Her Majesty's Spiffing

Lore & Background

The game is set shortly after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. Dismayed by political turmoil and isolation, the queen invokes the royal prerogative to dissolve parliament and take control, aiming to make Britain great again. She creates SPIFFING (Special Planetary Investigative Force For Inhabiting New Galaxies) to establish a galactic British Empire. After preparations at Hounslow Mission Control, Big Ben is launched into space, and a fleet of colonists sets course for planets in the Milky Way. On board the HMSS Imperialise (a converted Mini Cooper), Captain Frank Lee English and his Welsh subordinate Sub-lieutenant Aled Jones lead the colonisation effort. English is a middle-class, well-mannered man with militaristic experience, while Jones is wryly incompetent. They find a barren planet claimed by the French, and English must remove the French presence to claim the world for Britain.

Development was led by Belfast-based Billy Goat Entertainment Ltd, a studio formerly specialising in animated advertisements for Irish television. Director and designer William Barr originally conceived the game as a short animated film but realised a film would be harder to fund. The studio had some experience with outsource game development and cited 1990s LucasArts point-and-click games as a major inspiration. An initial Kickstarter proposal failed, raising under £12,000 from 338 backers. A second Kickstarter in November 2014 succeeded, asking for £30,000, with additional finance from Northern Ireland Screen and UK video game tax breaks. The team also used work for hire and a substantial overdraft.

Due to the outcome of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, the game had to be rewritten and some jokes adjusted. A self-destruct button in the spaceship has an Article 50 sticker, and the game contains references to Nigel Farage. Barr hoped the game would be marked as the 'Official Brexit Game' but was concerned about tone for a European audience. A late addition allowed players to choose an English or American voice; with American dialogue, a laugh track plays after jokes to signal humour. The team aimed to give the player a closer connection to the protagonist by providing direct control, keeping Captain English on-screen at all times to make the character more personable.

Reader's Guide

Her Majesty's SPIFFING received mixed reviews upon release. The Xbox One version holds an average score of 66% at Metacritic based on eight reviews, the PC version 60% based on five reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 74% based on four reviews, and the Nintendo Switch version 68% based on four reviews. Critics included Miguel Escudero from Spanish IGN, Peter Mattson from Adventure Gamers, and Matthew Pollesel from Gaming Age. The game is notable for its direct engagement with contemporary political events, specifically Brexit, and for its attempt to bridge the gap between traditional point-and-click adventure games and more immersive, direct-control gameplay. Its development story highlights the challenges faced by a small indie studio in funding and adapting a satirical work to real-world political changes, including rewriting jokes and adding a laugh track for American audiences. The game's legacy lies in its status as a debut title that leveraged topical humour and a distinctive British satirical voice, while also serving as an example of how adventure games can respond to and incorporate real-world political upheaval.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally conceived as a short animated film before being reworked as an adventure game.
• The player can choose between an English or American voice; the American option includes a laugh track.
• The game's Kickstarter proposal failed initially, raising under £12,000 from 338 backers.