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- "When life annoys, pop a Joy!"
- — one of Arthur's lines when taking Joy.
Joy is the name of a series of psychoactive drugs used by the residents of Wellington Wells in order to forget bad memories and stay happy.
The drug was created by a team headed by Harry Haworth in 1951, after being commissioned by Robert Byng.
Overview[]
Joy, as a psychoactive drug, induces happiness and euphoria, while also dampening the users' memories. Joy use has become standard in Wellington Wells; refusal to take it is a violation of both social responsibility and the law. Proper folk who take their Joy are called Wellies, and anyone who refuses are referred to as Downers. Downers are seen as a detriment to the order of society, and known Downers become instant targets. Any Downers that survive being attacked by their neighbours, and manage to avoid being caught by a Joy Doctor, are forced to live in the Garden District. Just prior to the start of the game, the population of the Garden District had been rapidly increasing. More and more Wellies were taking bad batches of Joy and becoming Wastrels: people that can't take Joy at all anymore.
Appearance[]
Despite being referred to in-game as a pill, Joy appears to be hard gelatin capsules, likely containing a "clear liquid" dose of Joy. Each pill is coloured according to its flavour (brown for Chocolate, pink for Strawberry, etc.), with a light half and a darker half; the only exception to this is Coconut, which has one white side and one brown side.
In addition to the pill form, Joy is also available in gaseous form, and can be ingested through the Village's tap water. All water sources in Hamlyn Village are laced with liquid Joy, while Jubilators disperse gaseous Joy through the streets. There are also machines found on certain bridges that spray gaseous Joy.
Effects[]
Joy appears to be based on a combination of real-world drugs like MDMA (happiness), 2C-B (visual effects) and benzodiazepines (pupil constriction,[1] memory loss). In-game, a letter suggests that Joy could be a poly-drug of sorts, with inspiration coming from pills used by the Germans, which were a mix of amphetamines and opioids.
The primary and original purpose of Joy is to elicit happiness and pleasure by chemical means; it also has the handy additional effect of repressing bad memories in the process. Joy makes the world appear more colourful and vibrant to the user, causing both visual and auditory hallucinations.[2] It can also make the user oblivious to their actions. For example, when attacking a Downer, Wellies believe they're simply subduing them instead of hurting them. Perhaps intentionally, Joy also works as a contraceptive.
Joy causes amnesia, both retrograde and anterograde, which has both positive and negative effects for the user. It will prevent them from remembering any negative memories, even those that previously plagued their minds, but it will also cause the user to forget basic things that they need to remember; as a result, many houses belonging to Wellies are covered top-to-bottom in sticky notes with basic reminders. It's said in-game that Joy makes one's pupils "teeny-tiny",[1] and it must also cause the user to produce a smell perceptible to Joy Doctors. Larger doses can induce shivering and jaw clenching.[3] As the user takes more and more Joy, tolerance builds. This will lead to further consumption, which also has the unpleasant side-effect of causing the user to gradually develop an addiction to Joy, making the withdrawal symptoms even worse.
In-game, after taking Joy, butterflies will flutter away from the player, and the world will immediately become brighter. A double rainbow will appear in the sky, trees will bloom, the roads will light up, and buildings will become colourful. The playable character will swing their arms as they walk, just as other Wellies do, and occasionally make remarks about how good they feel. Sounds that are normally unpleasant become amusing. Old ladies will sound like they're singing instead of screaming, the Bobby Whistle will sound like a party horn, NPCs will laugh when they get hit, and the music will play at a regular speed. The player will also be able to pass by Joy Detectors and Joy Doctors without trouble.
Addictiveness[]
Joy is a highly addictive drug, not only because of the pressure from both the Executive Committee and general community to take it, but also because of the blissful and euphoric effects it brings to the user. Once taken, it's nearly impossible to stop. Some flavours of Joy are mentioned to be more addictive than others, such is the case for Blackberry Joy.
People do not simply stop taking Joy, a lot of citizens involuntarily become Downers and Wastrels after taking a bad batch, in which they suddenly become immune to the pleasant effects of Joy. Other Downers, most notably the main characters, voluntarily stopped taking Joy after discovering something too important for them to simply forget, or lifestyle challenges. For example, Arthur stopped taking Joy after seeing the newspaper about him and Percy, and Ollie doesn't take Joy as it impacts his blood sugar.
