Henry Halfhead is an adorable puzzler that lets you possess literally everything
Launching on PC next year
What’s the ultimate video game fantasy? I’m guessing playing as a bald half-head that’s been separated from every body part is pretty low on the list, but after seeing the trailer for Henry Halfhead, you’ll probably change your mind. Announced as part of the weekend’s MIX Showcase, Henry Halfhead is an upcoming indie where you take control of the titular half-head (the top half) and possess everyday items to solve puzzles. It’s aiming for a PC release next year, and it just looks delightful.
The trailer above shows off the possession-based puzzling, although it’s decidedly less spooky than other possession-based games. Instead, possession works like the hat-throwing move in Super Mario Odyssey, allowing you to enter supposedly every object and access their unique abilities to complete household tasks. Possessing a battery, for example, lets you roll into a TV remote which then allows you to turn on said Tele. Other possessions allow you to float around as a bath bubble or feed plants as a watering can. A true power fantasy.
The bestest detail is definitely how Henry’s googley eyes, Pinocchio-like nose, and small ears are transplanted onto every object. Everything from a piece of toast to a flying paper plane will look around the room with a judgemental side-eye that I’m sure will spawn lots of memes. The trailer also teases a local two-player co-op mode, and a wholesome story chronicling Henry’s life from a wee baby to a gray-haired senior enjoying the outdoors. The existence of baby Henry implies the existence of… other body parts. But I won’t dig into that right now.
Developer Lululu also had the best trailer of 2021 with their boomerang fighter Bamerang, so they're plain old good at this kind of stuff.
GDC attendees can play a demo of Henry Halfhead today at The MIX Onsite Showcase, but the rest of us can wishlist the adorable puzzler on Steam.
The MIX Showcase was full of other interesting indies including the strategy game spin-off to The Falconeer (with a demo out now) and Kingdom Eighties, a bike-riding, Stranger Things-ish spin-off of the micro-strategy series. You can check out all of the featured games on the MIX Steam page.