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Little Nightmares 3 looks eerily good
by Kevin Hofer
Henry Halfhead: Swiss game with a good head on its shoulders
17.9.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
You play Henry, half a head that can transform into any object. This unusual game principle invites plenty of experimentation, appealing to both me and my five-year-old.
Zurich-based studio Lululu Entertainment has hit the mark with both name and design. Henry Halfhead is, well, half a head with big googly eyes that can slip into objects at the touch of a button. If you’ve always wanted to be a toaster, a paper aeroplane or a rocking horse, then you’ve come to the right place. I first tried the game on my own, then together with my son.
It all begins with Henry as a baby in a playroom. A lovable English narrator, who nearly manages to conceal their Swiss twang, explains the plot and what to do. It’s actually the voice of Leander Schneeberger, cofounder of Lululu, and was originally intended as a placeholder. But since feedback was already very positive, the voice stayed in. Aaron Abt, another founding member, explained this in response to my press inquiry. Definitely the right decision.
The game is based on a sandbox principle. You can experiment as long and as much as you want. To progress, you just have to complete certain tasks. They’re never that hard, and start with you turning yourself into a little hammer and banging around on a xylophone. Then, you turn into either a square, triangle or round block and jump through the correct hole in a small table provided for just this purpose. That, or you stack building blocks until they’ve reached the required height. Alright, starting off simple.
Source: Lululu Entertainment
Two half heads make a whole
In the next section, Henry has grown up a bit and now goes to school. I let my five-year-old play along too starting here. After all, Henry Halfhead can also be played in co-op. Together, we were two half Henrys solving tasks together. Theoretically, this would be quicker. But my son is just as easily distracted as Henry most of the time. He’s supposed to be solving math problems, not making paper aeroplanes. I started liking the game at this point.
Source: Lululu Entertainment
But the fun doesn’t come from simply solving tasks. It’s much more enjoyable to mess around in levels and find out what you can interact with. My son understood this instinctively. He immediately turned into a red pen and scribbled across any surface he could find. In the meantime, I sprayed colour everywhere as a tube of paint, accompanied by farting noises. The little dollops came out looking like multicoloured piles of poo. This, of course, brought on a fit of laughter from my teammate.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
Life gets serious
After half an hour, however, he wanted to spend the rest of his playing time with Donkey Kong Bananza. Shame, the game is definitely more fun with two players. But lo and behold, the next day he wanted to play Henry again. At this point, our protagonist has left school and now works in a mail sorting facility. Letters belong in the right-hand hole, parcels go to the left. At this point, I realise there’s some light social criticism in Henry Halfhead. That dreary working day repeats itself over and over again. Sorting, taking the bus, showering, eating toast and heading to bed. Henry’s free time steadily disappears, and one day he even misses the last bus home.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
So, he makes his way home on foot. Or stump, I guess. On the way, he passes a playground and rediscovers the fun parts of life. My son also discovered something, namely the swing. When he realised he could do loops with it, he was almost overcome with joy. Every kid wants to do that, after all. I just hope he doesn’t try it in real life next time he goes to kindergarten. Meanwhile, I made myself comfortable on a rocking unicorn. For once, I didn’t have to worry about tearing the thing off its hinges.
A head with plenty of heart
That’s how far we’ve got. But we’ll definitely continue playing. Henry Halfhead isn’t a complex game, but it’s genuine and heartfelt. I can’t wait to see where the story takes me and what funny objects I can turn into next. There’s over 250 in the game, and I’ve still got many to discover. I also need to collect more headgear – the propeller one’s my favourite.
Source: Lululu Entertainment
The design is eye-catching despite its minimalism, and not just because of the large eyes that appear on controllable objects. The plain, wall-less levels simply come off as wonderfully surreal. Then there’s Lucien Guy Montandon’s fabulous, playful soundtrack consisting of cheerful, pop beats. As soon as the full game’s available to stream or buy, I’ll get it.
You should get Henry Halfhead too if you’re looking for an entertaining, fun casual game. If you like experimenting and perhaps playing with a younger buddy, then you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Henry Halfhead is available for PC, PS5 and Switch. I played the PC version provided to me by Lululu Entertainment.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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