Somewhere in the Lake District is a town named Rainy Woods. Like many small towns in recent TV shows and video games, this town has a secret. Well, a secret. It is inhabited by eccentric people who are no less than psychonauts, and when the moon is full, they transform into dogs and cats.

At 11 p.m. on a full moon, they transform into animals and roam the town. Of course, you can approach them and pet them, but eventually you will be able to transform yourself into a cat and a dog as well. Most games would be satisfied with just that, but "The Good Life" is not a game to be satisfied with just that. It is both a life-sim and a murder mystery. It is, in effect, an RPG with (almost) no combat and an abundance of droll and exhausting quests. It is a SWERY game, which probably explains the rest of this paragraph.

Perhaps you've heard of SWERY. Or even if you haven't heard of him, you've probably heard of his magnum opus, Deadly Premonition (The Good Life). Both deal with small-town murders, but whereas the former is devoted to detective work and supernatural survival horror, "The Good Life" is neither. Sure, nominally it's broadly structured around investigating a grisly murder, but it's easy to forget that as you're infiltrating a creepy castle or following a UFO sighting. It's been a while since I've seen the show, but has Poirot ever shown up at a crime scene riding a sheep?" "The Good Life" is a brighter, wackier, more overt comedy than "Deadly Premonition. This time, instead of laughing at the game, you're laughing with it.

You play as Naomi Hayward, an American photojournalist. She has come to town to pay off an eye-watering 30 million pound debt. Naomi is selfish and rude and is often the butt of jokes in this game. She is a great character for a sitcom, as her dignity is reduced at every turn.

The Good Life's main modus operandi is a series of side quests that let Naomi fetch things, take pictures, and roam the Lake District as the world's most overworked courier. These side quests are the kind of RPG side quests that you pick up off a bulletin board and spend an afternoon doing, but enlivened by colorful characters and a well-designed open world that you can explore on foot, on sheep's back, or on your own four feet!

Yes, that's right.

Oh yes, about the transformation. Mystical powers allow Naomi to jump over walls and onto roofs in her feline form, and to follow scents and piss on things in her canine form. Unlike the inhabitants of the full moon, she can assume cat, dog, or human form whenever she likes, becoming a dog when she wants to move quickly and a cat when she wants to catch small animals.

Quests often make use of Naomi's camera as well as these transformative abilities. This is the main way to earn money in the game. The idea is to take pictures that match trending hashtags. The more popular the photo, the more money that goes into your account. Not only is this system engaging in its own right, but it encourages engagement with the world around you and makes you aware of the details of the game's lively British setting.

From the misty, sheep-filled fields, to the ancient cairns, to the cozy pub interiors, "Rainy Woods" certainly looks the part. I had never heard of the legendary sword "Cultana" before, but the game's storyline never misses an opportunity to tell interesting bits of mythology and history. These are mashed up with sci-fi elements, fourth-wall jokes, and bonny moments. In other words, don't take mysteries seriously.

I've learned to just let it roll off my back and accept the nonsense (mostly funny). If you watch it expecting a specific explanation, you may be disappointed, but on a thematic and emotional level, you will be satisfied.

But I told you this is a life-sim as well as a murder mystery. You can buy garden ornaments, plant and harvest vegetables, and choose from a predetermined style of home. You also need to eat frequently and, oddly enough, sleep very little. They cannot, however, customize their homes or build relationships with the townspeople. You'll be lucky if they remember you from one quest chain to the next. [From the cash-strapped Naomi, to the half-assed local pastor, to Ronnette, the good-natured farmer who lives on the outskirts of town. I love how their cats and dogs retain elements of their appearance and personality, and I love the clay-like character models that express so much before you even speak to them. Often, I feel that this game is a pastiche of the modern sci-fi show Wallace and Gromit.

Looking back on The Good Life, there is a warmth to it that I didn't feel when I was pacing back and forth in the wilderness collecting puzzling and elusive craft parts for villagers who might be confused with "delivery". But the more you explore a place, the more you come to know it. It begins to feel like a real place.

After solving countless small problems, wrestling with larger supernatural ones, and marking my territory with literally liters of dog urine, I have come to consider Rainy Woods home.