Originally released last year onto PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, the surreal British comedy ‘slapformer’ by developers Coal Supper has finally made it’s way onto Xbox this week. But did the residents of Barnsworth and their antics fill me with British pride or did the jokes fall flat? Find out in the XboxEra review of Thank Goodness You’re Here!.
Ey’Up
Even the main menu of Thank Goodness You’re Here! got a giggle from me. You are immediately confronted with the question ‘A’tha from Tarn’? with the options to pick from being ‘Dead Reyt’ or ‘Sorry what?’. If you select ‘Dead Reyt‘ beware – the entire game options are in a ‘Northern’ dialect and may be tricky to comprehend if you aren’t British or Northern specifically. My poor old London brain was a little confused at points, despite having spent some time living in Manchester in my youth.
You then are treated to some actual real-life archive footage of life in days gone by, before actually starting the game in an office. Your character is a suspiciously small, yellow salesman who has to exit his bosses office via the window, before going to visit the mayor. There’s not much to do with the controls in this game, A is jump and X is slap – and you basically go around the entire time hitting and slapping everything and anything and jumping where needed. You can also push certain objects just by moving next to them. The general gameplay loop is also simple, you travel between the town square, the market, the brook, various shops and a few other places with different gates and doors opening as you get further along.
If that sounds boring, then you’d actually be mistaken, as there are so many jokes and small moments in this game that keep you entertained throughout and there are always some hilarious tasks to be getting on with. This game is full of visual gags, from a Policeman’s silhouette as he ‘polishes his truncheon’ to a shop called ‘Nick’s Bricks’ with a man selling his bricks – direct from a wall.
Buttery Nubs
After you exit the Mayor’s office, having been told to come back later, you venture in to the slightly strange yet somehow familiar town of Barnsworth and there you will meet a variety of characters who you will need to assist to progress you through the game. From a greengrocer with an unusually large head, to a bed-bound individual who needs help with their shopping, there is always someone who needs a helping hand.
All of these scenarios lead you though a super surreal world where in one moment you are uncovering an advanced civilisation of rats in the supermarket and then in the next you are inside a beer barrel popping bubbles and conversing with characters now represented by various alcoholic beverages. There are rude and childish jokes a-plenty in this game, and some of them may not work for you if you aren’t British – but if you are a fan of Monty Python or The League of Gentlemen then this game will definitely hit all the right notes. It also features the voice talents of one of my favourite comedians Matt Berry, who’s distinctive tone really added to the overall atmosphere.
There are some really great moments that get funnier and funnier as you go round the gameplay loop. Your character will get pushed down a chimney at various points and end up in the lounge of a poor man who is constantly cleaning the soot up and gets more and more frustrated every time you appear, whilst trying to remain polite.
It really did made me chuckle after a couple of times; and I actually ended up feeling sorry for this poor animated character. Which brings me to another brilliant point – despite being chock full of caricatures of typical Northern folk, this game is kind and endearing, and never comes across as mean-spirited. You will probably end up really fond of Big Ron, Tiny Tony and all the other souls you meet on your journey, and the whole game was actually really heart-warming. I won’t say anymore about the story or characters as I don’t want to spoil the game too much, but every one of them has a unique story to tell.
Oh, Nigel!
Unsurprisingly, Thank Goodness You’re Here performed flawlessly on both console and the ROG Xbox Ally X – even on the 13W silent profile, the game played consistently at a locked 120FPS. This title is very short at only a couple of hours to play through, but it is definitely a complete experience and one that I very much enjoyed, and there are some secret achievements for you to track down too.
It was absolutely crammed full of humour, double entendre and fun, and I think the team behind it have done an excellent job here. The game is expertly crafted, from the timing and build up of the jokes, down to the tiny and perfectly thought out details found in all the different environments and characters.
Dead Reyt
Overall, Thank Goodness You’re Here is an absolute gem of a game full of humanity and fun. Coal Supper really have done an excellent job capturing the heart and soul of the community of Barnsworth, and the game took me nostalgically back to TV I watched when I was young, whilst also making me laugh out loud from the start to the end. If you want something extremely silly, absurd and exceptionally well made to spend a couple of hours with, then you should definitely check it out.
Thank Goodness You're Here
Played on
Xbox Series X
PROS
- Hilariously Funny
- Simple Controls
- Really well produced
CONS
- Maybe 'too British'
- Super short
