7 Of The Best... Comedy Games in Dreams

Funny videogames? Aren’t games supposed to be about serious-faced men with big guns and tragic pasts? Not necessarily, say the creators of these Dreams-made comedy games. Sometimes they’re about having a good ol’ hee-hee-haw-haw time.

From slapstick comedy to puny one-liners, our picks for some of the funniest games in Dreams aim to leave your sides split and your ribs tickled. (Wow, why are all the sayings about laughter so gruesome?) Of course, comedy’s a subjective art, and your laughage may vary. But we’re usually right about most things. Enjoy!

TOUCH IT#

by Swecca

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Breaking the rules is funny, and we’re tired of pretending it’s not. TOUCH IT is a WarioWare-esque score-chaser based around the illicit thrill of breaking the number one rule of museums: don’t touch the art. Faced with the temptation of a priceless vase, you’ll hold or tap a button to rub your grubby mitts all over it while the guard’s asleep - but if he wakes up and spots you, it’s game over.

Its creator is clearly a natural comic, understanding that timing is everything: the dramatic shifts in the UI and music hit right to the funny bone, along with the increasingly ridiculous ‘touching’ poses and costumes your character gets into as your score climbs ever higher. Hilariously presented and curiously competitive, we’re confident that TOUCH IT will - much like what we did to that poor unfortunate vase - crack you up.

The Opposite Day series#

by MrCaseyJones

Estimated playtime: 5+ hrs

Technically, we should pick only one of the Opposite Day games to include on this list - but we’re firmly of the belief that the more laughs, the better. (See also: what we wrote earlier about breaking the rules.) MrCaseyJones has a talent for silliness and shenanigans, proven by this set of adventure games that feature cheeky gimmicks, sharp wit and gleeful mockery of the player at every turn.

The earlier games in the series have some real early Flash-era energy; if the Impossible Quiz was your idea of a good time, chances are you’ll appreciate Opposite Day’s determination to trip you up with confusing wording and straight-up trolling. But there’s also a lot of Stanley Parable-style, tongue-in-cheek metatextual stuff going on in these games, with the creator often roasting their own choices as a designer as you playfight with them through mazes, timed challenges and minigames. MrCaseyJones even uses the series’ format itself as an opportunity to crack jokes and subvert expectations; each game becomes a kind of self-contained gag. Through playing them, you’ll soon realise one important truth: when it comes to laughs, MrCaseyJones will always have the last.

Sloth on Ice#

by Dreeko

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Our dedicated research team* reliably informs us that ‘animals doing silly things’ is a popular comedy genre on the internet. What makes this kind of stuff so funny? The cuteness of the animal? The goofiness of their movements? Only a neuroscientist could tell us the answer, and apparently they’re all busy curing brain diseases or something.

With Sloth on Ice as evidence, however, we reckon we can have a go at explaining the appeal. For us, it’s the contrast between the subjects on display in this chilled-out ice dancing simulator. On one hand, you’ve got the ice skating itself: elegant, precise, disciplined. Then you have a look at the sloth you’re controlling: hairy, unwieldy, with an expression like it’s just done a wee in your petunias. Quite apart from the brilliant sculpture and animation work, Dreeko’s combination of sloth and ice is undeniably comic. The sombre classic music that plays in the background, as you press buttons and move thumbsticks to pirouette and arabesque your way across the ice, only adds to the surreal hilarity of the situation. And with no scores to speak of, your only end goal here is to leave with a smile on your face.

*Alright, fine - we just wanted to sound important. THERE IS NO RESEARCH TEAM, okay? And the tooth fairy isn’t real either.

Brocery Store 2#

by RbdJellyfish

Estimated playtime: 30 mins

Some things just belong together. Thunder and lightning. Peanut butter and jam. And if you’re not already convinced that “comedy and horror” should be on that list, Brocery Store 2 will surely do the trick. (Well, that, or Friend_Request, as seen in our 7 Of The Best… Horror Games In Dreams article.) The first Brocery Store - in which you play as a jacked-up gym rat doing some particularly aggressive grocery shopping - was already funny, but the sequel takes it to feverish new levels.

This time, you’re a regular average consumer. The Bro, meanwhile, is back - but is now the enemy and has decided that these aisles ain’t big enough for the two of you. Get ready to sneak and scream-laugh your way to the checkout, popping things in your basket, ticking off items and developing a complex, as your supermarket stalker lurks around every corner. Oh, and if you really fancy a good giggle, maybe convince a friend to play it in PSVR.

The Cola#

by Lidlig

Estimated playtime: 30 mins

The spirit of Newgrounds is alive and well in The Cola, a lightly interactive skit from comedian and emissary of chaos Lidlig. Following a kerfuffle in an aeroplane, the secret recipe for world-renowned soda The Cola finds its way into the hands of a chancer - who immediately seizes upon the opportunity to make a quick buck. Needless to say, the situation quickly unravels: one minute you’ll find yourself peddling ice-cold cans of salvation juice, the next you’re breaking into a high-security facility to wreak havoc.

Lidlig’s distinctive, hilariously choppy animation style amps up the drama of the entire sticky affair, as characters attempt to out-snark each other in the battle for beverage supremacy. Pin-sharp writing, vocal performances and Lidlig’s natural sense of comedic timing will have you drinking in every last drop - this is one game where you’ll never be tempted to skip a cutscene.

Southpaw Cooking#

by Kapten_basse

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Cooking is inherently ridiculous. It’s all goo and physics and setting things on fire. (You cannot convince us that noodles aren’t a long-running practical joke. It’s like they fight not to be in your mouth.) Here’s a game that understands the truth of it: Southpaw Cooking challenges you to cook a delicious meal by grabbing, chopping, and sauteeing using only your highly unreliable left hand.

Physics-based chaos ensues, as your avatar chatters on the phone while onions tumble from your grasp and radios end up in the ratatouille. There’s so much to juggle - using a knife, transferring from pan to dish, a cluttered kitchen full of obstacles, a 60-second timer ticking down - and so few hands. Scoreboard glory depends on your ability to get something edible on your plate before your phone call wraps up. Fans of Surgeon Simulator’s brand of digital disarray will get a real kick out of this one (or should that be ‘punch’?).

Have You Seen My Pants?#

by DrunkenFist_Lee

Estimated playtime: 20 mins

Hey, it’s just a question. Yes, the premise of this side-scrolling brawler is instantly funny: the protagonist’s trousers have become collateral damage in a war between him and a gigantic mutant butterfly. A surreal revenge mission follows, in which you’ll have to flying-kick and power-bomb your way through hordes of zombiefied enemies, a la Ghosts ‘n Goblins. Oh, and you’ll also have to interrogate a pumpkin, so prepare for that one.

Crunchy audio will never not be funny, and there’s plenty of it here, whether it’s in the bizarre cutscenes or used as a deep-fried punchline to a silly NPC interaction. Comedy is even programmed into the achievements: on a first run-through, the scoring at the end reveals that there are even more hilarious hidden secrets, jokes and randomised world events for you to uncover and laugh your way through.

If you’re not quite done yukking it up just yet, we suggest you have a dig around in our Comedy playlists in Dreams, which contain loads more funny creations. Select Dreams By Genre on the front page of DreamSurfing, then head into Comedy, where you’ll find a practically lethal amount of laughs.

Want to save a bunch of good stuff for later? Here are all of our Comedy playlists in one simple collection, if you'd like to use some web magic to add it to your Play Later queue.

There’s only one proper way to end an article all about comedy games, isn’t there?

Ba dum tss.