History VideoGame / TheGoodLife

** Norlock Homeless is one to Sherlock Holmes.

Like most of SWERY's catalogue, The Good Life is somewhat hard to classify - on the surface, it's a Daily Life Simulator, similar to VideoGame/AnimalCrossing or VideoGame/StardewValley, boasting crafting and farming mechanics. You also have a camera, a la VideoGame/PokemonSnap.
[[WhamLine Then the murder happens]].

* CassandraTruth: Some of Naomi's reports would be earth-shattering and immediately get her out of debt, if only the journal she worked for actually ''believed'' her. For example, clear photographs of [[spoiler:a UFO piloted by a alien hive mind that manifests in peat moss]] are mistaken for CGI, and in fact would have been worth more if they were blurry and harder to identify as "fakes".

* HiveMind: One of the cases involves [[spoiler:a moss-based alien hivemind that identifies as "Simon"]].

* WorkOffTheDebt: Most of Naomi's struggles are a result of her massive debt, not helped by the terms of her contract meaning that anything she finds that can potentially generate a profit is immediately confiscated by a debt collector.

In The Good Life, you step into the shoes of Naomi Hayward, a perpetually-annoyed, irate photographer hailing from New York City. Deeply indepted, Naomi has been assigned to discover the secrets of Rainy Woods, the so-called Happiest Town On Earth, far away in rural England. Once in the countryside, Naomi holds herself afloat by uploading photographs of popular things to Flamingo, a website that updates each in-game day, or completing assignments for her boss.

However, her routine is quickly interruped by the discovery that all denizens of the town turn into either a cat or a dog during the full moon. Shortly thereafter, Naomi herself acquires the ability to shapeshift at will by consuming a mysterious potion made by the 'Witch' living in the woods - and stumbles upon what appears to be a ritual murder.

* BodySnatcher: In Route B, [[spoiler:David O'Reilley is revealed to have been taken over by sentient mold from another planet, which ties him to the murder scene as it also glows in the dark.]]

* ConfettiDrop: Confettii rains during Dick Whittington's wedding in the intro.

* StandardStatusEffects: Played with. Naomi can suffer from tiredness, a cold, a toothache, and other realistic 'status effects' - but treats them not by visiting a doctor, but by trading insects parts to the 'Witch' living in the woods and receiving a potion for them.

The Good Life is a VideoGame, developed by White Owls Inc - and written by SWERY, formerly known for games such as VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition. Funded via Kickstarter in May 2015, the game released in October 2021 on Steam.

* CircleOfStandingStones: The outskirts of Rainy Woods have a few of these. [[spoiler:So does the Snowy Mountain]]

* ObviousBeta: Sometimes, trying to purchase an item will cause the shopkeeper to state "I've still got [shop="count/"] of those, my love!", instead of replacing it with the correct number.

* DeadpanSnarker: Naomi is expresses her (many) complaints in a very dry and pointed fashion.

* DeadpanSnarker: Naomi is ''intended'' to be one of these. In practise, her constant complaints come across as more obnoxious than funny.

* ItemCrafting: The local handyman somehow turns raw ingredients into modern materials, for a modest fee. The very first FetchQuest Naomi embarks on requires her to find tree sap (to turn into rubber), and small animal hides (to turn into leather). Naomi gains small animal hides by [[Animorphism transforming into a cat]] and mauling nearby critters. You then make a nice pair of modern running shows from the critter's hide.

%%* DrinkingContest: Naomi can engage in these with the vicar as part of a side-quest.

* DrinkingContest: Naomi can engage in these with the vicar as part of a side-quest.

In The Good Live, you step into the shoes of Naomi Hayward, a perpetually-annoyed, irate photographer hailing from New York City. Deeply indepted, Naomi has been assigned to discover the secrets of Rainy Woods, the so-called Happiest Town On Earth, far away in rural England. Once in the countryside, Naomi holds herself afloat by uploading photographs of popular things to Flamingo, a website that updates each in-game day, or completing assignments for her boss.

* ObviousBeta: Sometimes, trying to purchase an item will cause the shopkeeper to state "I've still got [shop="count/"] of those, my love!", instead of replacing it with the corrent number.

* StandardStatusEffects: Played with. Naomi can suffer from tiredness, a cold, a toothache, and other realistic 'status effects' - but treats them not by visiting a doctor, but by trading insects parts to the 'Witch' living in the woods and receiving a potion for them.

* StandardStatusEffects: Played with. Naomi can suffer from tiredness, a cold, a toothache, and other realistic 'status effects' - but treats them not by visiting a doctor, but by trading insects parts to the 'Witch' living in the woods and receiving a potion for them.
* UncannyValley: Several of the facial animations are rather stiff, or zoom in very, very closely.
* WidgetSeries: Quaint english countryside living, from the outsider perspective of Japanese auteur SWERY.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: The local handyman walks around in full plate armor. The cafe owner and mushroom cuisine enthusiast appears to much poisonous Fly Agaric, straight off a log he's holding. The lady walking around selling scones owns a chicken that lays golden eggs (but only on the days around a full moon). The owner of the local inn believes himself to be haunted by the Angel of Death and hasn't slept in 30 years. Lampshaded by Naomi, who snarks about the quirks of everyone she encounters.
* ItemCrafting: All over the place. The very first FetchQuest Naomi embarks on requires her to find tree sap (to turn into rubber), and small animal hides (to turn into leather). Naomi gains small animal hides by [[Animorphism transforming into a cat]] and mauling nearby critters.

The Good Life is a VideoGame, developed by White Owls Inc - and written by SWERY, formerly known for games such as VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition. Funded via Kickstarter in May 2015, the game released in 2021 on Steam.

* [[Animorphism]]: Naomi gains the ability to turn into both a cat and a dog within the first few days of gameplay.
* UncannyValley: Several of the facial animations are rather stiff, or zoom in very, very closely.

* UncanneyValley: Several of the facial animations are rather stiff, or zoom in very, very closely.

* [[UncanneyValley]]: Several of the facial animations are rather stiff, or zoom in very, very closely.