We Happy Few

We Happy Few is a single-player survival action game set in the dystopian, retrofuturistic English city of Wellington Wells, where society is controlled through the mandatory use of a hallucinogenic drug called Joy. Players navigate this oppressive world through the perspectives of three distinct characters, each with their own story, as they struggle to survive and escape the system. Gameplay combines first-person exploration, stealth, crafting, and survival mechanics, with players managing hunger, thirst, and Joy intake while avoiding detection by the authoritarian regime. The game features procedurally generated environments, permadeath as an optional challenge, and a narrative driven by choices that influence character interactions and world-building.

We Happy Few: A Dystopian Masterpiece or a Flawed Experiment?

Introduction: The Promise of a Dark, Satirical World

We Happy Few is a game that dares to ask uncomfortable questions: What happens when a society chooses collective amnesia over confronting its sins? How far will people go to maintain the illusion of happiness? Set in the retrofuturistic, drug-addled dystopia of Wellington Wells, this 2018 action-adventure survival game from Compulsion Games presents a world where the populace is hooked on “Joy,” a hallucinogenic drug that erases traumatic memories—particularly those of a horrific wartime betrayal. The game’s premise is as compelling as it is unsettling, blending elements of BioShock, Dishonored, and A Clockwork Orange into a uniquely British nightmare.

Yet, We Happy Few is a game of contradictions. It boasts a rich, atmospheric world and a narrative that grapples with themes of guilt, conformity, and survival, but it stumbles in execution, leaving players with a experience that is as frustrating as it is fascinating. This review will dissect the game’s development, narrative depth, gameplay mechanics, and artistic vision to determine whether We Happy Few is a misunderstood gem or a cautionary tale of ambition outpacing polish.

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Development History & Context: From Kickstarter to Microsoft’s Embrace

A Studio’s Evolution

Compulsion Games, a Montreal-based indie studio, first gained attention with Contrast (2013), a visually striking but narratively thin puzzle-platformer. We Happy Few began as a passion project, born from creative director Guillaume Provost’s personal grief following his father’s death. The game’s early concept—a society drowning in drugs and forced smiles—was inspired by Provost’s reflections on modern prescription drug culture and the performative happiness of social media. The title itself is lifted from Shakespeare’s Henry V (“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”), a nod to the game’s themes of isolation and brotherhood in adversity.

Kickstarter and Early Access: A Double-Edged Sword

In 2015, Compulsion launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising over $266,000 to fund development. The early access version, released in July 2016, was a survival-focused roguelike with procedural generation, permadeath, and minimal narrative structure. Players were dropped into Wellington Wells with little context, tasked with scavenging, crafting, and avoiding detection. The game’s tone was darkly comedic, its art style a vibrant, psychedelic twist on 1960s Britain, and its mechanics punishing.

However, the early access build suffered from identity crises. Critics and players alike struggled to reconcile the game’s survival mechanics with its burgeoning narrative ambitions. Compulsion’s initial vision—a short, replayable survival experience—clashed with the growing demand for a deeper, story-driven game. The studio’s small size (just 12 developers at the start) meant that procedural generation was a necessity, not a choice, but it also led to repetitive environments and a lack of handcrafted detail.

The Gearbox Partnership and Microsoft’s Acquisition

In 2017, Compulsion partnered with Gearbox Publishing, a move that expanded the game’s scope and budget but also raised its price from $30 to $60. This decision alienated early backers and sparked backlash, with many accusing the studio of betraying its indie roots. Gearbox’s involvement allowed for console ports (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) and additional funding for voice acting, motion capture, and polished cinematics.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Compulsion in 2018 further complicated the game’s development. While the studio retained creative control, the pressure to deliver a “full-sized, retail game” led to a shift away from procedural generation toward a more linear, narrative-driven experience. The final product, released in August 2018, was a hybrid: a game with three distinct character arcs, handcrafted missions, and optional survival mechanics.