Interestingly, after someone becomes a Downer, they can take Joy every once in a while and be aware enough to not falter and become addicted all over again. They stop being dependent on Joy almost instantly after enduring the withdrawal period, rarely missing the times when they took Joy, and they don't have feelings of regret, often justifying the thought as an "easy way out" of abandoning their newfound responsibilities.
Joy Spiral[]
It's normal for Wellies to forget a few things after they've taken Joy; however, too much Joy can cause them to forget more than they'd wanted, including whether or not they've taken their Joy. Because of this, they will take another, repeating the cycle with possible harmful consequences. This has come to be known as a 'Joy spiral'. The Executive Committee, as part of their aggressive pro-Joy propaganda campaign, made efforts to deny the existence of a 'Joy spiral', with Uncle Jack dismissing it as an "imaginary syndrome" during one of his shows.[4]
Overdose[]
If someone takes too much Joy, the psychoactive effects of the drug are amplified massively. This will cause the user's perception to become even more distorted, and causes such severe amnesia that they cannot carry out most basic everyday tasks. Wellies are told to simply ride it out, and they will eventually find themselves on a bench somewhere, no worse for wear.
If the player overdoses on Joy, they cannot use lockpicks, craft items, wield weapons, or attack at all. The sky will be full of curved rainbows and flower motifs, while the world itself will become excessively bright and vibrant, with a pink-ish tint to the player's vision. The voices of NPCs will be high pitched, and music will play at a rapid pace.
Joy Poisoning[]
When playing as Ollie Starkey, any amount of Joy he takes will cause him to get sick. While he's under the effects of Joy, he'll periodically vomit and drain both his hunger and thirst.
To get rid of the effects, player should use Ollie's Grog while they have Joy in their system, because they'll still be poisoned otherwise. After the poisoned effect has been removed, no amount of future Joy taken will poison him again until all Joy in his system has drained.
Memory Loss[]
- Main article: Memory Loss
If the player takes too much Joy, they will enter a memory loss episode. The world will become very dark, all light sources will have a bright red hue, and the eyes of NPCs will glow a bright red; their voices will also be distorted. The sky will become brown with thin, red tendrils contorting through the clouds, and, much like overdosing, the player will suffer penalties: a stamina reduction, lower attack damage, increased suspicion, and the inability to interact with most things.
The player can safely take up to twelve Joy pills before experiencing memory loss. Care should be taken, however, as coming into contact with gaseous and laced tap water can increase the Joy meter by small increments. While memory loss doesn't last very long and resets the Joy meter to 0% as soon as it's over, it's still not an ideal situation to be put in off guard.
Withdrawal[]
- Main article: Withdrawal
Once the positive effects of Joy wear off and the high dissipates, the user will suffer from strong withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms make the user feel depression, and they perceive everything in a much more dark and unpleasant way. There have even been cases where the withdrawal symptoms have become severe enough for the user to commit suicide.
In-game, Joy withdrawal makes the player see everything as colourless, dark, dreary, and gloomy, and sounds become distorted and menacing. NPCs will become suspicious, and the player's abilities are also hampered. The withdrawal symptoms will wear off over time, though how long this takes depends on how high the Joy dose was.
Bad Batches[]
"Bad batches" of defective Joy (Joy that has been manufactured improperly) have been known to cause unpredictable effects. Some users report becoming very groggy, others become quite erratic. Some of the bad batches have elicited severe changes to the user's brain chemistry, preventing them from taking Joy ever again. In the event that they do take Joy, the user suffer may suffer from paranoid delusions (most Wastrels report seeing eyes or children everywhere), vomiting, seizures, and death.
The effects that come after becoming intolerant are so common that it has become part of the rehabilitation method seen during the quest, Oh, Behave!.
History[]
The Beginning[]
Following "The Very Bad Thing" and the events of the Second World War, the citizens of Wellington Wells were in a collective depression. On 12 June 1950, fearing for his fellow citizens, General Byng sent a letter to Harry Haworth of Haworth Labs. Within the letter, General Byng requested that Haworth look into a “chemical answer” to the melancholy of the citizens of Wellington Wells. General Byng noted that the German occupiers of Wellington Wells were using so-called “fatigue pills” - designed to keep the soldiers in good spirits - and felt that the morale of the city’s citizens could also be helped in such a manner.
Joy is thought to have been first synthesised in 1951. In an article dated 3 March 1952, the first round of trials performed on rats were noted to be a success; human volunteers were thus being sought out. These trials must have been successful, as by 1953,[5] Joy was being mass-produced, and the citizens of Wellington Wells were well on their way to dependency. Joy, at this time, was manufactured using compounds left behind by the Germans. Judging by a notice posted by the Executive Committee, Chocolate was the first flavour to be created, with Coconut announced shortly after, and Vanilla arriving an unspecified amount of time later.
