The Holy Gosh Darn (2024)

The Holy Gosh Darn is a brilliant time loop comedy that is as mechanically engaging as it is hysterical.

The Holy Gosh Darn may not reinvent the wheel, but it proves that all dogs go to heaven, and it does what it sets out to do very well. It stole my heart not only for its clever puzzles, but also for being the wittiest game I've played in a while.

The Holy Gosh Darn uses its time-traveling gimmick to full-effect, crafting a multitude of fun puzzles within a world packed full of wacky characters, witty jokes and crude gags. But perhaps the best thing about the game is how it expands on the universe that Perfectly Paranormal is building. It’s said that God created man in his image, and once you’ve spent a while in Heaven and Hell it makes a lot of sense – the denizens of the Afterlife are a flawed bunch, and thus so are the humans.

The Holy Gosh Darn is yet another confirmation of the talent of Norwegian studio Perfectly Paranormal. A graphic adventure somewhere between platformer and puzzle game that is deeply inspired by time loop comedies, graced by an impeccable script, extraordinary voice acting and irresistible comedy. It may not be in everyone's cup of tea, complicit with some sensitive and delicate themes at times. And undoubtedly there are other exponents of the genre that are more down-to-earth from a playful point of view. But Cassiel's odyssey deserves to be experienced, in your armchair at home -- with the rewind ready.

The Holy Gosh Darn may well be Perfectly Paranormal's best game yet, and it's clear the team has learned a lot from developing Manual Samuel and Helheim Hassle. This is a seriously slick adventure: it looks fantastic, its puzzles are fun to solve and it will have you laughing out loud every step of the way.