Image Credit: thankgoodness.game
Every now and then, a new game shows up that doesn’t follow the usual playbook. No big studio hype. No formulaic mechanics. Just something strange, different—and surprisingly good. That’s what makes debut games like these worth talking about. They take weird risks, and somehow, they work.
These two titles are unexpected in the best way. They don’t overexplain themselves or try to be everything for everyone. They just drop you into something memorable and let the experience speak for itself.
Blue Prince: Building a Mansion One Mystery at a Time
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Blue Prince throws you into a strange mansion with one goal—build it room by room before your time runs out. But the layout keeps changing, and every choice shapes what happens next. It’s part puzzle, part roguelike, and all mystery.
There’s no set path. Just shifting hallways, hidden clues, and a clock that’s always ticking. GamesRadar called it the best-rated game of the year so far—and it came out of nowhere.
A Game That Doesn’t Care If You “Get It”
Image Credit: rawfury.com
Part of what makes Blue Prince so interesting is that it doesn’t try to win you over. There’s no long tutorial or obvious payoff. Just a mansion full of layered puzzles and strange moments that stick with you. If you like figuring things out on your own, this one hits.
It’s already picking up serious awards buzz. Polygon listed it as a frontrunner for Game of the Year. Not bad for a debut with almost no marketing behind it.
Thank Goodness You’re Here!: A Town That’s Totally Unhinged
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Thank Goodness You’re Here! is chaos in the best way. You’re a traveling salesman who arrives in Barnsworth, a town full of absolutely unhinged characters. Every task turns into something ridiculous—digging holes for strangers, getting roped into brass bands, and navigating nonstop nonsense.
It’s made by a small UK studio called Coal Supper, and you can feel that dry British humor all the way through. Nothing makes sense, and somehow, that’s the whole point. It’s strange, loud, and weirdly hard to stop playing.
A Debut That’s All Personality
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What sets this game apart is how confident it is in its own weirdness. The humor is sharp, the animation is wild, and the writing doesn’t talk down to you. You just show up, get pulled into absurd side missions, and roll with it.
It dropped on Yorkshire Day—fitting, since it plays like a tribute to Northern English humor. Wikipedia notes it’s already been nominated for major awards, including a BAFTA. Not bad for a game that opens with you falling off a train.
Why These Two Actually Matter
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They’re not weird for the sake of it. They’re weird with purpose. Both games trust the player to pay attention, explore, and decide what the experience means to them. And that makes them more memorable than a lot of “safe” games with ten times the budget.
They also prove you don’t need industry connections or a huge team to make something that lands. All it takes is a strong concept and the guts to stick to it.
Final Thoughts
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Blue Prince and Thank Goodness You’re Here! don’t feel like polished products—they feel like strange ideas someone really believed in. And that belief shows. They won’t be for everyone, but they don’t need to be. They’re good because they’re different.
If you’re into games that take real creative swings, these two are worth checking out. Strange isn’t a downside. Sometimes, it’s the reason something works.