This extreme demand for Joy forced Haworth Labs to ramp up the production of the drug which not only served to exacerbate the Wellies' addiction to the drug but also caused the available ingredients to diminish at a faster rate. On 13 May 1956, Haworth wrote a letter to General Byng expressing his concerns over supplies of the compounds used in Joy, warning that they will eventually run out; he suggested that the field of phrenology should be researched as an alternative, more permanent solution. His Assistant Deputy for Research, Anton Verloc, disapproved of this line of research, and sought to have Haworth removed from his position as early as 9 February 1957.
Due to Joy-induced memory loss gradually eroding people's ability to work, this ultimately led to the collapse of the city's food production and the gradual deterioration of the city's power supply system, both of which begun to cause further damage in the form of an ever-worsening food shortage, an increasing number of blackouts and power shortages due to the deteriorating power grid and after some time, all trade with the outside world stopped as well, due to the citizens of Wellington Wells being too severely affected by Joy to be able to manufacture anything for export.
1960s[]
Haworth continued his research for three more years while simultaneously continuing to produce Joy. He was ultimately admitted as a patient into Haworth Labs on 10 November 1960, a month after applying phrenology to five of his staff. Dr. Verloc then assumed his role as the Chief of Research and Production at Haworth Labs. In July 1961, in response to the falling number of Joy compounds, Dr. Verloc’s assistant, Sally Boyle, would devise the idea to create a new flavour - Strawberry - using ingredients found growing locally in and around Wellington Wells. As a result of the success of Strawberry, several other flavours, such as Rainbow[6] and Tea, were also worked on. Some time later, the Executive Committee would lace the city’s water supply with Joy, an idea conceived by Victoria Byng.
In 1961, Dr. Verloc began work on a so-called “permanent solution”. This solution, billed as Coconut Joy, would chemically alter the user’s brain in a way that meant no Joy would ever be needed again. Sally would leave Haworth Labs sometime in late 1963-early 1964, and create another flavour, Blackberry, which was compositionally very different from previous versions of Joy.
Current Events[]
By 1964, Dr. Verloc was trying to base his Coconut Joy off of Sally's Blackberry, but its formula was unknown to Dr. Verloc and he thus lacked the knowledge to be able to recreate it. By this time, supply of all original compounds used in Joy production had been exhausted; all Joy was being manufactured using local substitutes. This change in formula, combined with the lack of quality control as a result of Verloc's focus on Coconut, and just general incompetency from staff, led to a sharp decline in quality. The result of this was bad batches: defective Joy that, if taken, will ruin their ability to take Joy ever again. While all of this had been ongoing, Haworth Labs had been dumping defective batches of Joy, as well as waste by-products, directly into the water surrounding Wellington Wells, causing contamination. This led to the creation of Histoplasma Mushrooms, mutant mushrooms that led to an outbreak of a rabies-like plague in the Garden District.
Verloc also began offering personalised care for people claiming to be effected by bad batches of Joy; in reality, they were unknowingly signing up to be test subjects for Coconut, and were usually never seen again. The ever-increasing usage of Joy among the population keeps people in a state unawareness; more people are forgetting to go to work, more people are "going on holiday" and never returning, and less food is available every day in Hamlyn Village, but the citizens are too locked into a 'Joy spiral' to realise it. As the situation began to worsen, the Executive Committee, too drugged-up themselves to be able to think rationally, decided that it would be better to ignore the problem and continue to promote Joy instead.
Flavours[]
There are three different main flavours of Joy available from a Mood Booth™: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry. It should be noted that while there are different flavours, the playable character will always choose Strawberry. It can also be assumed that the flavours don't taste like what they're named, given by Arthur's quote "I used to love chocolate [...] but what did it taste like?"
There's also a fourth flavour of Joy, known simply as Blackberry. Blackberry works similarly to regular Joy, but does not cause the same level of amnesia, allowing the user to keep a clearer head. A fifth flavour, Coconut, is referenced throughout the game as having been in the works for over a decade.
Several other flavours are referenced in the How to Be Happy guide book, included in the Time Capsule.
List of Flavours[]
Chocolate[]
Seemingly the first flavour created (judging by the FAQ note). It was synthesised using compounds left behind by the German occupiers of Wellington Wells.
