True to their word, Telltale Games and the Brothers Chaps are continuing to deliver monthly doses of Strong Bad goodness, though they’re surprisingly able to keep things fresh from entry to entry. Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free is strong evidence from this, as while the gameplay remains generally unchanged, the story has a new face to it that’s sure to intrigue, and the humor has been updated to reflect this. In this episode, Strong Bad finds himself unfairly imprisoned by the King of Town for not paying the new e-mail tax; having had enough of the tyrant’s rule, he decides to take his nation of Strong Badia and secede from the town of Free Country USA, prompting all the citizens of town to create their own countries as well. As you play, you’ll be tasked with convincing, or coercing, the various factions to join you under the Strong Badian flag, in order to usurp the King of Town.

The humor is, of course, the main feature of this title, and once again the Brothers Chaps deliver. If you’re like me and investigate every square inch of everything, you’re going to run into a few lines re-used from the previous title, but these are negligible in the face of the new quips and surprises you’ll find in this entry. There are several laugh-out-loud moments in this game, as well as some unique elements that are sure to delight; my favorite part of the game was seeing the old-timey news clips whenever you acquire another nation, accompanied by a newscaster with a very obvious, and hilarious, pro-Strong Badia bias. It’s the little things that really make this game a delight. And if you’ve never seen a Strong Bad game before, don’t worry too much; while the game doesn’t try and ease you into the Homestar Runner universe in any way, you’re not going to be left horribly confused in any way, and you should still understand this title just fine, though an inside joke or two may pass you by.

The other important gameplay element is the puzzles, and there’s no lack of those either. Luckily, difficulty has not been compromised for this title, and you’ll come across some rather simple puzzles in addition to a couple of head-scratchers. Some of the things you have to do in order to progress are very clever and entertaining, notably one I’m thinking of near the end of the three-to-four-hour adventure that incenses the King of Town. The hint system still exists in case you find yourself stuck, but some of Strong Bad’s hints can be admittedly vague, and there may be plenty of trial and error involved, but luckily not so much as to be frustrating.

Aside from the main quests, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself entertained in Strong Badia the Free, though I’m not sure how long they’ll keep you occupied. Teen Girl Squad returns in the form of Cave Girl Squad, though to get the best results you’ll have to find extra ideas to use with the Metal Detector. It seems that most of the non-story gameplay elements revolve around collecting, which is a bit of a bummer in my opinion. The exception, of course, is this month’s Videlectrix title, Math Kickers: Featuring the Algebros, a send-up of Double Dragon-esque beat-’em-ups that challenges you to solve math problems by punching enemies in proper proportions.

Strong Badia the Free is a worthy successor to the first Homestar Ruiner, and if you enjoyed the first title, you’re going to like this second one just as much. This game gets a Yay! from me, for anyone who enjoys good humor or point-and-click adventure titles, and is definitely worth your $10.