In 2013, cartoonist KC Green set webcomics ablaze with a strip titled “On Fire.” In it, a bespoke cartoon dog (nicknamed “Question Hound”) enjoys a warm beverage while the world around him is aflame. “This Is Fine,” he says. And in the very interesting years since its debut, “This Is Fine” has become an international rallying call for getting through “it” day after day. Whether “it” is an emotional spiral or foreshadowing to World War 3. Now after a decade of anguish, Question Hound is receiving some long overdue therapy in his first official video game, This Is Fine: Maximum Cope.
In this metroidvania-style platformer, Question Hound descends deep within his own psyche to conquer his major anxieties. Feelings of fear, failure and regret manifest as worlds based around common sore spots, such as teenage failures, gym class humiliations or workplace taboos. Each of these nightmare palaces are filled with nasty monsters, bosses and puzzles.
Discovering new skills and fresh cups of coffee, you will help Question Hound overcome all these mental anguishes to find relief 13 years in the making. Maximum Cope is like an aging millennial version of the Nightmare Ned game, a reference point you’d only know if you’re already an aging millennial.
Green’s involvement in the game’s development has been minimal beyond giving it his blessings. Speaking with him earlier this year for a zine, he preferred this arrangement, worried that his own creative impulse would have been to further punish Question Hound. Watching your a cartoon animal go viral can be anguish in and of itself. Matt Furie’s Boys Club character Pepe infamously became the mascot for all kinds of online unpleasantness without involvement from his creator. Green felt similar pangs of concern whenever an official political party posted “This Is Fine” on their socials. However, learning from past mistakes and a couple legal bottlenecks have allowed him to maintain control of this dog, sanctioning his adventures as he sees fit.
“We can all relate to ignoring the problem, hoping it goes away,” Green told me, “but this is a format that can let you conquer those anxieties.”
