Her Story
Platform: PC, Mac, and iOS
Price: $5.99
Time to Beat: 2-3 hours
Writer for Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Sam Barlow, wrote and directed Her Story. In the game, players search through a police database watching clips from a series of interviews in an attempt to solve the case of a missing man. Searching for keywords that pop up in these clips will yield more interview excerpts ultimately unfolding into an incredibly rewarding narrative.
Two things make Her Story special. First, while there is a canon story and a way to get to an ending, there are a plethora of conclusions to be drawn at any given time during a playthrough. Ultimately, the story is over when the player decides that they have found enough information to be comfortable with the narrative they have experienced. This has resulted in countless theories about what actually happens in the game. But be warned, these theories do contain spoilers so you’d be best to avoid them if you’re intending on playing the game and want to keep it all a surprise.
Secondly, even though it is not required, the pursuit of the truth is more impactful when you play with a pen and paper; marking out keywords, drawing a timeline, jotting down theories, and keeping up with the characters in the narrative. Her Story generates an obsessive desire for piecing the story together while leaving you with moments of revelation that stick with you well after you put the game down.
Check out our full review of Her Story here.
