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We Happy Few

We Happy Few Game Cover
75%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
75% User Score Based on 13,234 reviews
Critic Score 61%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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We Happy Few Game Cover

About

We Happy Few is a single player open world role playing shooter game with horror, fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Compulsion Games and was released on August 10, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In We Happy Few, set in an alternate 1960s England, players explore a drug-induced, dystopian society. As Arthur Hastings, a "Downer" who refuses to take the happy pills, players must navigate a grim world, survive, and uncover the dark secrets of Wellington Wells. With a focus on crafting, stealth, and survival, We Happy Few invites players to question their own perception of reality.

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We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
We Happy Few screenshot
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75%
Audience ScoreBased on 13,234 reviews
story3.5k positive mentions
stability1.2k negative mentions
  • story
    10,137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *We Happy Few* is widely praised for its complexity and depth, featuring a dystopian narrative set in an alternate post-WWII England where citizens are forced to take a drug called "Joy" to maintain a facade of happiness. Players experience the story through three distinct protagonists—Arthur, Sally, and Ollie—each with their own unique perspectives and character arcs that intertwine throughout the game. While the storytelling is engaging and filled with dark humor, many reviewers note that the gameplay can be tedious and repetitive, often relying on fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the narrative and world-building elements are compelling enough to keep players invested, making it a recommended play for those who prioritize story over gameplay mechanics.

    • “I've experienced the story multiple times and always learn something new.”
    • “The story is compelling and offers replayability; the game has a beautiful art style which perfectly fits the narrative.”
    • “The story is rich in dark humor and irony, and the characters are well-developed, with unique motivations and emotional arcs.”
    • “When it started focusing on the storytelling, the game's gameplay loop suffered.”
    • “If they would've just made a linear game and focused on the story and narrative, then the game would be genius.”
    • “The main story is boring and the survival, crafting, and combat are bland.”
  • gameplay
    3,684 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *We Happy Few* has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive and tedious nature, particularly due to the survival mechanics that require constant management of health, hunger, and joy levels. While some appreciate the unique setting and narrative depth, others criticize the clunky combat and stealth systems, which often feel unpolished and frustrating. Overall, the game is seen as a compelling story-driven experience, but the gameplay mechanics can detract significantly from the enjoyment, leading to a recommendation to approach it with patience or to wait for a sale.

    • “The gameplay in We Happy Few offers an enjoyable experience, although the stealth mechanics can occasionally feel tedious.”
    • “Overall, while the stealth elements may need refinement, the engaging gameplay and innovative character perspectives make We Happy Few a compelling journey worth exploring.”
    • “It has riveting gameplay and a great story!”
    • “When it started focusing on the storytelling, the game's gameplay loop suffered.”
    • “The game’s survival mechanics can sometimes feel like a chore, as managing your character’s needs can become repetitive and tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely frustrating half of the time.”
  • graphics
    1,572 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "We Happy Few" are often praised for their unique art style, which blends a retro-futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of the 1960s with a dystopian undertone, drawing comparisons to titles like "Bioshock." While many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and character designs, some criticize the game's graphical fidelity as dated and marred by bugs and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, the art direction is seen as a strong point, enhancing the game's narrative, despite the technical shortcomings.

    • “The game’s art direction is a standout, with a retro-futuristic aesthetic that combines the cheerful veneer of 1960s pop culture with the grim undertones of a dystopian society.”
    • “The graphics are wonderfully stylized, the voice acting and general audio cues and music support the visuals and worldbuilding wonderfully, and the storyline and dialogue are so good that they sometimes got a little too real and led to me needing to pause the game for a minute.”
    • “The art style is great and sucks you in with its bright aesthetic and unique colour palette.”
    • “Terrible graphics, repeated use of character designs, sub-par mechanics.”
    • “The graphics feel very last gen and it's full of glitches and bugs.”
    • “The game is littered with graphical errors and game-breaking bugs.”
  • stability
    1,228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of "We Happy Few" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as a "buggy mess" filled with glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While some players find the bugs amusing or manageable, others report game-breaking issues that hinder progress, particularly in quests and NPC interactions. Overall, the game is perceived as unpolished and in need of further updates to address its numerous technical problems, making it difficult for some players to fully enjoy the experience.

    • “Whereas the first area is almost bug free, you'd be able to freely enjoy the artistic atmosphere of the game and just soak in the British vibe it offers.”
    • “Looks beautiful and runs great on my system.”
    • “To my surprise, from the short time I played and the other reviews I read, it is not buggy, which is excellent.”
    • “Glitches, bugs and broken saves make the game unbearable.”
    • “I literally cannot progress at this point due to how buggy it is.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess; I have experienced a lot of mission-breaking bugs, cosmetic bugs, NPCs randomly teleporting, and terrain issues with the procedural generation.”
  • humor
    557 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "We Happy Few" is characterized by its dark, ironic, and often absurd British wit, which resonates well with players who appreciate a blend of comedy and tragedy. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke laughter through quirky character interactions, clever dialogue, and humorous glitches, although some players find the humor inconsistent or overshadowed by the game's darker themes. Overall, the game's unique atmosphere and comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, making it a memorable experience for those who enjoy a mix of humor and dystopian storytelling.

