We Happy Few update adds an island and new gameplay varieties

We Happy Few, the adventure survival game "set in a drug-fuelled, retro-futuristic city" has just received a new update in the form of Maidenholm. It's a big one too: not only does it introduce a new island, but it also "represents the biggest change to the meta gameplay" of We Happy Few since it launched, according to a new devblog

The biggest factor to that change is the introduction of new playstyles, which function like difficulty settings but on a more complicated scale. The Birdwatcher playstyle has no hunger or thirst meters, NPCs are easier to kill and "aren't as bloodthirsty" and there are more resources. Meanwhile, the Downer playstyle has hunger and thirst at "normal levels" while Vigilante basically ups the ante in every way possible. More thorough explanations are over on the blog.

Other changes include more varied regions (hamlets, forests, meadows will break up the urban sprawl), and a tonne of additions and fixes too numerous to list here. It's worth checking out the trailer below if you're interested. 

The update follows the Clockwork update from last December, which added to a game which, when it first launched onto Early Access, still needed a fair bit of work. If you're playing it, let me know how it's progressing in the comments!

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.