The Australian Ban and Thematic Controversy

We Happy Few faced its most significant pre-release hurdle in May 2018, when the Australian Classification Board refused to classify the game, effectively banning it. The Board cited the game’s drug mechanics—specifically, the use of Joy to make progression easier—as an “incentive or reward for drug use,” violating Australia’s strict guidelines. Compulsion appealed, arguing that the game’s themes mirrored those of Brave New World and Brazil, and the ban was overturned in July 2018. The controversy, however, underscored the game’s provocative nature and its willingness to tackle taboo subjects.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: A Society Built on Lies

The Setting: Wellington Wells and the “Very Bad Thing”

We Happy Few unfolds in an alternate 1964, where Germany successfully invaded England during World War II. The citizens of Wellington Wells, faced with occupation, committed the “Very Bad Thing”: they surrendered their children under the age of 13 to the Germans in exchange for their own freedom. When the war ended, the children never returned—either killed in transit or lost to history—and the survivors, wracked with guilt, turned to Joy, a drug that erased their memories and painted their world in cheerful hues.

The game’s world is divided into three districts:
– Hamlyn Village: The heart of Wellington Wells, where the “Wellies” live in a pastel-colored, propaganda-drenched utopia. Joy detectors scan for “Downers” (those who refuse the drug), and citizens wear creepy, forced-smile masks.
– The Garden District: A ruined, overgrown slum where “Wastrels” (former Wellies who’ve rejected Joy) scrape by in squalor. Here, the drug’s hallucinogenic effects are inverted, making users see eyes in the walls and hear the voices of their lost children.
– The Parade District: A militarized zone patrolled by the constabulary, where the city’s elite enforce order through violence and coercion.

The game’s alternate history is meticulously crafted, with nods to real-world events (e.g., FDR’s assassination in 1933 leading to a weaker U.S. response to the German invasion) and British culture (e.g., Uncle Jack, a sinister TV personality who spouts propaganda with the cheer of a children’s show host).

The Three Protagonists: A Study in Guilt and Redemption

We Happy Few tells its story through three playable characters, each representing a different facet of Wellington Wells’ decay:

1. Arthur Hastings (Act I)

   • Role: A meek archivist who stumbles upon a newspaper clipping about his brother, Percy, triggering a memory of the Very Bad Thing.
   • Arc: Arthur’s journey begins when he refuses his Joy and is branded a Downer. His story is one of discovery—uncovering the truth about the papier-mâché German tanks, the city’s crumbling infrastructure, and his own complicity in Percy’s fate.
   • Themes: Cowardice, survival, and the cost of memory. Arthur’s arc is the most personal, forcing players to confront his moral failings (e.g., he tricked Percy into taking his place on the train to Germany).

2. Sally Boyle (Act II)

   • Role: A brilliant chemist and single mother to Gwen, the first child born in Wellington Wells in 15 years.
   • Arc: Sally’s story revolves around protecting Gwen from a society that sees children as abominations. She must navigate the city’s underbelly, crafting drugs and bribes to secure her daughter’s escape.
   • Themes: Motherhood, sacrifice, and the lengths a parent will go to shield their child from a broken world. Sally’s arc is the most emotionally resonant, highlighting the game’s feminist undertones.

3. Ollie Starkey (Act III)

   • Role: A violent, alcoholic former soldier haunted by the hallucination of his “daughter,” Margaret.
   • Arc: Ollie’s journey is one of reckoning. He uncovers the truth about Margaret (she was actually Uncle Jack’s daughter, killed when Ollie betrayed her family to the Germans) and broadcasts Uncle Jack’s final, despairing tape to the city.
   • Themes: Guilt, vengeance, and the futility of redemption. Ollie’s arc is the most action-oriented, with a focus on combat and destruction.

Themes: Memory, Conformity, and the Illusion of Happiness

We Happy Few is a game about the dangers of escapism. Its central question—Is ignorance bliss?—permeates every aspect of its design:
– Drugs as Control: Joy is both a metaphor for anti-depressants and a critique of societal conformity. The drug doesn’t just erase pain; it erases agency, turning citizens into compliant zombies.
– The Cost of Truth: Each protagonist’s journey is about confronting uncomfortable truths. Arthur learns he sacrificed his brother; Sally realizes she can’t protect Gwen forever; Ollie discovers his “daughter” was never his.
– The Collapse of Civilization: Wellington Wells is a microcosm of societal decay. The Wellies are too drugged to notice the food shortages, the plague, or the failing infrastructure. The Wastrels, meanwhile, are too broken to rebuild.

