustbin makes perfect sense in this mad little world.
And when it finally clicks, you’ll realise: yes, this is absolutely the best way to interact with Barnsworth’s eccentricities.
Virtually everything in Barnsworth has a reaction to your carefree acts of violence, often with wonderfully unexpected results. Bin bags burst, snails pop like confetti, and buttocks wobble in ways you didn’t think possible.
Structurally, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is absolutely fascinating. The game operates on a loop, guiding you repeatedly through the quirky, eccentric locales of Barnsworth. But here’s the clever bit, it never slips into the doldrums of repetition. Instead, each loop builds on the last, reworking scenes, setting up new punchlines, and delivering payoffs with impeccable timing, often subverting your expectations with a cheeky nudge and a wink.
As I mentioned at the start of this review, Thank Goodness You’re Here! relies heavily on a particular brand of humour—crude, juvenile, and brilliantly British. Now, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s impossible to deny the sheer love, care, and craft that’s gone into this game.
Even if the gags aren’t quite your speed or the art style doesn’t tickle your fancy, the voice cast delivers their lines with such genuine flair that you can’t help but admire it.
P.S. There is also a sneaky little easter egg for those of you who finish the game – and while I won’t spoil it here, it is a really nice touch to finish things off.
Why Handheld? Not only do the art style and general controls for Thank Goodness You’re Here! lend themselves to handheld gaming, but the game is also only about three hours long, making it the perfect title to binge while on the couch with tea and biscuits at hand.