    • “The story is rich in dark humor and irony, and the characters are well-developed, with unique motivations and emotional arcs.”
    • “It's funny yet serious and very, very clever.”
    • “The level of humor and the little twists in the story are just brilliant!”
    • “The humor is cringey, with only 1 out of every 20 jokes landing.”
    • “The jokes often miss the mark, making the humor feel forced and awkward.”
    • “Most of the attempts at humor fall flat, leaving a sense of disappointment.”
  • music
    535 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "We Happy Few" has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful, atmospheric quality that complements the game's unique aesthetic and narrative. Many players appreciate the nostalgic 1960s-inspired soundtrack, particularly praising the fictional band "The Make Believes" and the emotional depth conveyed through the music. However, some critiques mention a lack of variety in the soundtrack, leading to moments of repetitiveness, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The soundtrack is filled with unsettling tunes that match the game’s tone, and the voice acting is top-notch, with each character delivering their lines with the right amount of emotion and nuance.”
    • “The music and OST is a 10/10, and the art style and details of the characters and things are magnificent!”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, especially if you like bands like the Beatles since a lot of it is in that style as there's even an in-game band called the Make Believes that has a similar sound.”
    • “Disliked the music and honestly it was depressing to play in parts but not because I was connected with the story or anything worthwhile.”
    • “The musical score is so limited it ends up driving you a little mad… which could have played well into the game given the dystopian layout, unfortunately it wasn’t well done enough to seem intentional.”
    • “The soundtrack fits the game, but there is so little variety that it just becomes annoying that whenever there is a radio on, you hear one of two songs.”
  • atmosphere
    520 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "We Happy Few" is widely praised for its unique blend of eerie, dystopian elements reminiscent of the "Bioshock" series, characterized by striking character designs, vibrant yet unsettling environments, and a compelling soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create an immersive world filled with dark humor and irony, although some note that technical issues and repetitive gameplay can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, drawing players into its bizarre and thought-provoking narrative.

    • “The ambient sounds also contribute to the oppressive atmosphere, whether it’s the cheerful propaganda broadcasts or the distant sounds of violence.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game has to be one of the strongest points this game has to offer, especially when entering the joy towns.”
    • “I absolutely adore the atmosphere, the psychedelic 60's aesthetic fits the tone of the game perfectly, the soundtrack is amazing and I recommend you go listen to it immediately.”
    • “They stripped away the challenge and atmosphere of the early access, bloated it up with empty filler (a completely empty island for example that was announced as a grand content update), and shoved the unfinished result out to the market.”
    • “As people say, it's a mix of Bioshock with no one lives forever in style, but after 5 hours I lost interest as the world has little to no atmosphere or interaction outside of missions; it doesn't feel lived in, so it has no immersion.”
    • “Plus there are a lot of unresolved bugs that really take away from the atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    374 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of "We Happy Few" has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops and bugs, even on high-end systems. While some updates and DLCs have improved the situation, the game still suffers from inconsistent performance and is considered poorly optimized overall. Players recommend purchasing the game on Steam for a better experience, as performance varies significantly across platforms.