Dialogue and Writing: Wit and Weight

The game’s writing is a standout feature, blending dark humor with genuine pathos. Uncle Jack’s broadcasts are particularly chilling, delivering propaganda with the cadence of a cheerful game show host:

“What’s the difference between a Downer and a trampoline? You take your boots off before jumping on a trampoline!”

The voice acting is superb, with standout performances from Alex Wyndham (Arthur), Charlotte Hope (Sally), and Allan James Cooke (Ollie). The British accents lend authenticity, though some Americanisms slip through (e.g., “elevator” instead of “lift”).

However, the writing isn’t without flaws. Some side quests feel underdeveloped, and the game’s tone occasionally wavers between satire and sincerity. The procedural elements also lead to repetitive NPC dialogue, undermining the immersion.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: Survival, Stealth, and Frustration

Core Gameplay Loop: Scavenge, Craft, Survive

We Happy Few blends first-person survival, stealth, and light RPG elements. The core loop involves:
1. Scavenging: Players loot houses, shops, and corpses for food, crafting materials, and weapons.
2. Crafting: Items are combined to create tools (lockpicks, healing balms), weapons (makeshift clubs, Molotov cocktails), and drugs (Joy, Sunshine, Blackberry Joy).
3. Survival Management: Hunger, thirst, and fatigue must be monitored. Sleeping in safe houses restores health but risks detection.
4. Stealth and Combat: Players can sneak past enemies, distract them, or engage in melee combat. Guns are rare, emphasizing improvisation.

The Joy Mechanic: A Double-Edged Sword

Joy is the game’s most innovative and divisive mechanic:
– Taking Joy: Renders the world in vibrant colors, lowers suspicion, and allows passage through Joy detectors. However, it impairs perception, drains health, and increases withdrawal symptoms.
– Refusing Joy: Reveals the world’s grim reality but makes the player a target for Wellies and Joy Doctors (who wield bonesaws).

The mechanic forces players to weigh short-term safety against long-term consequences, reinforcing the game’s themes. However, Joy’s effects are often more punishing than strategic, leading to frustration when withdrawal kicks in mid-mission.

Character Progression: Skill Trees and Specializations

Each protagonist has a unique skill tree:
– Arthur: Balanced, with skills for stealth, combat, and social manipulation.
– Sally: Focused on stealth, chemistry, and survival.
– Ollie: Combat-oriented, with skills for brute force and explosives.

Skills are unlocked via “Gilded Pleasure Masks” (collectibles) or quest completion. While the system adds depth, some skills feel underwhelming (e.g., “Oh, You,” which reduces suspicion when running).

Combat: Clunky but Creative

Combat is We Happy Few’s weakest link. Melee fights are sluggish, with a stamina system that punishes button-mashing. Blocking and countering are essential, but the lack of feedback makes battles feel unresponsive. Improvisation is encouraged—players can use environmental hazards (e.g., bee hives, exploding gas cans)—but the execution is often fiddly.

Stealth fares better, with distractions (e.g., throwing rocks, whistling) and disguises (e.g., wearing a Bobby’s helmet) adding tension. However, NPC detection is inconsistent, with enemies sometimes spotting the player through walls.

Procedural Generation: A Mixed Blessing

The game’s procedural elements—randomized item spawns, NPC patrols, and district layouts—were a holdover from its early access days. While this adds replayability, it also leads to:
– Repetitive Environments: The Garden District and Hamlyn Village feel samey after a few hours.
– Unpredictable Difficulty: Some playthroughs are brutally hard due to scarce resources, while others are trivial.
– Broken Quests: Procedural generation occasionally breaks scripted missions, forcing restarts.

Permadeath and Difficulty Options

Permadeath is an optional mode, adding stakes but also frustration. The game’s “Story Mode” (introduced post-launch) removes survival mechanics, allowing players to focus on narrative. This was a wise addition, as the survival elements often clash with the story’s pacing.

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World-Building, Art & Sound: A Feast for the Senses

Visual Design: A Psychedelic Nightmare

We Happy Few’s art direction is its strongest asset. The game’s retrofuturistic aesthetic—think The Prisoner meets A Clockwork Orange—is a vibrant, unsettling blend of 1960s mod culture and dystopian decay. Key features include:
– Color Palette: Joy-drenched areas burst with pastels and rainbows, while the real world is grimy and desaturated.
– Character Design: Wellies wear creepy, forced-smile masks; Wastrels are gaunt and hollow-eyed; Bobbies resemble fascist stormtroopers.
– Architecture: Wellington Wells is a patchwork of British landmarks (e.g., red phone boxes, Victorian houses) and surrealist touches (e.g., giant Joy dispensers, propaganda posters).

