Good Job! Review - Screenshot 1 of 3
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

We’ve all been in a job that we didn’t like very much. Heck, a lot of people – this writer included – have had jobs that they’ve actively hated, filled with menial tasks that make time grind to an absolute halt. Given the current world climate, chances are you’re safe and sound in your own home (and if you do happen to be a key worker at this time, we salute you), so what better way to pass the time than with some of the most fun menial tasks you could possibly imagine. Thanks to developer Paladin and publisher Nintendo, that’s exactly what you can do with Good Job!

You take on the role of the up-and-coming offspring of a corporate CEO, and you’ll need to rise through the ranks the good old-fashioned way: by completing every job to the absolute best of your ability. If you’ve worked for a big company before, you’ll know how stringent they can be with health and safety, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here. You’re free to complete every task however you see fit, and the company doesn’t seem particularly fussed about the damage you may cause along the way. Call it favouritism, perhaps.

Good Job! Review - Screenshot 2 of 3
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

The game’s levels are split across the various floors of the office building. Starting from the ground and making your way up to the Penthouse, each floor has a specific theme. So for example, the first floor is full of small meeting rooms, storage areas, and toilets, with the next floor serving as more of a warehouse area with large crates and forklifts. Each level sees you tasked with one specific job, whether it be replacing a broken projector with a new one, ensuring all the employees return from their break, or watering all the foliage in the area. However you complete these is entirely up to you, and this is where the fun really begins.

As an example, the final level of the first floor requires you to hook up a projector in front of a large conference room full to the brim with employees. The problem is that it’s locked in a storage room upstairs. Now, you could simply unlock the relevant doors and slowly wheel it from room to room with nary a broken cup in sight, but why not save a bit of time and smash it through the window overlooking the conference room instead? Sure, you’ll incur a few thousand dollars worth of damage, but the job’s got to be done swiftly, right?

Littered throughout the levels are items of clothing that you can customise your character with, including caps, high-vis jackets, Thor helmets, snorkels, and more. These are often easy to spot, but tucked away in hard-to-reach areas, so you’ll find you may need to cause some damage if you’re to grab them. Popping on any item of clothing will cause you to drop what you’re currently wearing, but anything you’ve previously picked up can also be retrieved via a customisation screen on the pause menu.

Good Job! Review - Screenshot 3 of 3
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

You’re graded at the end of each level based on how long you take to complete the task and how much monetary damage you’ve caused. So if you manage to complete a level quickly, but leave a trail of destruction in your wake, you'd struggle to get anything above a grade B. There’s heaps of potential for replayability as you discover new ways to complete your tasks in the safest and most efficient way possible, so if you’re somewhat of a perfectionist, you’ll be right at home here.

Good Job! is playable either on your own or with a co-op partner. Playing together is great fun, but sadly none of the levels are designed specifically for this purpose. You’ll be completing exactly the same tasks as you do in single-player, and with another person in the mix, you’re twice as likely to cause unnecessary damage. On the flip side though, if you work together in harmony, you can complete tasks in record time, with one person pulling objects out of the way, while the other carries or moves essential equipment.

There’s little to complain about with Good Job!, all in honesty. The overall tone of the game is incredibly playful and mischievous, and the gameplay itself is endlessly imaginative. We did encounter some hiccups, including a slight stuttering when dragging certain objects, along with the familiar issue of the isometric camera angle blocking certain viewpoints. We also wish the NPCs would react to the chaos you’re causing a bit more, but we’re clutching at straws with this one. Good Job! is this year’s Untitled Goose Game; a superb example of why excellent gameplay matters above all else.

Conclusion

Good Job! Is a wonderful surprise that everyone should try out. Thanks to its hilarious physics, seemingly menial tasks have the potential to descend into utter carnage – whether intentional or not – and its grading system means there are plenty of opportunities to replay. Slight technical hiccups aside, its arrival comes at a time when we all could do with a bit of a laugh, and Good Job! is absolutely guaranteed to do just that.