We Happy Few launches on Steam Early Access next month

It's been almost a year since the last time we heard from We Happy Few, the “drug-fuelled action-adventure game about paranoia and suspicion” set in alt-history 1960s England. But today, developer Compulsion Games got us all caught up when it revealed the opening gameplay sequence during Microsoft's pre-E3 press conference, and later announced that it will go live on Steam Early Access on July 26. 

We Happy Few is a sort of pseudo-stealth game in which you, as Arthur Hastings, become a “downer”—someone who stops taking the state-mandated drug known as Joy. But the law doesn't look to kindly on that sort of non-conformity, so even though you're not taking your pills, you must successfully blend in with those who are, or suffer some rather severe consequences. Your ultimate goal? To discover the truth about the past, and escape the false front of Wellington Wells. 

It's a bit dated at this point, but we got some hands-on time with We Happy Few at last year's E3, which you can dig into here. More information can be found at the Compulsion Games website.
 
 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.