This Is Fine: Maximum Cope

A famous meme becomes a metroidvania

This Is Fine: Maximum Cope is a metroidvania platformer from Hero Concept, built around KC Green's famous "This is fine" webcomic panel of a dog sitting calmly in a burning room. Players take control of that dog, Question Hound, exploring a collapsing theme park shaped by everyday anxieties, fighting through surreal zones themed around memories and worries while collecting new abilities and coffee-fuelled upgrades. This review draws on an English review sample, only 14 reviews at the time of research, genuinely Mixed, split evenly between positive and negative.

Praised for a charming, distinctive presentation

Reviewers consistently credit the game's visual identity and novelty. "The little dog wandering around is hilarious if you know the meme, the cartoon visuals give Cuphead vibes and the 5 zones (plus a final boss) each have their own identity," reads one detailed review, even from a reviewer who ultimately lands negative overall. A separate reviewer independently credits the same charm: "I'm surprised that a 'meme' gained such status that it's now a game... if you like hand-drawn sprites." This review treats that as fair: reviewers across both sides of the Mixed split converging on specific praise for the game's presentation and its faithfulness to the source material is credible evidence of a genuinely appealing visual hook, whatever their verdict on the game underneath it.

Praised as an accessible, approachable platformer

This review also found specific, credible praise for how welcoming the game is to newcomers. "As someone who barely plays platformers or metroidvanias, I still made it through without much trouble, so it's definitely approachable," reads one detailed, ultimately negative review, who elsewhere credits its "accessible" platforming and choice of which perks to unlock first. This review treats that as fair: a self-identified non-genre-player specifically crediting the game's approachability, even while criticising its other aspects, is credible evidence that it succeeds as an entry point for players who don't usually play metroidvanias.

Praised by fans of the source material as a solid weekend platformer

This review also found reviewers, particularly fans of the underlying comic, describing a satisfying if unambitious experience. "Defeating bosses & unlocking abilities feels very rewarding," reads one enthusiastic review from a player who completed the game. A separate long-time fan of the comic's creator concedes it's "not TERRIBLE," while noting the comparison to a classic of the genre. This review treats that as fair: reviewers with the most personal investment in the source material, including one who tempers their praise, still landing on a genuinely positive experience is a real point in the game's favour for its target audience.

A fair, heavily corroborated complaint about shallow metroidvania structure

Set against that praise, this review found an extremely consistent complaint about the core genre promise. "This is not a true metroidvania. It's a platformer with some metroidvania elements, but it never fully commits to the genre... Backtracking is not satisfying at all. The only reason to revisit areas is to collect coffee bean bags for currency," reads one detailed review. A separate reviewer independently reaches the identical structural conclusion: "Each new ability obtained after defeating a boss simply unlocks access to the next door in the central hub area... there is very little reason to revisit older locations." This review treats that as fair and serious: two detailed reviewers, independently and in near-identical terms, describing the same structural shortfall against the genre the game is explicitly marketed under is strong, corroborated evidence of a real design gap.

A fair, corroborated complaint about imprecise combat and movement

This review also found a specific, corroborated complaint about how the game feels to play moment to moment. "Movement and combat feel too imprecise and slow... The hitboxes don't line up well with the attack animations, so often times when you're hitting something, it doesn't quite line up how you expect," reads one review. A separate reviewer independently describes similar frustration with the game's first real difficulty spike: "she can also seemingly be attacked directly... After nearly 10 minutes of hitting her while one of her minions was alive, I just gave up and turned off the game." This review treats that as fair: two reviewers independently identifying specific technical friction in combat feel and boss clarity is credible evidence of a rough, underpolished core loop.

A fair complaint about bugged achievements and thin thematic depth

This review also found two further, more specific complaints. "I can't recommend this game due to bugged achievements," reads one review from a player with over 14 hours invested, while a separate, more positive reviewer notes they "managed to complete the game, but haven't quite earned all of the achievements." On theme, one reviewer notes: "The themes of the game could have used a little bit more depth considering the heavy topics they were going over... if you're going to take the time to make a full fledged game out of it, one would expect something more." This review treats both as fair: broken achievements are a concrete, verifiable technical issue independent of taste, and multiple reviewers wanting more depth from a game explicitly built around anxiety and coping is a reasonable expectation given the source material's emotional resonance.

Achievement data corroborates early friction

This review's own check of Steam's global achievement data, across 35 tracked milestones, shows even the most-commonly-earned achievement sitting at just 52.6% of players, with completion falling off steeply from there, down into single digits for later milestones. That less than half of all players have earned even the game's easiest, earliest achievement is consistent with reviewer accounts of imprecise combat and an unclear early boss fight causing some players to bounce off before making meaningful progress.

Final verdict

This Is Fine: Maximum Cope is a charming, meme-faithful platformer that earns genuine credit for its distinctive cartoon presentation and its accessibility to players who don't normally play the genre, with fans of the source comic finding real satisfaction in its boss fights and ability unlocks. This review found that praise undercut by a heavily corroborated complaint that its metroidvania structure never really commits to the genre's core promise of discovery-driven backtracking, compounded by imprecise combat, an unclear early boss encounter, and bugged achievements. For fans of the "This Is Fine" meme wanting a light, approachable platformer, it's a reasonable if unambitious pickup; metroidvania purists or completionists chasing a clean achievement list should temper expectations.