Her Story

 iOS
Her Story Image
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 42 Ratings

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  • Summary: A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking narrative game.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Pocket Tactics
    Jul 5, 2015
    100
    Her Story is a unique experience. You’ve never played anything like this before, and might never get the chance to play anything like it again.
  2. Telegraph
    Jun 24, 2015
    100
    This is a remarkable, progressive, absorbing game, one sure to prompt fervent discussion among its players, no two of whom will have shared the same experience. Your actions and deductions may not lead to a virtual arrest or conviction, but the curiosity of your inner Columbo will surely have been sated.
  3. TouchArcade
    Jun 24, 2015
    90
    I highly recommend Her Story, even for its slight imperfections.
  4. Pocket Gamer UK
    Jun 22, 2015
    90
    Her Story is a bold experiment in interactive storytelling, resulting in one of the best detective games ever made.
  5. Gamezebo
    Jun 26, 2015
    90
    It is a grand feat of compelling interactive storytelling that will keep you thinking long after all the clips have been uncovered and watched.
  6. games(TM)
    Sep 1, 2015
    90
    This game is a victory for the FMV, for mobile/PC games, and for the concept of interactive narrative as a whole.
  7. 148Apps
    Jun 25, 2015
    80
    Step into the shoes of a researcher delving into a twisted tale.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. HSPLazerz
    Jun 28, 2015
    10
    One of the most interesting, thoughtful, and well designed games in recent memory. It reminds me a whole lot of Gone Home, with how the entireOne of the most interesting, thoughtful, and well designed games in recent memory. It reminds me a whole lot of Gone Home, with how the entire story is first presented to you in a way that makes you think something completely different is happening from what actually is, and then you explore this very human story and find out what's going on in actuality. I won't spoil even the slightest of info about it because it's important that you do find out about it yourself.

    As you search through a police database to find out what's happened, you yourself start to piece this all together. And the game somehow, just somehow has designed this search function so perfectly, and has really connected it so well with how you might think about it all and piece it all together, but it has't made it linear and into a specific way where you will find out about what's going on. Actually, this is a whole lot free than Gone Home, as Gone Home behind the scenes puts you on a pathway to how you find out about it all, albeit it still does give the player their own thoughts about it, Her Story is a whole lot more just, open, and free. You might end this game without even having found out at all about what's going on and just being overwhelmed with the 271 clips the game puts on here. It doesn't show nor present, just, puts it there for you to explore yourself. The game is also realistic as hell, with both the fact that the game doesn't ever just "end" for you or "begin" persay, it just is what it is simply and goes on without ever doing some cheesy end cutscene that explains everything, it just doesn't give a **** just like life. Not only that, but the presentation is very authentic. It just feels right with that computer interface that then leads to the oh so well acted clips. Now, here, there is no overacting, not one bit. In fact, there might be so little of it that it might be considered bad acting. Except it isn't. This is probably exactly how a person would be in a situation like this, and people are different to, this woman, I mean you might begin with thinking she's the murderer or if the man is even gone at all, and at the end you question her mere sanity at this point and is it her fault really, etc.

    Now albeit the game doesn't have an ending nor a beginning exactly, it does though have the amazing design that it has and does motivate you to go on and to feel a real sense of progression as somehow, these audio and visual ques that really makes sense at the end but really creep you out at the beginning, which further emphasises the brutal truth of just, life, with how it doesn't give a **** n' all, but also makes you feel like you are progressing, and not only that, it almost always was perfectly adapted to when I came to a revelation if you will about it. And the little of an ending it gives you is just such a perfect cap to it all that it's just straight up genius. And even after I was done I was so into this story that I just needed to find the last 20 clips that I hadn't found and I actually ended up finding every single clip there is.

    Now the story (that I will not spoil for you) is less relatble despite how human it is, and is more interesting because of what it just simply is, and because of the fact that it is less relatble it is indeed not THAT emotional as say, The Walking Dead or Gone Home which are truly much more relatble and personal stories. But this one has an interesting aspect to it that's sky high and there is still some emotions, that's for sure.

    Now for all of you who think this isn't a game: This game is for mature and thoughtful people, so obviously you don't fit in to this category. It is still a game despite of that though, and just because it's not for you doesn't make it a bad game. In fact, even if you think it's a bad game it is still a game. Everything that has any form of interaction and is distibuted like a game, I consider as games and as such I will judge it as one. And this one I judge as one of the best games I've played in recent memory, and one of the most interesting of all time. If you're skeptical, get it at least on a sale and I assure you you will not regret it. Well, unless you're one of those people who don't get game design, who don't have any emotions or interest beyond your average stereotypical Call of Duty player, and who has the dumb idea that if it doesn't have WASD controls, if you can't aim a gun, or if the game has any emotional or interesting qualities, especially game design ways, then it isn't a game. So, so sad that people like that just can't stay within their own strict convention of what a game is and just keep sitting there with your Call of Duties (despite me enjoying those games honestly but they ONLY enjoy these :P) or BioShocks and pretend that you're smart because of its ending, etc. Just don't even bother with these geniuses of games because they are beyond your capability of emotions, interest, thoughts, etc.

