REVIEW: Thank Goodness You’re Here

A delightfully daft adventure bursting with charm, wit, and Northern soul

Every once in a while, a game comes along that feels like a breath of fresh (and very strange) air. Thank Goodness You’re Here, from developer Coal Supper, is exactly that – a surreal, hilarious, and thoroughly British adventure that thrives on its own eccentric energy.

At its core, Thank Goodness You’re Here is a narrative comedy game set in the fictional Northern English town of Barnsworth. You play as a traveling salesman who arrives early for an appointment and spends the extra time getting tangled up in the locals’ lives in increasingly absurd ways. What unfolds is part point-and-click adventure, part sandbox exploration, and part fever dream.

The gameplay is built around a series of short, interconnected tasks and mini-games. You’ll find yourself helping townsfolk with bizarre problems: rounding up escaped pigs, rigging a bakery competition, or assembling an impromptu theatre performance starring pigeons. Each task is short, punchy, and loaded with humour, making it easy to keep playing “just one more” until hours have slipped by.

Controls are simple but effective. Movement feels a little floaty at times, but it’s easy to forgive in a game that doesn’t demand precise platforming or combat. Instead, the focus is on interacting with the environment in creative ways. It’s a game that rewards curiosity — poking around corners often reveals hidden jokes, secret tasks, or unexpected visual gags.

The real star of the show is the writing. Thank Goodness You’re Here nails a very specific kind of Northern English humor: dry, self-deprecating, surreal, and delivered with perfect timing. It feels like a playable blend of The League of Gentlemen, Monty Python, and Wallace and Gromit. Dialogue is delivered in thick regional accents, packed with slang and strange turns of phrase that add flavor without feeling alienating to players unfamiliar with the dialect.

Importantly, the humor never feels forced. It doesn’t rely on cheap internet references or crude jokes. Instead, the comedy comes from strong character work, absurd situations, and a genuine affection for the weirdness of small-town life. You get the sense that the developers know these kinds of places and love them — flaws and all.

Visually, the game is utterly distinctive. The hand-drawn art style is charmingly odd, with exaggerated proportions and characters who all look just a little bit off. Animations are intentionally awkward, enhancing the game’s surreal tone. Barnsworth itself is lovingly detailed, from its crumbling stone walls to its weather-beaten bus stops.

The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly: cheerful, slightly wonky tunes play under the action, while the voice acting is a highlight. Every character sounds like someone you might overhear arguing about football in a pub — authentic, weird, and endearing.

While the game’s scattershot structure mostly works, there are moments where Thank Goodness You’re Here feels a little aimless. Tasks can start to blur together after a few hours, and without a strong overarching story, some players might wish for a bit more narrative momentum. Additionally, while the game’s humor is generally spot-on, if the specific style doesn’t click with you early on, it likely never will.

Thank Goodness You’re Here is a gleefully strange, laugh-out-loud funny adventure that offers something genuinely different. It’s short enough not to overstay its welcome (you’ll likely see most of what it has to offer in 6–8 hours) but rich enough to make every minute memorable. It might not be for everyone, but if you appreciate oddball humor, charming worlds, and games that aren’t afraid to be completely daft, you’ll find a lot to love here.

Thank Goodness someone made a game like this.

Score: 86%