How successful is the 'comedy' genre of video games?
Video games have featured in comedies in recent years - notably E4's Dead Pixels and CBBC's Lagging - but games that are comic themselves? That's a whole different ballpark.
Whenever a new comedy game is being released, the most common response from gamers is a sigh and an aggravated explanation of why they have low expectations. The plethora of unfunny comedy games that are out there now has tainted this once great genre and tarnished its reputation, and as a result, the popularity of the comedy genre in gaming circles has diminished significantly.
Despite this, the genre has still seen some success, and with the recent release of Justin Roiland title High On Life, we may just see comedy games come back into the mainstream.
What comedy games do have going for them in the multitude of forms they can fit into. VR and AR offer new textures and interactions, in addition to the host of classic formats like platformers and sidescrollers, RPGs and MMOs.
The rise of mobile gaming, additionally, offers a hotbed of innovation. For instance, casino online games have long made themselves well known in this part of the market. While gamers came to download casino apps because of the variety of advantages they held over browser-based play - mobile convenience being the key one - the advancement of 5G gives online casinos more scope to develop ever-more advanced games.
Comedy games can follow suit. Let's look at how successful comedy can be in the gaming industry.
Comedy video games have a small but dedicated fanbase
While comedy video games very rarely go mainstream, there is a small but dedicated fanbase of gamers who absolutely love them. But that's not to say that there are not any incredibly popular comedy video games - there certainly have been a few titles over the years that have managed to rival some of the biggest names in the industry.
However, in the grand scheme of things, comedy games do not usually amass as large of a following as games in other genres. For one reason or another, they have always had small, cult-like followings instead of experiencing huge success, and whether or not you consider this a good or bad thing is rather subjective.
Comedy in video games is seldom done right
There is a huge obstacle that comedy games face that most other games don't have to consider: personal taste. Comedy is incredibly subjective, so much so than any other genre, as proven in alternative media like film and television. A specific comedy game could be deemed hilarious by one player or reviewer yet boring by the next.
On top of this, there is also the issue of out-of-touch developers trying to appeal to a wider audience by trying to incorporate what they consider to be humour into their games - something which is almost guaranteed to make any comedy game flop right from the get-go!
Of course, this isn't always the case. There are more than a few examples that showcase what a good comedy video game looks like. For example, the previously mentioned High On Life, a game that was developed by Squash Games and features popular Rick & Morty voice actor Justin Roiland, has experienced incredible success, and almost every High on Life review you may come across will be mostly positive.
Other notable examples of successful comedy games include the classic Earthworm Jim series, which used absurdist humour and over-the-top action to great effect, and the South Park series, inspired by the popular animated US TV sitcom as a source of inspiration for both its gameplay and humour.
But, sadly, while there are some exceptional comedy games out there, examples are few and far between, and the number of bad comedy games that are on the market tarnish the genre's reputation as a whole.
Overall, the comedy genre of video games has proven to be an enduring part of the gaming industry, although not wildly successful. While it may not be as mainstream as other genres, it has a dedicated and passionate fanbase that continues to support and enjoy these unique and humorous gaming experiences.
It is entirely possible that other game developers may now look to High On Life's success and choose to develop their own comedy games, now that there is a successful modern-day example of a comedy video game. Only time will tell.