We Happy Few

Whilst I've seen the amount of bugs and glitches that have been mentioned online, I must say that besides those I'm pleasantly surprised. Good story, interesting mechanics and a killer artstyle in my opinion. Might not be groundbreaking, but certainly pleasant.

i first played this game back on my PS4 a couple of years ago. it was one of the first games i managed to play all of the way through with virtually no help. it was really fun, had quite an engaging story to it, and it also really sucked me in on some of the drama and backstory that the remember masks gave you. i love the level of depth the game had to it, on top of the amount of secret stuff you could get. i could kind of understand why people didn't like it so much when it first came out, but i've had no issues with the game at all in the many years i've played it.

when i got steam for my laptop, i decided to get this game and play it again, and i liked how seamless the change from controller to keyboard was. i didn't find myself struggling too much, but my fingers are naturally small, so it's already a challenge to reach certain keys and stay there anyways, haha.

i like this game. i could honestly say i love it. i mean, i've had no bugs or glitches, no lag; it's fun!

Glitchy, laggy. Incoherent story. Wandering around for ages; all you ever seem to do is spend time trying not to be spotted. Promising start but quickly went downhill.

My new favorite game! I love the world, the story, and the morally ambiguous characters who are very human in their mistakes and mannerisms and trying to do better/escape a world that's completely lost the plot. I will definitely return for more playthroughs in the future, trying to get all the achievements and the DLCs!

We Happy Few by Compulsion Games is a compelling and ambitious journey into a dystopian world where societal control is maintained through mandatory happiness, delivered via a mysterious drug called "Joy." Set in an alternate-history 1960s England, the game blends elements of survival, stealth, and narrative-driven gameplay to create a unique experience.

Story and Atmosphere
The story is the game's strongest aspect. The colorful, retro-futuristic world of Wellington Wells is darkly charming, filled with chilling undertones of conformity and repression. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of three protagonists, each with distinct motivations and gameplay styles. Arthur Hastings, Sally Boyle, and Ollie Starkey bring unique perspectives to the societal decay and ethical dilemmas underpinning the world.

The art style is striking, with its exaggerated, eerie caricatures and a pastel palette that contrasts sharply with the grim undertones of the story. The hauntingly upbeat soundtrack complements the uneasy atmosphere, amplifying the game's surreal vibe.

Gameplay
Gameplay is a mix of survival mechanics, exploration, and stealth. While it offers moments of intrigue, it can feel uneven. Crafting and scavenging are central, but inventory management can become cumbersome. Stealth sections are tense but sometimes suffer from inconsistent AI.

The game also incorporates permadeath and procedural generation, which add replay value but can disrupt the narrative flow. Exploration is rewarding, with hidden stories and side quests scattered throughout Wellington Wells. However, repetitive objectives and limited variety in environments occasionally detract from the immersion.

Performance and Polish
At launch, We Happy Few faced criticism for its technical issues, including frequent bugs, frame rate drops, and crashes. While many issues have been addressed through updates, some quirks remain, which can break immersion.

Final Thoughts
We Happy Few is a bold and imaginative game that stands out for its narrative depth and unique aesthetic. However, its ambition is sometimes undercut by uneven gameplay mechanics and technical hiccups. For those who can overlook these flaws, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of societal control and the cost of manufactured happiness.

Rating: 7/10
If you’re a fan of dystopian tales and can tolerate some rough edges, We Happy Few is worth a play. It may not deliver a perfect experience, but its originality and atmosphere make it a memorable one.

Very fun and unique game. Have played through 4 times and am contemplating a 5th!

Just awful. My second attempt at playing it through but I've just decided to give up again. This time for good. Why? The game is very repetitive, the sneaking is broken and the fighting, when absolutely necessary, is useless. Also I've been trying to find some shredded raincoat for 4h so I could progress in the story but the one time I finally did, I died on my way out of the home and lost it from my inventory. I'm simply too frustrated to keep playing and had no fun playing so far anyway.

Very unique style game. I enjoyed it but there were dull and repetitive moments. There was times were I wasn't sure exactly how to progress. Still overall good.

