Henry Halfhead is by far the weirdest demo I’ve played during this Steam Next Fest (complimentary). In it, you control Henry, just a wee baby stuck in his crib… that is, until his parents leave the room, leaving him free to explore and learn about the world around him. To do so, Henry can possess all manner of objects, from building blocks to puzzle pieces to the hanging mobile above him, and more. And as Henry possesses each object, he can learn about what they do and, more importantly, what he can do as that object. In this short and sweet demo, I built towers to satisfy Henry’s desire to stack things, hit a xylophone over and over again, and eventually made my way to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, there are a lot of pots and pans, and as every parent knows, babies love making noise. What better way to make a loud commotion than with pots and pans? I possessed each and created a tune only a baby like Henry could love. As I advanced through the demo, Henry grew up, from a newborn to three years old, setting the stage for the demo’s finale: his birthday party. As a mischievous little 3-year-old, Henry quickly grows impatient waiting for his parents to prepare his party, so he handles it himself; in other words, I moved the cake on to the table (then ate every slice), moved candles onto the plate where the cake should’ve been (even though a 3-year-old shouldn’t play with matches), and helped my parents stack the presents nearby (except Henry’s parents were nowhere near and I also opened every single one). If this Steam Next Fest demo is any indication of the final game, Henry Halfhead will be all about the joy that awaits us throughout every stage of life – we only have to interact with the world around us to find it. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.