We Happy Few – PAX East 2015 Hands On

In November of 2013, Compulsion Games released a puzzle platformer entitled Contrast. As a linear experience which was released before gamers could give their feedback on the development process, Complusion is taking a different route with their newest game, We Happy Few. With a kickstarter launching in the coming weeks and then plans to release the game first on Steam Early Access, the developers are looking for fans to participate in the development process.

While Contrast took place in the 1920’s, We Happy Few is set in the “drugful joys” of England’s 1960s. The game is being described as a first person, alternative rogue-like survival game where each playthrough is procedurally generated. The developers expect each playthrough to consist of three to four hours of gameplay. Since each playthrough will not be the same as the previous and the game will be easy to modify, they’re expecting the replay value to be very high for We Happy Few.

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The inhabitants of this England city are hooked on a drug called Joy. When one takes the drug, the environment becomes somewhat blurred as if you’re riding the wave of a high. As you come down from Joy, the once colorful retro yet futuristic world becomes a boring black and white. The face of the city, Captain Jack, broadcasts his daily reminders to the citizens on televisions throughout the city. He will instruct everyone on how to be happy by reminding them to shower, get dressed, take their joy, and even play “Simon Says”.

Everyone in We Happy Few are wearing white masks which are equipped with fake smiles. Clearly the abuse of Joy makes it harder for people to smile naturally and therefore an artifical grin becomes necessary. While not intentional, there are parrallels to the City of Smiles of the 1930s in Budapest. Here citizens of post World War 1 were committing suicide at a rapid rate, many inspired by the song “Gloomy Sunday”. To combat this epidemic, a Smile Club was created where they promised to teach people how to smile like famous celebrities of the era.

In-game mechanics for We Happy Few are familiar to those who play many first person survival games. You’ll be collecting items throughout the city and then crafting items such a lock picks, health, and weapons. The game will display meters for your health, food, and water levels as they start to diminish. It is essential to replenish these items or else you will die and have to start your playthrough over again. Players should stay on the move looking for these items as if you’re caught loitering, the other people in town will become suspicious, which results in them chasing you down and killing you. Not a pleasant experience.

Compulsion Games have an interesting premise on their hands. The current state of the game is in pre-alpha but what we were able to play gave us confidence that the game is heading in the right direction. We look forward to hearing more about their kickstarter and how they plan to include gamers into the drugful joy of We Happy Few.