Vanilla[]
Likely the second flavour created, and is presumably an isomer of Chocolate.
Strawberry[]
Originally synthesised by Sally Boyle in 1953, in response to the diminishing quantity of the original compounds. Likely contains some of the psychoactive herbs growing in and around Wellington Wells; Sally references Saint-John's Wort, but it's not clear if it ended up in the formula.
In the How to Be Happy guide book, Strawberry is described as follows: “Has the fruity aroma of fresh strawberries, with a slight tang on the tongue. Great for fruit-lovers and melancholics.”
Blackberry[]
- Main article: Blackberry Joy
Exclusive flavour synthesised by Sally Boyle; not available for public consumption. Reportedly does not cause the brain fog that other flavours of Joy can cause, making it apt for public officials and other important people who need to keep a clear head. Is also more addictive than regular Joy, and users experiencing withdrawals can become violent and erratic. Blackberry was planned to be an official Haworth Labs flavour, however, Sally left the company before it was completed, and Verloc lacks the knowledge to finish it for himself.
In the How to Be Happy guide book, Blackberry is described as follows: "A special formula in the development for constables and members of the Executive Committee, Blackberry Joy will take the edge off unhappiness whilst still allowing Wellington's public officials to keep a clear head."
Coconut[]
- Main article: Coconut Joy
Coconut was first announced back in 1953 and had numerous variations over the years, but it was never actually finished. Originally simply billed as a new flavour, Coconut eventually became Verloc’s attempt at a ‘permanent solution’. Reported effects seem to vary person to person, and of course between formulas, but the side effects became more severe as Verloc tried to copy the formula for Blackberry.
In the How to Be Happy guide book, Coconut is described as follows: "To the surprise of many in Wellington, coconuts are not native to Great Britain. However, Haworth Labs is hoping to create a synthetic version of this tropical treat. Ideal for those Wellies who are nostalgic for the hotter climates of the Empire."
Rainbow[]
Cannot be found in any Mood Booths in Wellington Wells, but is in the possession of Sally Boyle; she gives some to General Byng during a cutscene in Act II. Sally mentions that Rainbow has "all sorts of crazy side effects", including hallucinations.
In the How to Be Happy guide book, Rainbow is described as follows: "A full-bodied bouquet of aromas. Reminiscent of a meadow after a warm rain. Suitable for all ages." It's unclear if Rainbow, as it exists in-game, is actually a flavour of Joy.[6]
Tea[]
Was in development at one point in time, but, according to the Executive Committee, it was too difficult, and the water supply of Wellington Wells was subsequently laced with Joy instead. This was supposedly done so that Wellies could enjoy tea and Joy together, but the validity of this is disputed, as tea found in Wellington Wells appears free from Joy. In-game, it is said that hot water breaks down Joy and renders it useless;[7] this could explain why Haworth Labs had trouble synthesising a Tea Joy.
In the How to Be Happy guide book, Tea is described as follows: "Haworth Labs was originally tasked with creating a tea-flavoured Joy pill, but experienced serious difficulty in getting it to work. However, the Executive Committee devised the brilliant solution of putting liquid Joy in the municipal water supply. That way, whenever one brews a pot of tea, they can enjoy both the medicinal effects of Joy as well a hot beverage."
Similar Drugs[]
Sunshine[]
- Main article: Sunshine
Essentially a "counterfeit" version of Joy that makes the user appear to be under the influence of Joy, but without any of the psychoactive effects.
Oblivion[]
- Main article: Oblivion
Only similar to Joy in the sense that it causes amnesia; Oblivion, however, is directly intended to completely erase the memories of a person. It's extremely hard to come by.
Gameplay[]
We Happy Few[]
It's required that the player take Joy in a few instances in Act I, but they can progress through most of it without needing to take it much. The Joy meter is found in the top-left of the screen. The hexagon around the outside represents the amount of Joy consumed in total, while its interior shows how long the current dose of Joy will remain in the player's system. The player can take up to twelve Joy pills before experiencing memory loss, so they don't have to worry about the negative effects for a while. With a little bit of planning, Joy consumption can mostly be avoided.
Lightbearer[]
Joy returns in Lightbearer. Unlike in the base game, Joy is restorative for Nick Lightbearer and is used a healing item; it will also increase the effectiveness of his Facemelt ability. Nick can take as much Joy as he wants without feeling any ill effects.
Related Notes[]
- Bad batches of Joy
- Blackberry?
