Lizzy Finnegan (The Escapist) has previewed We Happy Few:

We Happy Few Preview - Are You On Your Joy?

Sometimes, people are scared that they may fade into a crowd, doomed never to stand out, to be special. Sometimes, people are more afraid to stand out, uncertain of the reception they will receive upon declaring any sort of individuality. Both of these are common fears, and both of them are felt throughout Compulsion Games' We Happy Few.

We Happy Few takes place in an alternate-universe depiction of 1960's England, where the townsfolk have invented a happiness-inducing drug called Joy, which simultaneously sedates and inspires euphoria. The happy addicts populate certain areas, but despite the happy pills that they're all taking, the folks are incredibly hostile - and violent - towards "Downers" - those who refuse to take the drug.

You are a Downer.

The first-person survival game pits the protagonist against internal and external forces, with the player focusing on ensuring their character's wellbeing. Multiple factors play a part in your character's survivability. Food and water icons remind you that human beings need to eat food and stay hydrated in order to not die, and a sleep icon reminds you that, even in video games, you are much better off after some rest. In addition to keeping their character breathing by managing their basic needs, the player must also constantly assess their environment.

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In fact, We Happy Few may be the most successfully terrifying horror game I've played in years - and it isn't even a horror game, in both premise and appearance. Without invoking the stereotypical horror icons - zombies, monsters, zombie monsters - it managers to cause a different type of fear - the fear of an actual, believable threat. The fear that human beings are inherently drawn to cliques, and the fear of being forced to conform in order to survive. While We Happy Few is certainly an extreme take on that, it's also a quite relatable one. We all want to belong - but at what cost?