I remember a few jobs I had where I had to do mind-numbing menial tasks all day long. To get me through the day I started to make it more interesting for myself by making the tasks into a game. I would see how fast I could perform a certain task and then try to beat that time. I invented some epic methods along the way and before I knew it, the day was over. Making mundane chores into a game and add some puzzle elements is exactly what Good Job! by Paladin Studios is about.
Rise to the top
In Good Job!, you play as the child of the CEO of a big company. Instead of just giving you an easy job, your CEO dad thinks its better to let you go through the ranks of the corporate ladder the hard way. You start at the bottom and need to work your way up to the executive suite. No favoritism from old daddy-O. It turns out you are quite the clumsy chap with no real work experience what-so-ever. Despite these obvious flaws, you seem fit enough to handle heavy machinery, electronics, and other hazardous situations. Things might go wrong but being the son of the CEO seems to have its perks. If you just finish all the tasks on a certain floor you can advance to the next floor.
Puzzle your way up
In Good Job! there are nine floors. Each has a lobby and 3 rooms available with 1 locked. Clearing the challenges in the first 3 rooms opens up the locked room. Clearing the challenge in the locked room grants you access to the next floor. Each floor has a different theme which also means the rooms will demand different skills from you. On the logistics floor, you need to operate things like cranes and forklift to succeed in your tasks. On the recreation floor, you need to water plants and collect pool toys. It’s up to you how you complete a task. The rooms start out pretty straightforward but ramp up in difficulty as you get further. While Good Job! is not being obvious about it being a puzzler, you’ll soon need to find inventive ways to solve the tasks at hand.
Get scored
Each room in Good Job! looks like a hazard about to happen. Especially when a clumsy kid like yourself needs to perform often dangerous tasks. For some reason, the top flight people found it a good idea to clutter each room with expensive art, shiny vases, big breakable windows and so forth. If you’re not careful enough during your tasks, things will break and it’ll cost the company money. Now you can just be as wild as you wish while completing your tasks and wreak havoc on all the breakable things. If you complete the task you get the go-ahead to move on. After completing a room you get scored based on your time, the number of things you break and the money it’ll cost to replace the broken things. The game won’t force you to get certain scores but Good Job! is much more challenging if you try to go for the ultimate “S” grade instead of settling for a “B” or “C”. On the other hand, getting some anger out and just going the wreckless route is also very fun to do.
Style
Good Job! is presented in a simple way which makes the gameplay stand out even more. The style used is minimalistic but with enough details to make it all about you performing the tasks. The quirky stickman inspired style that’s being used adds to the appeal of the game. With every character having to rely solely on gestures the game is universally funny. The different color schemes used on each floor, really give it a distinctive feel. Unlocking a new floor feels let’s you discover new details not used before which gives a feeling of satisfaction. I found Good Job! very addictive and I feel the design of the game plays a big factor. The elevator music playing during the game also adds to the overall feel of the game. The rooms are also scattered with outfits you can collect to give your character some more style and distinction among your co-workers.
Conclusion
Getting Good Job! on your Nintendo Switch is highly recommended. It’s fun, addictive and really accessible. The option to also play this game in Co-op mode also adds to the fun. Mind you, going co-op might be even more nerve-racking than going solo with 2 clumsy characters to mess up a perfect run.