The game’s visuals are a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, with every detail reinforcing the themes of artificiality and decay.

Sound Design: A Haunting Soundtrack

The audio design is equally impressive:
– Voice Acting: As mentioned, the performances are top-notch, with Uncle Jack’s broadcasts standing out as particularly unnerving.
– Music: The soundtrack blends distorted 1960s rock (e.g., The Kinks, The Beatles) with original compositions. The result is a mix of cheerful nostalgia and creeping dread.
– Ambient Sounds: The hum of Joy detectors, the distant screams of Wastrels, and the cheerful jingles of Uncle Jack’s show create an immersive, oppressive atmosphere.

Atmosphere: A World That Breathes

Wellington Wells feels alive, albeit in a nightmarish way. NPCs chat about mundane topics (e.g., the weather, Uncle Jack’s latest broadcast) while ignoring corpses in the street. The city’s decay is gradual—players might notice a plague victim in one district, then see entire neighborhoods quarantined later. The game’s environmental storytelling is superb, with letters, newspapers, and graffiti hinting at the city’s dark history.

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Reception & Legacy: A Game Divided

Critical Reception: Mixed but Memorable

We Happy Few received “mixed or average” reviews, with Metacritic scores of 62 (PC), 67 (PS4), and 64 (Xbox One). Critics praised the game’s:
– Narrative and Themes: The story’s boldness and emotional weight were highlights.
– Art and Sound: The visuals and audio were universally lauded.
– Atmosphere: The world’s immersive, oppressive tone was a standout.

However, criticisms focused on:
– Gameplay Issues: Clunky combat, inconsistent stealth, and frustrating survival mechanics.
– Technical Problems: Bugs, repetitive environments, and procedural generation quirks.
– Pacing: The game’s shift from survival to narrative felt uneven.

Player Reception: Love It or Hate It

Player reactions were polarized. Some hailed the game as a cult classic, praising its ambition and atmosphere. Others dismissed it as a buggy, unfinished mess. The game’s Steam reviews are 75% positive, with many players noting that patches improved stability but didn’t fix fundamental design flaws.

Legacy: Influence and Lessons Learned

We Happy Few’s legacy is one of cautionary ambition. It proved that:
– Narrative and Survival Can Clash: The game’s shift from procedural survival to linear storytelling alienated both camps.
– Early Access Can Be a Double-Edged Sword: While it provided funding and feedback, it also set unrealistic expectations.
– Themes Matter: Despite its flaws, the game’s exploration of memory, guilt, and conformity resonated with players, ensuring its place in dystopian gaming lore.

The game’s DLCs (They Came From Below, Lightbearer, We All Fall Down) expanded the lore but didn’t address core gameplay issues. The announced film adaptation (by Gold Circle Films) suggests that the game’s world has enduring appeal.

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Conclusion: A Flawed Gem Worth Remembering

We Happy Few is a game of contradictions—a masterpiece of world-building and narrative ambition hampered by clunky mechanics and inconsistent design. It is, in many ways, a victim of its own scope, a game that tried to be too many things at once: a survival sim, a stealth adventure, a dystopian thriller, and a character-driven drama.

Yet, for all its flaws, We Happy Few is unforgettable. Its themes of memory, guilt, and the cost of happiness are as relevant today as they were in 2018. The world of Wellington Wells is one of the most vividly realized dystopias in gaming, a place that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. The game’s boldness—its willingness to tackle taboo subjects, to make players uncomfortable, to ask difficult questions—is commendable.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10 – A deeply flawed but fascinating experiment, We Happy Few is a game that deserves to be remembered, warts and all.

For players who value atmosphere and narrative over polished gameplay, We Happy Few is a must-play. For those seeking tight mechanics and seamless execution, it may prove frustrating. But for anyone interested in the potential of games as a medium for exploring complex themes, it remains a compelling, if imperfect, achievement.

In the end, We Happy Few is much like the drug at its center: a fleeting, intoxicating experience that leaves a bitter aftertaste. But sometimes, the bitterness is the point.