Developer: Billy Goat Entertainment Ltd
Publisher: Billy Goat Entertainment Ltd
RRP: £9.99 (Steam), £13.99 (Humblebundle)
Released: 7th December 2016
Available on: Steam and Humblebundle
Played Using: An Xbox 360 Control Pad
Approximate game length: 2 hours
Travelling through the depths of space can be hard on the soul, but it’s nothing that a piping hot cup of tea can’t fix. Any problem can be solved with the right amount of tea, ignoring the problem til it solves itself, grumbling and tea, which is yet another reason why it’s clear that the British are best suited for any and all space related matters… well at least we think so.
Point and click adventure games, I swear more and more of them are popping up all the time. Not that I’m complaining if that is the case, I just find it odd that a genre that seemed to almost entirely dead has suddenly regrown. I
admit I have something of a soft spot for point and click adventures. Perhaps its because during my formative years this genre was one of my staples, more so than FPS or even RTS (which I played a lot of). So, if you haven’t already guessed from the above paragraph, Her Majesty’s Spiffing is a point and click adventure game, one that’s packed with comedy and, for lack of a better word, Britishness.
The first decision and puzzle of the game revolves around finding out who’s going to make the tea and then the making thereof. The decision itself is a foregone conclusion either way, but its a conversation that I’ve had many a time with my family. Never have I felt more British.Actually on the subject of puzzles, most of the puzzles that occur are are solved from within the inventory. One thing that must be praised is that several of the puzzles can be solved in different ways, this is quite unusual for a point and click game. In fact I’ve only really seen that done with some of the older Lucasarts games and even then only on the ones that featured a more advanced difficulty setting.
It’s got to be said that the main draw of this game is the humour not just in the writing (which is actually pretty damn good) but also in the small details. For me any game that opens with a joke about certain political… events that have happened in the UK involving the EU gets an instant plus from me. However… this game is guilty of falling into genre tropes a bit too heavily, sure they frame it as a joke but just because you poke fun at a genre trope or system doesn’t mean that making me do it is parody or even particular funny. Thankfully the game doesn’t do that often, but considering its length once is still a bit too much.
Yeah, that’s something that really must be addressed, the game lasts about two hours. For many I’m sure that may be a deal breaker considering how much it costs. For me however I feel that I got more than what I paid for and then some. The only real shame being that the ending clearly sets up for a sequel that I’m afraid will never come.
Having done some research on the game it seems that is was a Kickstarter success (on its second attempt) and was originally intended to be an episodic adventure but it never managed to get enough funding either through Kickstarter or general game sales. It’s a bit of a shame but sadly not every game can be a indie darling.
On the whole I found myself enjoying the game far more than I honestly thought I would, even if its a little on the short side. Unfortunately as much as I want to recommend it, it pales in comparison to the likes of the Deponia series, who are not only (generally) cheaper but also much longer and have multiple games in the series to run through.
If this appeals to you perhaps try;
Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space
The Deponia Series
The Dig
