- "They shape your face into a smile, and when you smile you can't help being happy!"
- — Victoria Byng to Ollie Starkey
Happy Face Masks are skintight white silicon masks that every decent citizen in Wellington Wells wears. The masks have, for lack of a better word, quite literally become the face of Wellington Wells and one of the defining characteristics of both the city and its inhabitants.
Appearance[]
There are two versions of the mask, one for men and one for women, though the only real difference between the two is the light pink lipstick the women wear over their masks.
Apart from that, the masks cover and define most of ones face while leaving out huge holes for the eye sockets, as well for the mouth so they can still talk, eat, etc. The signature smile on the masks is always present, even if a wellie shows aggression or sadness.
It isn't uncommon for people to wear things over the masks, such as glasses or fake moustaches.
History[]
1st January, 1962, Happy Face Masks were originally a campaign that got immensely successful, becoming standard clothing for everyone in Hamlyn Village. Ollie Starkey's comment regarding them to Victoria Byng, not remembering anyone wearing them before he decided to live in the Garden District.
According to Victoria, the purpose behind the mask is to shape one's face into a smile, keeping those who wear the masks happy. However, people are not really smiling when wearing the masks, the mask only makes it appear as if they're constantly smiling, Wellies are still able to display different emotions.
At Arkwright's Scientific and Industrial Research, advertisement for an in-built radio can be seen, meant to allow the user to listen to Uncle Jack wherever they are. It's simply displayed as a possible invention by 1984.
A note from the Executive Committee addressed to Helen Faraday questions why she's unwilling to build a Happy Face Mask specially built with micro-filaments wires, so that mild currents can be amplified to the pleasure center of the brain.
Trivia[]
- The Memory Masks are the only Happy Face Masks that doesn't have exaggerated smiles.
- During Survival mode, the masks are called Gilded Pleasure Masks and are collected to receive Skill Points.
- According to the developers, the masks have "hooks that pry open the mouth", which is what forces the smile on the citizens.[1]
- Whether this is still true in the final release is unclear, as there are no visible hooks on the inside of the masks.
- After the events of World War II, around the 1950's-60's, people really did wear masks with smiles on them to "motivate each other to stay happy" - Whitney Clayton, Art Director of We Happy Few.
- The art team at Compulsion Games were not aware of this during the first concepts of the Happy Face Masks, so this is mere coincidence.
- The photo in question (see Gallery) is estimated to have been taken around the 1950's and not the 30's (as was alleged by various articles). The origins of the photo lead back to an article regarding a "Smile Club" from Hungary that was created in order to combat the high suicide rates in Budapest. The photo in question is of a student at the smile school.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ User AyeSpy90 asked in the comments "Tell me about the NPCs. Why do they wear the masks?", in which Compulsion Games respond "The mask forces them to smile, it is easier to remain happy when your smile is forced upon you." and "... it might cut their mouths depending on how brutally you pull it as the masks have hooks that pry open the mouth."