Question Hound, the iconic dog from KC Green's 2013 'This Is Fine' comic, enters video gaming with This Is Fine: Maximum Cope. The metroidvania platformer lets players help the character confront deep-seated anxieties. Creator KC Green has blessed the project while keeping involvement minimal.
KC Green's 2013 webcomic strip 'On Fire' introduced Question Hound sipping coffee amid flames, uttering 'This Is Fine.' The meme has since symbolized coping with chaos, from personal struggles to global tensions. Now, after 13 years, the character stars in his first official game, This Is Fine: Maximum Cope, a metroidvania-style platformer available on Steam. In the game, Question Hound delves into his psyche, battling manifestations of fear, failure, and regret in nightmare worlds inspired by teenage mishaps, gym class woes, and workplace dread. Players gain new skills and coffee to overcome monsters, bosses, and puzzles, aiming for mental relief. The title draws comparisons to Nightmare Ned for aging millennials. Green provided his blessing but stayed hands-off in development, citing concerns over his own tendencies to 'punish' the character further. He referenced past creator struggles, like Matt Furie's Pepe facing unwanted associations, and his own unease with political uses of the meme. Legal lessons helped him retain control. 'We can all relate to ignoring the problem, hoping it goes away,' Green said, 'but this is a format that can let you conquer those anxieties.'
