Thank Goodness You’re Here! Review – Giggles Abound

Simple fun gameplay and hilarious writing await you in Thank Goodness You’re Here!, a small comedic game developed by Coal Supper. Set in the fictional Northern English town of Barnsworth, you play as a little salesman who seeks an audience with the Lord Mayor. Once you’re free to roam the town you get drawn into the residents’ problems and solve a series of puzzles to help them out. It’s an adventure game mixed in with some light platforming, with plenty of charm and absurdist tones. 

The gameplay is simple; the only two things you can do other than move around are jump and slap. Both are satisfying and you’ll find yourself slapping everything you can get your grubby little hands on. You’ll want to too, as slapping often leads to another gag or achievements in some cases. But, this simple gameplay can get slightly repetitive, because most of the objectives are straight forward and there’s not much variety. However, that doesn’t matter too much because it’s a quick title that should take you roughly three hours to beat, and you could easily beat it quicker than that.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! Is Hilarious

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is easily the funniest game of the year so far. It’s rare that a game lands as many jokes as this one does, and manages to leave a positive lasting impression once you’ve rolled credits. That’s a benefit of its shorter length. It’s a mostly raunchy absurdist comedy, with puns, background visual gags, and running bits. Some of the best jokes are cutaway gags that will remind you of your favorite mature cartoons like Family Guy, Rick and Morty, or South Park, except with an English flair. 

Right when you arrive in Barnsworth there’s a great joke that you could miss if you don’t pay attention, with the mayor’s receptionist playing solitaire on a computer with real cards. One of the best running gags involves messing up a man’s house. Thank Goodness You’re Here! has an impeccable sense of comedic timing, and that joke in particular stands out because of how far that joke is pushed. Even just the way your character spikes the camera the entire time is hilarious.

While part of the reason some of the jokes land is because of the build-up to them, there’s a little too much backtracking. You’ll be progressing through three or four main areas with pathways to each section. These are areas you will venture to multiple times for one task or another. It’s not always clear which way you’re supposed to go, as the game relies on your memory of how you traveled through an area and how that area has changed or which paths have been blocked off. That can get a little tedious and get in the way of the fun.

I’m Just a Little Cartoon Man

The animation is quite smooth and the cartoon art style is fantastic. It matches the cheeky comedy and allows for funnier, more exaggerated expressions. The characters are great and memorable for such a short title. The voice acting is superb, with the exaggerated English accents pairing up nicely with the art style. One of the voice actors is Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), who nails the deadpan delivery. It truly feels like every element of the title was crafted to boost the level of comedy. Including the background gags, rarely a minute goes by without some kind of joke. 

One big contributor to the game’s success is the sound. The score is good, filling the town of Barnsworth with a jovial but slightly insane mood. But, the sound design itself is what’s fantastic. Every slap and jump produces a noise you’d expect and it creates a fun feedback loop that rewards you for engaging with the environment. Without the stellar sound, it would undoubtedly feel like an emptier experience.  

All in all, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a fantastic time that should have you laughing up a storm. While it’s let down by its simple gameplay, repetitive environment, and short runtime, what’s left is a great experience and one you’ll probably never forget. If you’re a fan of titles like Untitled Goose Game or South Park: The Stick of Truth, you should absolutely pick this one up.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is available now on Steam, PlayStation consoles, the Nintendo Switch, Mac, and the Epic Games Store.