The Night Henry Allen Died

Suicide is a pretty grim subject, regardless of how tough you consider yourself to be. It is that much more tragic when it happens to someone you know, especially if it’s a good friend. Video games do not usually tackle such heavy subjects, but there are many examples out there anyway. Horror games typically feature suicide, but you can also find it in other genres.

The Night Henry Allen Died is a pretty weird game, even from the first few minutes of gameplay. It can be considered an adventure game, although there are no actual puzzles to solve, only dialog and a house that can be explored and examined. However, the situation changes along the way, and it really depends on how dedicated you are to finding out the truth.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it makes too much sense. Hence, it all starts when the main character receives a letter from his friend Henry Allen, who urges him to visit as quickly as possible. After he decides to honor the invitation, the main character finds out that the same Henry hanged himself not long after sending the letter.

You can talk to every character that’s in the house, including the victim’s brother and mother. Although you only have a few basic questions at your disposal at first, the list expands as you find out more about the house and the way Henry died. Hence, even if you talk to someone in the beginning and there are only two questions available, you can always go back later and ask more.

It is also possible to examine objects around the house and come up with new inquiries for the other characters. Pictures, diaries and various other items can be the source of new ideas, so it’s always indicated to just interact with everything. Granted, this also makes the experience feel like a pixel hunt, but it’s not as repetitive as it sounds.

Even if The Night Henry Allen Died is more of a prototype than an actual game, it certainly has the power to intrigue players. However, there are mistakes that make the experience annoying as well, such as the fact that you have to manually scroll to all the questions whenever you want to as something else, or even if you just want to leave the conversation.