Fantastic game. Don't play the day 1 release tho. If you can work through the bugs it's a lovely tribute to the 1960s London, the style, and the music of the era. It's all wrapped up in a Fahrenheit 451 & 1984 fever dream.


8.5/10

Also the DLCs are a must have to complete the story.
--Roger & James 10/10
--Lightbearer 8/10
--We all Fall Down 9/10

A beautiful, tedious mess of a game. Honestly great and clever story but tedious open world that is fun to my sensibilities of stupid games but I can see how most people wouldn’t like it

if you want to love life and skip happily while smelling the roses then play this game (i love this game so much im actually insane)

I wanted to like this game, but there really isn't anything here. The game reminds me of thief and dishonored. However, this game lacks the depth of story and cinematics of either game. The combat mechanics and general quality of life mechanics does not even get close to either game. This game commits the worse sin, it makes me want to play a different game.

the game is good it's a little slow in certain areas but overall it's a good game, don't listen to the people that didn't even make it past the first character portion, an don't listen to anybody that hasn't actually tried to play the game because I've seen a lot of people complaining about the baby bit but yet it's super easy because you can get a automatic feeder and you never have to go back to him again but these people don't know because they didn't actually bother to play the game and much more

love the art & design.
but not loving the gameplay & mechanics.

maybe it's not for me.
maybe i'll revisit this game later.

but not too soon.

Very creative, different style, and a lot of fun to play.

We Happy Few is a game with such an immersive world it's unbelievable! The game’s vibe and overall look are so awesome! There's this 1960s England feel you really get to experience that vibe of a post-war f-ed up society. The story is dark and really pulls you in, all about a society hooked on drugs to forget their past. The world feels very alive and full of little details that make it super immersive. I’ve been playing it on another platform and just bought it on Steam to support the developers. Loved this one and would recommend to anyone!

Fantastic Early access. Very interesting ideas and themes.
Everyone said "This looks like a Gearbox game".
Then Gearbox threw a hunting knife into a tree and made We Happy Few squeal like a piggy
Sad 3/10.

I'm so confused by some of the negative reviews here. This game is BRILLIANT and highly underrated. It's unique, completely one of a kind and the story, game play, characters, music is an incredible experience. This is actually the best game I've ever played! It has something for everyone. I could not love it and recommend it more!

We Happy Few is a must-own title for any gamer who loves survival open world titles and quality world building. It has a fascinating story of a comically-dark dystopia.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3368529832

a nice story with horrible janky gameplay that feels like garbage to play. extremely overpriced mess. the story and music is nice but there is nothing else

We Happy Few is set after an alternate ending to WWII where the English families had to send their children away to Germany for an unknown reason which led to the people of Wellington Wells inventing a drug called Joy to keep all those sad memories away, making them happy and ignorant of the real world outside their town. the story begins with Arthur and him getting a glimpse of a memory of his brother and refusing to take anymore Joy to try and remember fully what happened to him and fleeing the town to do so. along the way he meets, among others, two characters which are a part of the main story taking place once Arthur's side finishes and one character at the very start who is involved in the final DLC that brings the game to the conclusion of what happened to everyone else that stayed in Wellington Wells.

the two other main story perspectives see us play as Sally and Ollie, each with their own uniquely different playstyles that might take a bit to get used to, especially since they each have something that holds them back, something the player has to maintain and stay on top of. all three characters intertwine throughout the story and we get to see both perspectives whenever the main characters converse with one another. through them we also get to see the background story evolving, how the town and people around them are slowly becoming more and more aware of the unsustainable Joy-altering reality culminating with the final DLC and the shattering disillusioned reality. all three characters escape the town of Wellington Wells in different manners finding the unknowing future a lot brighter than the past they left behind.

there are three DLCs total revolving around three different protagonists and people around them that we all met during the main story at some point.

They Came From Below DLC is about Roger & James trying to find out what happened to dr. Faraday after she vanished. they're both entertaining during the main game but get to really shine in their own little story, letting us get to know them even better. it's a charming and quirky story that switches to FPS as we play as one of the boys fighting invading robots who have more depth to them than we're led to believe.

