For this week’s critical play, I played Her Story. This game was created by Sam Barlow and is available on iOS, Android, and PC. The target audience of the game is players 16 and up who enjoy mystery games.
In Her Story, narrative is woven into its mystery through a video database that players search using keywords. The game mechanics revolve around searching through video clips of police interviews with a woman regarding her missing husband. This searching mechanism serves as both gameplay and a method to reveal the story, forcing players to piece together the narrative in their unique order based on their curiosity and deductive skills. The central argument here is that the game’s mechanics match the work of a detective by piecing together clues from multiple sources to form a cohesive story.
The setting in Her Story is extremely minimalist and almost looks like it’s from the 90s, and that controls the narrative flow. Players are confined to this interface which encourages us focus on the detective work because the space feels so isolated. That is because it restricts players’ access to the world outside the interview clips, making their understanding of the story entirely dependent on the video content they uncover and interpret. During my playthrough, I initially felt slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of clips available. However, as I stumbled upon keywords and phrases that revealed more of the story, I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery. Looking at narrative structures, Her Story’s narratives are less traditional and more like a network. Players can circle back to previous clips with new insights after finding new information somewhere else because there is no direct sequence or path to follow. Key moments, like shifts in the woman’s demeanor or contradictory statements, become critical pieces of evidence that challenge players to reassess their theories and conclusions. These moments are important in supporting the central argument about the game’s unique narrative delivery.
Compared to other games in this genre such as L.A. Noire or Gone Home, Her Story stands out by using actual video footage and focusing entirely on the search mechanic as opposed to incorporating other interaction with environments. This mechanic emphasizes the narrative and encourages the detective feeling of the game.
When I was playing, there was one moment when I followed a hunch about a seemingly insignificant object mentioned in one clip, which led to way more revelations about the case’s background. This was an important moment in shaping my understanding of the narrative and showcased the game’s ability to engage the player actively in the storytelling process.
I personally think the game could be improved by enhancing the search function to allow for more complex questions, providing players with the ability to explore deeper links between clips and enriching the experience of investigating. I think that the game can feel a bit one-dimensional which definitely leave some things to be desired.
To conclude, Her Story integrates narrative into game mechanics in a way that pushes the detective experience. I personally really enjoyed these elements and will definitely be returning to this game!
