“Thank God you’re here!” Review: The funniest, heaviest game of 2024

Yorkshire is not just a place –Yorkshire is a state of mind. Nothing indicates that Thank God you’re here!but then again, Thank God you’re here! it’s unlike anything else you’ve ever played – this two-hour fever dream will leave you speechless and with a huge, stupid grin on your face.

when Its teaser trailer debuted at last year’s Gamescom–with Matt Berry’s never-ending vocal talents front and center–Thank God you’re here! instantly earned a spot on our list of the best indie games of 2024. However, this is less of a game and more of an absurd interactive sketch show, honest enough to confuse even die-hard fans of British alt-comedy – even surreal ones like Vic and bob The League of Gentlemenand anything else Berry has been a part of.

I didn’t think I’d be so taken aback by this, given that I’m his main target market: I was born and raised in a small, quaint, northern town. I grew up on a diet of alternative TV shows in the UK. I have lived in Yorkshire for almost 20 years. That still didn’t prepare me for the constant stream of weird nonsense from the Yorkshire developers Charcoal dinner, which will entertain and amuse you in equal measure. It has created one of the most unique and memorable experiences of the year – as well as one of the most fun games ever.

Things kick off with a short intro with Pathé-style reels from 1960s Yorkshire mining towns, moving into a downright country version Rick and Morty‘s Interdimensional Cable schtick: animated ads for tiny pies, giant pies, and “Peans” (not enough peas, not enough beans).

Before you know it, you’re in the tiny shoes of a tiny, nameless traveling salesman, sent to Barnsworth to make a deal with its mayor. He’s busy, you’re impatient, so you open the door to see what’s going on outside.

Man for the city

Barnsworth is an extreme caricature of a Yorkshire town, seamlessly blending 1970s stereotypes with contemporary caricatures. Here, everything costs 10 bob, cigarettes are fresh and tasty, cheap cider is on every street corner, mice are everywhere (and super smart), and every character is as colorful as the game’s naive art style.

Here, for the first of many times, someone shouts “thank God you’re here!” A faker, whose hand is trapped in a drain trying to retrieve a shiny belly, needs something to free himself. as luck would have it, a butter-loving bakery is nearby. Unfortunately, it’s locked – the dimwitted apprentice, whose mum has put him ‘back in the mercury’, can’t find the keys. The locksmith is on the road, but eats his daily breakfast at The Thumbitt Inn (fnar fnar). The problem is that the beer lines don’t work.

Those first couple of minutes give you a delightfully transparent setup. While Thank God you’re here!Its trailer mentions the similar prank Untitled goose game, doesn’t offer the same level of freedom or trial-and-error tasks – it’s a much more linear quest-driven experience. However, it is no less enjoyable. you can freely talk to locals, interact with objects and enjoy the funny environment through endless graffiti and signs (“Lost cat. Also lost: a child”).

Thank God you’re here! it’s very handy with its guidance, especially as your only inputs are to move, jump and slap – you won’t get a single prompt, so you occasionally don’t realize you’re part of the many scenes that play out. Still, it offers a sense of freedom while keeping you on the straight and narrow, gently guiding your direction of travel and advancing the narrative with regular, small victories. If you discover a rare dead end, it’s a short detour.

Dread Ham, Regular Milk and Big Head Blues

Due to the sketch comedy format based on tiny, silly jobs, there is no real story. As a result, trivia and inspirational quotes, rather than extended sections, live rent-free in your mind for days. You gradually destroy a man’s resolve by walking into his living room the wrong way. endure the existential horror of being trapped inside a slab of ham. Learn the protein preferences of an earthworm. witness the street bin policy. You even fix a deep fat fryer to feed a bag of chips to a cow.

Those quick moments speed up and before you know it, you’re at the end of the story – a conclusion that comes out of nowhere, but it’s a satisfying crescendo that assaults your senses. You’ll need five minutes to process what you’ve just been through, but once you regain consciousness, you’ll walk away feeling satisfied – just embrace the weird and you’ll be fine.

However, it is not perfect. On the Nintendo Switch (version tested), its performance is a bit patchy, with many sections having inconsistent framerates and the controls not always being responsive – but given the journey it takes you through, these are minor complaints, especially when there’s so much to do. distract from them.

All-star casting

While his writing is great, it’s important to highlight just how great his voice is. It’s much deeper than the Berry title, with every actor making the most of Barnsworth’s strange company. the colorful, feature-packed art style ensures that every voice performance is given the visual depth needed to get absolutely everything from every person you meet on your weird and wonderful journey.

Thank God you’re here! it’s a must-play experience for anyone who wants to laugh, even if cultural differences make for very different experiences. Coal Supper has not only done its homeland justice, it has helped push the needle on irreverent British humour. You don’t have to wait long to be able to get it on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 or Switch on August 1st – which is very fitting, Yorkshire Day.