Lightbearer DLC is about Nick the Lightbearer, the pop idol that had quite a nasty "fall" in the main game. the story continues from there but has the feeling of it not really fitting with the rest of the game because it evolves parts of his life that feel more like reliving the past and his glory rather than what is really happening currently around town. there's a really not-so-subtle part of his story that confirms to us his "fall" was more permanent that we were left to believe and this is his way of finding peace and happiness after it. the way he plays is uniquely his style, using his guitar to charm his fans and drugs to heal up.

We All Fall Down DLC is about Victoria Byng and the definitive ending of the game. her playstyle is using her whip to defeat enemies as well as to get to higher places which feels a ton of fun. throughout her story we learn more about the history of Joy and eventual downfall of both it and the town and end up in a brutally depressing, but realistically needed, dawn of the world of We Happy few and the people of Wellington Wells.

the game has a ton of quests, both required and optional, that the player can find in both Wellington Wells and the Garden District, each quirkier than the next.
the Garden District sections are open fields with destroyed houses and streets riddled with downers, people who have become resistant to the effects of Joy and were therefore cast out.
Wellington Wells on the other hand is a civilized town that requires certain degree of civility and forced behaviour so as not to disturb the happiness of Joy users.
as the game progresses both districts of the game become progressively harder to play through, but the skill system implemented more than makes up for it by allowing certain things outside the norm. if finishing all the quests one can find then the skill tree is able to be unlocked completely, without missing out on the positives it offers. there's a wide variety of weapons that the player can either craft, loot from enemies or find amongst piles of trash, as well as healing items, gadgets and other craftable items that can make looting houses easier and a more satisfying experience.

there's also a Survival mode under Arcade which offers a sandbox experience that makes the game a lot harder than the main story without any of the quests and extra characters. the goal is to explore, loot and craft to find the bridge keycards to progress onto the next island and boat capacitors to power the boat used to escape. it's a great mode for experienced We Happy Few players especially when getting the randomized seed that makes it brutally hard without feeling punishing.

the game has a typical English humour which is always a joy, especially when the story is set in such a depressing moment in albeit altered history. every character in the game, even side characters, has a unique charm and personality that's understandable and forgivable because of their checkered past. it's a game that proposes a different outcome to one of the two most famous and brutal wars in our history and gives us a story that shows us what happens when you pretend and ignore instead of accept and move on.

Fun open world and so many quests, you'll never be bored playing

Very fun and interesting game.

played this a while back and recently installed it again, I 100% recommend this if you like story intense based games. The combat part of the game is decent but the abilities carry hard.

I was waiting for this game.It could have been the best game
but clearly it was rushed that resulting poor performance and boring mission content.

my all time favourite game. is 100% better on pc

the only instance when doing drugs helps you get through life

I enjoyed the first part despite the numerous glitches but later into the game you end up playing through another character's story.. so essentially all your progress gets reset, you're dumped in a later game area, you have even less ability to craft things and the game revolves around having to constantly run back to the starting area while throwing back-to-back stressful situations at you...

AI is psychic, if you annoy one person, everyone in town will become mad at you even if they didn't see you or anyone chasing. Screaming MURDERER even if all you did was accidentally run in front of someone..

I am curious how the story ends though, I might eventually force my way through it but I'm very annoyed at how the rug was pulled out on this one..

Includes such exciting gameplay features as hiding out behind a house for 10 minutes waiting for the withdrawal effects to wear off... (While timers slowly tick away) and glitches such as respawning with the death screen (So being functionally blind) or being electrocuted repeatedly for no reason what-so-ever by various trap systems even when following the given instructions..

And that's just what really annoyed me.. To sum it up without too much more text: A walking simulator in a weird universe that so far gives more questions than answers. You can run, but be prepared to be beaten for it.

Honestly, just go watch a lets play..

it has a good story but it has a lot of backtracking

Joy makes everything go away.

Just take your joy and smile

It's a bit boring in the beggining with Arty, but it gets better. The story is unique compared to lots of similar games and it's interesting to get to the point of it.

