Haimrik

Filled to capacity with black humour, Haimrik is an extremely original adventure-platformer blending classic gameplay mechanics with interactive word game elements. The title published on PC is co-developed by Russian 1C Company and the independent, Columbian studio Below the Game which is behind a mechanically-similar title – Story Warriors: Fairy Tales.

Plot

The action takes us to a medieval fantasy world where you come across a variety of warriors, sorcerers, and dragons. You assume the role of young Haimrik, the titular scribe whose life turns upside down once he reads a particular book. Because of this book, the protagonist will have to take on an evil king and his elite generals known as the Word Warriors. Luckily, during his journey, Haimrik can count on his special words skills, and on Masamba – a constantly-hungry lioness who, while protecting the hero, tries to eat him all the time.

Mechanics

The mechanics of Haimrik draw on classic platformers. During gameplay, you explore, solve simple logic puzzles, and combat enemies. However, the title also features extremely original elements of play on words. On his journey, Haimrik comes across stones with words carved in them, and in order to defeat an enemy, he needs to step on the stone with the right word on it. For instance, if there are locked doors, Haimrik needs to stand on a rock with the word “key” on it. If there is fire, stepping on the rock with “water” on it will help Haimrik avoid the trap.

Technical aspects

Released on PC, Haimrik features not only unusual gameplay mechanics, but also distinctive graphics. The production makes use of monochromatic visuals with the sepia effect seasoned with intense red colour every time the hero dies an unnatural death. The game contains loads of black humour and rather comic brutality.

Last updated on 26 July 2016