The Henry Stickmin Collection

The Henry Stickmin Collection is a collection of cult adventure games from the Newgrounds platform. The authors from the PuffballsUnited studio released their first productions in the form of browser games, starting with Breaking the Bank in 2008. Later they developed their idea in four more games: Escape the Prison (2010), Stealing the Diamond (2011), Infiltrating the Airship (2013) and finally Fleeing the Complex (2015). The Henry Stickmin Collection has refreshed all these games and added a sixth, closing story for the main hero: Completing the Mission.

Plot

In The Henry Stickmin Collection we play the role of the title Henry, one of the many sticky people in the game world. However, the hero stands out for his lust for wealth, which he tries to satisfy with illegal means. Bank break-in, stealing a huge diamond - Henry won't go back on any challenge to make a fortune. For his misfortune, there is no shortage of challenges in his path, from the guards and army to the supervisors of a huge prison and a cylindrical gang.

Mechanics

The games included in The Henry Stickmin Collection are almost classic point&click adventure games. Our actions are limited to clicking on items visible on the screen. From time to time we come across QTE sequences in which we have to press the appropriate keys quickly enough. However, there are significant differences. Instead of having us search through entire locations, the game shows us a few options available, be it the directions it can take, or the items to use. The items make up a substantial arsenal, including teleporters, spring boots, drones and other, often unconventional tools. The point is that choosing most of them brings unexpected results, often leading to failure. What's more, the developers even encourage the player to choose the wrong solutions. These result in funny interactions, additionally emphasized by blunt, humorous comments.

One of the most important features of The Henry Stickmin Collection is the number of references to popular culture. Here we find references to such series as Ace Attorney, Age of Empires, Call of Duty, Worms, The Legend of Zelda, The Binding of Isaac and many, many others. There were also scenes, objects and quotations associated with the works of cinematography: Matrix, 300, Predator, Jojo's Bizzare Adventures, The Simpsons, Mary Poppins etc.

Game modes

Although the games in The Henry Stickmin Collection offer nothing more than a single player campaign, there are several ways each can be successful. This is especially true of the last episode, much more extensive than the previous ones.

Technical aspects

The Henry Stickmin Collection has a very simple two-dimensional graphic design. Nevertheless, the PuffballsUnited team considered it appropriate to refresh five games known from Newgrounds. The improvements come down mainly to adding new backgrounds and better sound effects. Larger modifications were made to Breaking the Bank. The game has been visually adapted to Henry's newer adventures and the missing elements have been added, including a boards with commentary after the failure.