Humor enhances almost every type of media. Music, movies, plays, books, and games can all incorporate humor to entertain, break the fourth wall, and gain investment. Because of their interactive nature, games can utilize many methods of comedy to elevate the player experience. Although some game genres - such as horror or puzzle - do not always lend themselves to humor, most games can incorporate humorous moments. As a result, games do not have to be entirely based on comedy to utilize humor; instead, most games can integrate moments of humor to enhance the gaming experience. There are several methods to introduce humor in games, as will be discussed. With these methods, games can create a more enjoyable and lighthearted experience to foster player satisfaction and commitment.
Ridiculousness as humor
All forms of comedy involve a degree of exaggeration to separate jokes from normality. Games can lean into this exaggeration to create humorous ridiculousness. Bayonetta 2 does so consistently with its protagonist’s absurd hypersexualization. Bayonetta is a witch with guns in her high heels who, amid brawls with demons, displays a lurid arsenal of flips and poses. These over-the-top combat moves build up a “climax” meter, which is used to execute an enemy through...mature means. Pairing this gameplay with similarly lude cutscenes creates an atmosphere of ridiculous hypersexuality. It is certainly strange, but this thematic style differentiates the Bayonetta series from other beat ‘em ups by constantly barraging the player with ludity to the point that such ludity is ludicrous and laughable.
Undertale similarly uses this approach of consistent humorous ridiculousness. This indie masterpiece bombards the player with new, unpredictable, and absurd scenarios. At one point, the player overcomes a series of tongue-and-cheek puzzles which intend to stop the player, but all humorously fail in their execution. For example, one “puzzle” is simply an optional word search that is not scored at all and can be passed by completely; it humorously circumvents the player’s expectations by allowing them to ignore its purported challenge. And later, the player walks into a dark room to suddenly be greeted by a killer robot hosting a cooking show. This same killer robot is also seen at a different point in the story singing a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque ballad, fit with lyrics of death and suffering. The constant zaniness of these scenarios enraptures the player because each new area or conversation likely holds another humours gem. Thus, ridiculousness fosters simple laughs that aggregate to substantiate player commitment, thereby allowing the player to enjoy more of the game’s humorous content.
Directly expressed humor
As the previous section on ridiculousness demonstrated, games do not have to be coy with their humor. Subtle humor and wit is certainly appreciated, but far more often, straightforward comedy satisfies the player. Games can directly express their humor through cutscenes, dialogue, animations, gameplay, mission structure, information display, music, etc. This wide variety of strategies enables games to holistically infuse humor into their design. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle does so with the zany rabbid creatures. Akin to a video game version of The Minions, rabbids are crazy creatures with no sense of reality or safety. Pairing them with Mario characters enables a humorous integration of fart jokes and slapstick comedy. Cutscenes allow rabbids to convey their spastic sides with Rabbid Peach in particular stealing the show. Her infatuation with taking selfies while on the battlefield is uniquely ironic and simply laughable. In miniboss battles, the zany battle theme adds to the comic craziness that rabbids bring to the Mario franchise. Outside of battles, though, the player finds several rabbids acting humorous little scenes, like belly flopping into a pool or impersonating Botticelli's classic The Birth of Venus. These comedic moments are not tucked away for the sleuthful player, but are directly presented for their appreciation. Such presentation is simple, yet effective, in making Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle an unforgettable journey.
Far Cry 5 similarly incorporates humor throughout its entirety and directly presents such humor to the player. This game involves liberating Hope County, Montana, from a religious cult. Given the location of rural Montana, designers crafted characters and locales to realistically convey conservative America. Citizens ardently defend their gun rights, live apart from big cities, and prefer self-reliance over federal assistance. Designers also exaggerated such beliefs to comedic ends. For example, one character named Hurt Drubman Sr., a proud veteran who is running for office, proclaims that his campaign rests on fighting the liberal agenda, gender pronoun controversy, Canadian threat, and more. Particularly regarding the Canadian threat, this character wants all Canadian Montanans to be deported back to Canada, the removal of french courses from education, and the construction of an ice wall separating America from Canada. Designers clearly poked fun with the wall that president Donald Trump desired to create between America and Mexico. The Donald Trump references are even wealthier in the mission titled “Make Hope Great Again.” Furthermore, one mission in the game involves securing a video tape of the president wetting the bed, fit with classy one-liners such as, “This is not a wet works mission,” and, “Attention, comrade, the bed has been wet,” as code. Other great political jokes include a note the player finds discussing how drugs in the water supply are apparently making the frogs gay and how The National Anthem plays around vehicle time trial missions. Far Cry 5 openly presents such hyperbolous political humor to the player, and the variety of methods used - dialogue, gameplay, and music - entertains the player in a comprehensive manner.
Naturally evoked humor
The previous examples illustrated how designers can structure a predetermined comedic experience for the player, yet other forms of comedy can naturally arise from the player’s reaction to gameplay. No set punchline always needs to be stated for a joke to be conveyed. Overcooked is a cooking game gone wrong that utilizes its chaotic gameplay to organically evoke such funny moments. The game features purposefully poorly designed kitchens that make cooking food a difficult task that requires cooperation and communication. Unexpected hazards further complicate this process; rats steal food, dishes come back dirty at unexpected times, players bump into each other, ingredients are occasionally blocked, fires erupt and ruin food, etc. The frantic nature of these challenges create unique moments of hilarious player reactions. While the stress of managing these hazards definitely may distract players from the game’s comedic impact, viewers can fully savor Overcooked’s delicious comedy that gameplay organically crafts.
The point and click genre has a long history of absurd and cryptic gameplay. Scooby Doo Classic Creep Capers epitomizes such gameplay through its puzzle-based progression. It is an older game, so cartridge memory was a concern during its development. As a result, the game utilized obscure puzzle solutions to elongate gameplay. For example, one puzzle involves setting a trap to catch the villain. To do so, the player must deduce that he/she needs to grab soap from one room, take it to the washing room, dump it in the washing machine to create a soapy mess, and deliver those soap suds to Fred as a way to slip the villain into the trap. These step-by-step instructions are rather outlandish, and the player can laugh at these exaggerated methods because they are needed to complete the game. Designers for Scooby Doo Classic Creepers incorporated such zany gameplay to allow silly moments where the player can laugh at what he/she does to progress, thereby subtly infusing humor into the game’s entire progression. Such humor is natural and subsequently well received because it fits with the game’s cartoonish style and feel.
Conclusion
Just as tragedies can compel the player with riveting narratives and heartfelt plots, comedies can delight the player with silly jokes and exaggerated situations. Not every game needs to be an entirely humorous experience, but most games can easily benefit from quick moments of comedic respite. Fortunately for designers, there are many methods to help the player laugh. And this comedic element is helpful and worthwhile because jokes can enhance gameplay, uplift atmospheres, and signify meaningful moments in games that are worth remembering. Lighthearted humor can have a weighty impact on games - no joke about it.
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