GAME OF THE DAY
Solve This Murder Mystery
Her Story
“Clearly it’s murder,” says Hannah Smith, the enigmatic subject of Her Story and a prime suspect in the death of her husband, Simon. Don’t be fooled by her matter-of-fact tone, though: It’ll take serious detective work to peel back the layers of Hannah’s tale—and this twisty mystery.
Sitting at a decades-old computer (complete with a whirring, clicking hard drive), you’ll scour archival video of Hannah’s police interviews, filmed over the summer of 1994. Each of the short clips, ranging from a few seconds to a minute or two in length, offers a new sliver of evidence in the case.
Type “glasses,” “tattoo,” or other keywords into the computer’s search bar to bring up videos that’ll nudge your investigation forward—or lead you down a blind alley. Did she say something about an argument? A trip to Glasgow? What really happened here?
Before long, jaw-dropping insights into Hannah’s life come to light. Thanks to a nuanced performance by actor Viva Seifert, even subtle quirks in Hannah’s behavior can lead to startling breakthroughs. Finding video snippets that connect the dots in the game’s inventive, nonlinear story is a thrill.
Before long, jaw-dropping insights into Hannah’s life come to light.
The brainchild of writer and game developer Sam Barlow, Her Story is an experience you can’t quite get out of your head. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself urging friends to play so you can debate the veracity of Hannah’s testimony. No two people will unravel this yarn in exactly the same way; in the end, it’s as much your story as hers.