    • “The DLCs fixed most of the optimization issues though, since the DLCs were way more linear in comparison.”
    • “Gampley with the keyboard and mouse is superb and the game seems well optimized to me.”
    • “Stunning graphics, and good optimization (smooth ~70fps on a i7 7700k / 1060 3gb / 16gb / 2560x1440 144hz monitor).”
    • “At launch, We Happy Few was plagued with technical issues, including bugs, glitches, and performance problems.”
    • “The game is incredibly poorly optimized; I won't go into the details but you can tell the renderer is making way too many driver calls.”
    • “I want to love this game but the bugs and poor performance hold it back, like how I can run the game at 4K or 1080p and get almost the same FPS; that is a big sign of poor optimization.”
  • grinding
    349 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "We Happy Few" is frequently criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the numerous fetch quests and the extensive walking required to complete objectives. While some appreciate the game's story and characters, they often feel that the gameplay mechanics, including inventory management and survival needs, detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging adventure. Overall, players recommend the game for its narrative but caution that it demands patience due to its grindy nature.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Also, while there was no grinding involved, it felt so grindy.”
    • “The game’s survival mechanics can sometimes feel like a chore, as managing your character’s needs can become repetitive and tedious.”
    • “Most quests are tedious, busy work that requires walking all the way across the map, just to turn around and walk back.”
    • “Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, the gameplay quickly becomes tedious – not just the fact that it makes you wander back-and-forth across the whole map just for the sake of it, but also the drug mechanic, which quickly becomes a massive pain rather than entertaining.”
  • emotional
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "We Happy Few" is characterized by a blend of dark humor and poignant storytelling, with well-developed characters that evoke a range of feelings from laughter to heartbreak. While some players found the narrative deeply engaging and emotionally impactful, others criticized the game for lacking a compelling mystery and for its uneven pacing, which detracted from the emotional immersion. Overall, the game is noted for its ability to create a rich emotional experience, despite some gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The strange, alternate-history sci-fi world of We Happy Few is compelling in its storytelling, balancing its tragedy with occasional absurdist comedy timed perfectly to liven things up without detracting from the emotional impact of climactic beats.”
    • “Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed every minute I spent inside this game and the emotional intensity occasionally left me a sobbing wreck under my desk, but I have no regrets whatsoever.”
    • “The writers really outdid themselves; the story is so heart-wrenching, and you could say the last edition to We Happy Few finished with a big bang.”
    • “However, a boring story and weak combat mechanics make the game a big let down.”
    • “Just no, bad combat and boring story.”
    • “Stay away from such a beta state game... vast open fields of nothing interesting... terrible game mechanics... boring story... not as quirky or as fun as it seems to be.”
  • replayability
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally praised, particularly due to its procedural generation, which allows for a fresh experience with each playthrough and offers various playstyles. However, some players note that the repetitive nature of certain elements and the ease of achieving 100% completion can diminish long-term replay value. Overall, while many find the game infinitely replayable, others feel it lacks depth for sustained engagement after multiple runs.

    • “Every time you start a new game, the map and all collectibles regenerate, which makes it infinitely replayable.”
    • “Amazing atmosphere, interesting story, and high replayability.”
    • “The replayability is high due to the random world and the variety of playstyles you can choose from (murder-boner rampage, max stealth non-lethal, max joy, joyless, or anywhere in-between).”
    • “The worst part, however, is that there's no real replay value in my opinion.”
    • “Has little replay value and isn't worth the $60.”
    • “Even with the regeneration of the environment, the game ultimately has low replayability as you can achieve 100% completion quite easily.”
  • character development
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is notably inconsistent, with some players praising the distinct personalities and engaging stories of the main protagonists, while others criticize the lack of growth for the main character and the repetitive nature of NPCs. The character designs are often described as bizarre and striking, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere, but many feel that the overall character development is thin and fails to enhance the narrative. Overall, while the art and design elements are well-received, the depth of character development leaves much to be desired.

    • “The three main protagonists each bring their own endearing personalities and qualities, and I found myself genuinely invested in their stories and character development.”
    • “Character design and story are wonderfully crafted, with some really interesting and hilarious dialogue to be found.”
    • “I recommend buying this on sale and also getting the season pass with it, as the season pass will give you so much more content and, arguably, access to the 'We All Fall Down' DLC, which is my favorite by far - it is incredibly polished with more character development, good story, and interesting weapons/movement.”
    • “The main character is quite unlikeable and doesn't really have any character development at all - he is still mostly the same unbearable guy as at the very start.”
    • “The game never provides new NPCs, it never provides story, it never provides character development, and it fails pretty horribly at just being a boring game.”
    • “But it is to say that NPC character development and side quests are disappointingly thin (think of the soup).”
  • monetization
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many reviewers labeling it a "cash grab" due to aggressive marketing and the introduction of season passes and DLC shortly after launch. Players feel misled by advertisements that promised a rich gameplay experience, only to find a lackluster product that prioritizes profit over quality. Despite some positive feedback on the DLC, the overall sentiment suggests that the game's monetization practices overshadow its potential.

    • “It's just a hollow shell of a game and now it's another AAA season pass cash grab.”
    • “Combine that with the fact there is a season pass announced for another $20 and you know this game is a cash grab.”
    • “It was hyped, but it turns out they put more money into advertising than actual development.”
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61%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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23h Median play time
33h Average play time
20h Main story
66h Completionist
7-50h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 168 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

We Happy Few is a open world role playing shooter game with horror, fantasy and historical themes.

We Happy Few is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

The main story can be completed in around 20 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 66 hours to finish. On average players spend around 33 hours playing We Happy Few.

We Happy Few was released on August 10, 2018.

We Happy Few was developed by Compulsion Games.

We Happy Few has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

We Happy Few is a single player game.

Similar games include Chernobylite, Metro Exodus, DESOLATE, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Breathedge and others.