I love this game <3

Love this game. It's very long. I haven't finished it yet, but I look forward to picking it back up later. I find that I enjoy that aspect of this game. I don't get so lost in it that I accidentally play 10 hours in a row. BUT I'm still engaged throughout when I'm playing. It's mucho bueno.

great for story EXCLUSIVELY, the gameplay is a snoozefest

We Happy Few is a unique survival adventure game developed by Compulsion Games, set in a dystopian alternate history where joy is enforced through a drug called "Joy." Released in 2018, the game blends elements of stealth, exploration, and crafting in a richly stylized world reminiscent of 1960s Britain, complete with vibrant visuals and a haunting atmosphere.

Graphics and Design: 8/10

The art style of We Happy Few is one of its standout features. The game employs a striking visual aesthetic, combining colorful, almost whimsical designs with a dark, unsettling undertone. The environments are meticulously crafted, from the cheerful streets of Wellington Wells to the ominous, dilapidated outskirts. This contrast effectively immerses players in the eerie yet captivating world.

Gameplay: 7/10

The gameplay in We Happy Few is a mix of survival mechanics and narrative-driven exploration. Players must navigate a society obsessed with happiness while avoiding the Watchers and other dangers. Stealth is often crucial, as direct confrontation can lead to overwhelming odds. The crafting system allows players to create tools and items, adding depth to the survival aspect. However, the mechanics can feel clunky at times, which may disrupt the flow of gameplay.

Story and Themes: 8/10

We Happy Few's narrative is both intriguing and thought-provoking. The story revolves around themes of conformity, addiction, and the pursuit of happiness at any cost. Players control three distinct characters, each with their own backstories and motivations, which adds layers to the overall narrative. The storytelling is rich, with plenty of lore to discover through environmental storytelling and collectible items.

Replayability: 7/10

While the game has a compelling story and engaging world, its replayability can be limited. Once you experience the main narrative and explore the various character arcs, there may be less incentive to return. However, the different playstyles and choices available can encourage players to approach the game from new angles.

Overall: 7.5/10

We Happy Few is an ambitious title that offers a captivating blend of survival, exploration, and storytelling in a uniquely crafted world. Its striking visuals and thought-provoking themes set it apart from other games in the genre. While it has its shortcomings in gameplay mechanics, the experience it provides is still worthwhile for those who enjoy narrative-driven adventures. If you're drawn to dystopian settings and enjoy a mix of stealth and survival, We Happy Few is a journey worth taking, even if it stumbles at times.

We Happy Few is a strange, intense game set in a creepy, dystopian world where everyone has to take pills to stay happy. The trippy visuals and dark story keep you hooked as you try to survive. You’ll have to make tough choices about what’s right and wrong, which adds to the tension. If you like games with a weird vibe and interesting stories, this one’s definitely worth a shot.

the game started really good but became worst after finishing act 1. wont write any spoiler but im very disappointed from the game.

very good game. love the graphics even when they are on low cus my pc fucking sucks . i recomend it
the story is fucking awsome. love the stelth the combt i love everything about it.

Many people are complaining about bugs and rightly so, because there are many but after almost 230h of playing I'm yet to encounter a game breaking bug. The occasionally levitating people and sitting mid air just make the game so much more interesting. Playing WHF is such a unique experience, the story is really good, soundtrack amazing and for an indie game the graphics are not too shabby.

5/10 it has some fun

I just hate level design. Going for procedural generation was a mistake

Fun unique RPG playstyle.

I unleash the beast on anything that moves.

I liked this loads but kinda too sappy at times with the stories. The theme and music was brilliant though. Can't go wrong with weird retro looking games.

ميسي الالعاب

so good

it good

We Happy Few is a game that has a wonderful and complex story to is. I've experienced the story multiples times and always learn something new. As for the downsides, well... game is pricey and the gameplay can be uncomfortably wonky at time. To become fully immersed in this world, a player has to just incorporate the wonkiness into their mental acceptance. With that said, I may have smacked the mouse and keyboard a few times in frustration.

A classic game for me and always fun to come back to play. Amazing story line and great DLCs.

Buggy, unclear and ultimately boring. Not at all what I thought I was getting into, and just ultimately frustrating. Would not recommend.