- Chemical Answer
- Formula adjustments
- New Joy Flavours
- Permanent Solution
- The "O" COURANT - Article 2
- Upsides for Downers
- Urgent Joy Request
Trivia[]
General[]
- Joy has no value because of its abundance.
- When Joy was first released to the public in 1953, taking the drug was optional; thus, happiness truly was a choice. Ironically, as consumption increased, the option to not take Joy disappeared
- At several points in the campaign, it is hinted at that Joy may be an advanced version of a drug used by the Germans that occupied Wellington Wells. (Some of the letters in the rooms off the passage to the White Constable's office in Haworth Labs mention this.)
- This could be a reference to "Pervitin" (Methamphetamine) used by the German army during WWII in order to increase performance, concentration, and self-esteem of the soldiers as well as to lower feelings of anxiety.
- In the early-access builds, if the player took enough Joy to completely fill up the Joy meter, "everything would be fine and they wouldn't be a Downer anymore", triggering an instant game over.
Other[]
- Sometimes, attacking a Bobby while on Joy has a chance of him moaning in pleasure rather than laughing.
- If the player takes Joy during the prologue, then all of the events in the story will never take place and the game will end right there, with Arthur Hastings continuing his life as usual; the screen will then switch over to the credits.
- Another game that uses a drug called 'Joy' is LISA: The Painful RPG (2014), a game made by Dingaling Productions. In LISA, their version of Joy makes the user feel nothing, with side effects including withdrawal, and slowly mutating into a Joy Mutant. Despite the similarities, it's likely just a coincidence, considering both closely resemble how drugs are generally represented in media.
- Furthermore, We Happy Few has been in development since early 2014, making the similarities more unlikely.
Gallery[]
In Game[]
Other[]
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Old Content[]
The earliest version of Joy, available since the 11219 Pre-Alpha Build of We Happy Few. The Joy Pill has gone through a number of changes and overhauls throughout the years.
Overview[]
The Joy Pill was a drug that increased the player's Joy level, high enough that they'd experience the effects of Joy for a while.
It took up 1 slot in the player's inventory, and it could be placed in the player's quickslot.
Function[]
Unlike how Joy works today, the player would not immediately go through a Joy high whenever they got the slightest bit of Joy in their system, they'd only enter it if the meter was 50% or higher. During the high, the Joy only lasted for about 15-20 seconds before they entered the Withdrawal stages, which lasted for 10 seconds.
The Joy meter would only decrease when the player entered the Withdrawal stage, regardless of how little the player took, it wouldn't deplete over time like it does currently. The only way to reduce the Joy meter was to wait for the withdrawal stage to pass, or take drugs that depleted it. When the meter reached 100%, the player passed out and woke up back in the first shelter in the Garden District.
If the player were in Hamlyn Village without any Joy in their system, they'd be alright for the most part, unless they stood around other Wellies for too long, in which the citizens would take notice and start getting concerned.
Trivia[]
- Despite the colour being yellow, the flavour is Strawberry.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The "How To be Happy" guide included with the Time Capsule states that Joy causes pupil dilation; it appears that this was retconned, however, as pupils are said to constrict in-game.
- ↑ Events of the Prologue.
- ↑ Victoria Byng's journal (Kill Joy).
- ↑ " the so-called "Joy spiral" is an imaginary syndrome in which you take too much Joy, then forget you've taken your Joy, so you take more Joy, and then forget you've taken that, and so on and so on and so on. But Mr. Farrell, I can assure you that no such thing exists as a Joy spiral. You might as well believe in the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus, or there is people who tell you we lost the War! Hah hah! It's ridiculous. Long before any such "Joy spiral" catches hold of you, you'll probably pass out, and when you wake up, your memory will be restored. Yes, it's true that you might be a bit confused about where things are, but any passer by will be happy to point you in the right direction." - Uncle Jack, I Hear You - JOY
- ↑ The note "The “O” Courant - Article 2: Joy Quality Plunging!" states that Joy has been used by citizens since 1951, but this is likely a typo as it doesn't fit the timeline.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rainbow Joy is referenced in the 'How to Be Happy' Guide as being an up-coming flavour. It's referenced once in-game, when Sally gives a dose to General Byng. It's not clear if Rainbow is still considered Joy in-game, or if it's now a different type of drug altogether.
- ↑ Quote from the Victory Memorial Camp announcer: "Attention all personnel. Please remember to boil all water this week. There have been some issues with the pipes. You may want to take an extra Joy or two, as boiling may break it down."