I'd Love To See More Games Explore Lesser Known UK Areas

Despite my Caribbean background, you only need to hear me talk to realise I'm English. Almost every time I travel abroad for work, I'm asked by someone what part of England I'm from. And, beyond the odd exception, unless you follow the Premier League, pretty much no one knows where my home is. Because the answer isn't London.

It's thoroughly unsurprising, even though there's no lack of media set in different areas, though international viewership will naturally vary. One of my favourite book series, Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde, is a wonderfully hilarious Douglas Adams-esque adventure set largely in Swindon. There's also Broadchurch, a fantastic crime drama set in a seaside Dorset town. But for many who've never visited the UK, it's usually London or "the countryside" that comes to mind.

There are many things I dislike about the UK, though it's mostly politics over the actual geographical location. Likewise, there are many things I love about my country, its culture and people (well, some of them) are at the heart of that. But like many nations not called the United States of America, you don't always see that represented beyond the capital city, never mind with media that becomes popular or goes viral. It's why I'm grateful for games that actively go further.

I could point to Hitman 3 featuring Dartmoor, though I'd be remiss not to start with a more recent success story here: Thank Goodness You're Here! takes strong inspiration from Barnsley, a Midlands town just shy of Yorkshire, and it's one of the best things I played last year. Absolutely hilarious, filled to the nines with deep cuts, and completely charming in its execution. When it won Best British Game at the last BAFTA Game Awards, the Internet collectively went, “Who else?”

Other examples haven't found that same international​ traction, yet there's still plenty I'm glad to see exist. Basingstoke is the last town I'd ever see as a main setting in a game, yet we saw just that with Welcome to Basingstoke in 2017. Morgan: Metal Detective takes us to a fictional part of Cornwall, and then we have Amazing Frog? in Swindon.

I couldn't find any games set exclusively in Northern Ireland, though there's a much wider constitutional discussion this isn't the place for. Scotland too in a very different sense though that's seen more titles bring it to life, like Dear Esther and A Highland Song. Horror title Maid of Sker also made a name for itself with its Welsh folklore-inspired premise, and I've not forgotten The Victor Initiative either.

Such efforts don't always land, sure, and. I could keep listing other examples all day, but my point is this. I'm all for a great sci-fi adventure across the stars, yet I love seeing games do something more personal that taps into local cultures, regardless of what country we're talking about. The way some people light up when you ask about their home or culture it's truly wonderful, and games are a great way to showcase this for others. Long may that continue.