“Her Story,” developed and published by Sam Barlow offers a unique narrative experience. It was released on multiple platforms including iOS, Windows, and Android (I played on the iPad). This interactive film video game allows players to dive deep into a fragmented storyline that is delivered through police interview clips of the fictional Hannah Smith that the player must sift through to try to solve a disappearance/murder. This game not only challenges players’ perceptions but also redefines narrative delivery in the mystery genre.
On IOS, the game is rated for ages 17+ due to the more mature nature of the content that can be found within the game. This also suggests, however, that because of the gramented storyline, it may require older audiences to be able to understand how to navigate the video files, and have the critical thinking skills to be able to deduce what’s happening and how to access new files. Additionally, this game definitely aims to target mystery enthusiasts who are able to allow their own curiosities drive them through this story as there aren’t explicit directions and there isn’t a set path for players to follow.
Unlike other detective games, “Her Story” relies on a database search mechanic, where players are able to input keywords to retrieve interview clips. It is a very minimalist interface and mimics an old desktop that evokes nostalgia and immerses the player in their detective work as they sift through the files. No single clip tells the entire story, so you as a player have to make sense of fragmented information across hundreds of clips. Because the narrative takes shape through this intuitive exploration, players are challenged to listen for recurring themes in Hannah Smith’s interviews.
The story structure is non-linear, yet compelling, forcing players to think critically about the nature of truth and deception. When I started the game, I noticed the search bar already contained the words ‘Murder’ which took me to the very first video in which a woman whose name we do not immediately know is talking to an off-screen detective where she learns that there was a murder.
You start with the keyword “murder” and then based on the video results you pick up key words that then influence your next search (in my case I then searched for “Simon”, “Peter”, and “Helen” which were all names that came up through the interviews). These keywords are critical for guiding your investigation as you gather more clues and start forming theories. There is also a desktop database checker that tracks your progress.
In contrast to traditional detective games like “L.A. Noire”, in “Her Story” there is really no open-world exploration nor are there any side characters. The player spends all of their time solely with Hannah’s interviews. This single-character focus becomes a deeply immersive experience as you truly feel as if you are an actual detective trying to also read through small gestures and word choices of our main character.
The core mechanic of searching the database causes “Her Story” to be a game of narrative, for the way you are using clues to help the story unfold, and a game of discovery for the way you are trying to unpack the story through new clips as you uncover new details.
While “Her Story” excels at mystery, I can see some improvements that could enhance the experience. For one, an in-game journal could help organize player discoveries that allow us to keep track of keywords and connections already explored. Without a way to take notes I often found myself revisiting old videos to remember the key words I had initially picked out, but if there was a detective journal built into the game, it would have also helped with the immersion of feeling like a true detective and also a better overall player experience without the frustration of not being able to remember everything in each video.
