Yorkshire-based game developer Coal Supper have followed up their ultra-brief 2019 oddity, The Good Time Garden, with this astonishingly assured, exquisitely animated tale of a travelling salesman who gets roped into assisting the assorted residents of a fictional northern English town called Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You’re Here! goes deep into its historical Yorkshire roots right from its dialect-heavy title screen (‘English’ is also an option) and its opening montage of 50s/60s cine film depicting ginnels, factories and coalmines. The game itself contrasts with that scene-setting nicely: its bold, colourful clear-line animation bringing the ridiculous story to vivid life.

Players must navigate Barnsworth (sometimes tricky without a map or quest log) while helping its scattered citizens with various whimsical tasks. These folk are beautifully animated and voiced with utter charm by comedy performers including Matt Berry, Em Humble and Chris Cantrill. Each is imbued with an exacerbated cadence so they sound like adult versions of the supporting players from Wallace And Gromit. Standout characters include a pair of bickering young supermarket workers, a handyman trying to avoid the advances of a randy fish and chip shop owner, and a conspiracy theorist demanding ‘bring back asbestos’. A particular highlight is the convoluted backstory of Roger the greengrocer and his oddly shaped head. Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a sublime piece of entertainment, as much cartoon as game, with a hilarious script performed by an absolutely top-drawer cast. Developers James Carbutt and Will Todd (who also contribute to the performances) have a style that’s unlike anything else around. 

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is out now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5.