After an impressive E3 trailer put it on my radar, I’ve been looking forward to diving into the retro-futuristic alternative world of We Happy Few. Now that the Steam Early Access version has released, I got the chance to play and see what all the joy-obsessed delusion was about.

Dropped into an alternative post war 1960’s England, players must discover the disturbing secrets of the drug-addled populous. Hiding in plain sight is the only way to escape the bizarrely happy city of Wellington Wells. Feigning conformity and practicing stealth, the player navigates toward the truth behind why the citizens are so eager to take their Joy (the game’s happy pills) and forget all about the events of the past.

The early access version omits the game’s story, instead focusing on mechanics. While this version has most of the planned features already incorporated, Compulsion Games plans to roll out even more content for the final release.

Watch this video to see the first 30 minutes of gameplay from the We Happy Few early access release.

About the Author

Joanna Mueller

Joanna Mueller is a lifelong gamer who used to insist on having the Super Mario Bros manual read to her as a bedtime story. Now she's reading Fortnite books to her own kiddo while finally making use of her degree to write about games as Cliqist's EIC.

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