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When talking about games, the term “indie” is usually understood to mean small, simplistic games developed by tiny studios, but in the case of We Happy Few, I prefer to use the film understanding of indie: artsy, pretentious and definitely not for everyone.

We Happy Few comes to us from small Canadian studio Compulsion Games. The closest thing I can liken it to is the Bioshock series, both in terms of gameplay and story, although in this case the story is less Ayn Rand and more George Orwell. It’s an immersive firstperson, role-playing-ish action game set in an alternate 1960s British town called Wellington Wells after the Nazis won World War 2.

The place is oddly cheery, but that’s only until you start to uncover evidence of the great shame the inhabitants of the town bear and the mood-improving drug, Joy, they’re all required to take.

The player controls three characters, each with a different story and scenario, as they try to escape the town and the influence of Joy. The townsfolk and the police are always on the lookout for “downers” — people who refuse to take Joy — and attack on sight. It’s up to the player to decide how to handle each encounter, by sneaking around or engaging in open combat with a variety of improvised weapons such as branches, rocks and syringes.

The player can also choose to complete optional side quests to gain skill points to boost their character’s abilities. The layout of the various areas in the game is randomly generated every time a new game is started. There are also areas in which the player will find it difficult to progress unhindered unless they’re wearing the right clothes or behaving in a certain way, which is one of the unique aspects of the game.

But despite all these clever bits, the nifty visuals and interesting setting, it’s a bit on the clunky side and ultimately doesn’t quite come together to be more than the sum of its parts — which these types of games really need to do. LS Matthew Vice