    Basically: Get this game.    … Expand
  2. SIPPIO
    Dec 7, 2015
    10
    Read my review if you are curious about this game but aren't sure....
    Over 50k people played this game and I'm the 2nd reviewer lol wtf.    Read my review if you are curious about this game but aren't sure....
    Over 50k people played this game and I'm the 2nd reviewer lol wtf.

    --1st of all its $5 BUCKS!! probably cheaper now...
    ---I'll keep this simple as this review is taking up my Wasteland 2 time....

    --SPOILER FREE!!--
    it's a game where you watch the video clips ONLY.. From a 1980's That has 2 features.
    -1st feature is there's a Police VIDEO Database of interviews of a attractive woman with a awesome accent. Her Husband died and there was Life insurance and it being the 80's blah blah they interviewed her 100 times. BUT to find the interviews you must solve the riddle by typing in the keyword..They give you the 1st one for free.. I think it's 'murder',,and then it plays the 30-200 second video clip of her talking and revealing more and. Ore and more details which lead you to think of more keywords to type.
    --the keywords are what the detectives labeled each video as..so the game is getting the whoooole story and it has a awesome didn't see that coming twist.
    ----the feature myself and everyone else looooved was how you can think of the weirdest random shhht and you'll score a video or 3...and it's also a feeling of total victory when you're keyword reveals 3-10 videos. Becaus eat this point you're dying for more story tidbits,,,,,,it's like being stuck In a campaigns story and can't progress until you riddle it.

    --perk= this game reveals idiots. 2 outta the 10 family & friends struggled with the games keywords and well it reveals said persons mediocre fact building skills or lack of...

    ---the game deserves a meta score of 10 based on price, quality, and voice acting. And then UI/layout of the videos is helpful.. So the game is about a 7 with the low price and the fact that the game can be completed in 1 three hour power session,,but the story stayed with me till this day. And this was couple months ago....
    (Video game awards reminded me of the game cause it's nominated for best Indy game of year,,,...)

    --the only negatives I can think of is the make the story stop at like a PG13 instead of rated R.....woulda been super amazing had the girl gone into details of her private side more but they keep it mostly clean.....    … Expand
  4. LordOMO
    Dec 2, 2018
    6
    I don't care if "Her Story" is technically a game or not. What's important is wether it delivers on its premise. The general idea is that youI don't care if "Her Story" is technically a game or not. What's important is wether it delivers on its premise. The general idea is that you play detective by watching interrogation tapes related to a crime. However, you can only access files by searching for the correct keywords. In theory that's an interesting concept, allowing the player to slowly unravel the story as you figure out more and more plot points.
    In execution this won't always work. I think the very mixed user reviews of this game reflect that one player may have a vastly different experience from another player, depending on the order in which they "unravel" the video clips. In my playthrough (no spoilers) I had a great time for the first 20 minutes or so as I discovered all kinds of "storylines" and clues. Then I ran out of keywords to search for, so for an hour I was backpedaling to old videos or blindly searching for keywords to get access to new videos. I barely made any progress in that time, since many of the videos I found were completely redundant/pointless and didn't provide any new clues at all. Then suddenly (it felt like it was by accident) I got to the end of the story: For me it fell completely flat, while still leaving many plot points unanswered.
    There are statistics in the game that show how many clips you uncovered and it seems like I jumped wildly in the database, while having huge chunks of videomaterial missing in between. I could try to go back and figure out the missing parts of the story but it seems like way to much effort as I already solved the case and I haven't found the right keywords.
    The great flaw of the game is that there is no pre-planned pacing. A player may "solve" the case in 5 minutes without knowing any of the backstory or characters. Another player might spend hours uncovering every detail, knowing exactly how it will resolve but lacking the right keyword to get to the ending.    … Expand
  5. rodericrinehart
    Jan 30, 2016
    6
    It was an ok game and I don't regret playing it, but my god did Polygon and some others overrate this game. And it didn't even put The WitcherIt was an ok game and I don't regret playing it, but my god did Polygon and some others overrate this game. And it didn't even put The Witcher 3 in its top 10. This is barely a game, and I am someone who very much enjoys Life Is Strange Until Dawn, Heavy Rain, and Telltale games. Again, it was ok, especially for the low price, and it won't take more than a few hours of your time.… Expand
  6. danwrites
    Jan 14, 2020
    6
    Interesting gameplay where you use search terms to progress the story. The story is intriguing and pushed me to continue with the search toInteresting gameplay where you use search terms to progress the story. The story is intriguing and pushed me to continue with the search to uncover the mystery. However it is short-lived and feels somewhat meaningless at the end of the experience because there is no proper end or sense of closure.… Expand
  7. drlowdon
    Oct 23, 2021
    5
    A woman, who introduces herself as Hannah, reports that her husband Simon has gone missing and he is later found murdered.

    Her Story is    A woman, who introduces herself as Hannah, reports that her husband Simon has gone missing and he is later found murdered.

    Her Story is essentially a collection of short video clips taken from various police interviews, with the goal being to piece together what actually happened to Simon. To do this the player can type in key words in order to locate previously unseen clips, which will usually offer some new information and thus allow further clips to be found.

    Its an interesting concept, and Viva Seifert is very good throughout, but in practice I found it got repetitive very quickly and the story just wasn’t quite strong enough for me to want to keep playing for much more than an hour or so.    … Expand

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