A game developer has recently launched a new playable mobile app inspired by the "This is fine" dog meme – you know, the little yellow guy who grins nonchalantly as his house is engulfed in flames? Well, now he's fighting the fire with a humble cup of coffee and the same goofy grin in this charming arcade-style game.
The game is a must-play for fans of the original comic strip as it expertly captures its ultra-cute illustration style, bringing the character to life in a suitably chaotic and hilarious way. (If you want to take a shot at making your own game, check out our collection of the best laptops for game development).
In a YouTube video chronicling the development process, Andris Gauracs recounts the experience of making the game, from character design to level creation. The gameplay premise is quite simple – put out the fires and don't get burned – but with 3 difficulty levels, a rapidly spreading inferno and only coffee as an extinguisher, things can get intense pretty fast.
The loveable yellow dog (who I've only just learned is called Question Hound), was modelled using Blender. To honour the original comic created by KC Green, Gauracs created the character model closely in line with the original design. This worked in his favour, as Question Hound's "hotdog" shaped ligaments aided in an easier animation process – allowing Gauracs to create fifteen unique animations for the game.
The game features one unified level design, which gives the player a wider view of Question Hound's home, such as his kitchen, living room and bathroom. The small but tastefully furnished level design is a fun extension of the comic's setting, immersing us in the meme. Personally, I think the size of the level design is perfect as the game is already fast-paced – any larger and it would be far too stressful to play.
While the use of AI in game development has been a controversial subject as of late, Gauracs was keen to note that he sparingly used ChatGPT to help formulate code for certain tricky details of the game, such as the particle systems used in the game's turning mechanics. You can watch Gauracs' devlog below to find out more.
The game is a wonderful homage to the iconic meme and it's free to play now via the App Store and Google Play Store so give it a try for some chaotic fun. You can also support the project via the official This Is Fine: The Game website.
For more gaming news, take a look at the strange video game that could be set to be one of the oddest upcoming titles of 2024, and for a dose of nostalgia, check out our collection of the best video games of the '90s.
