Haimrik

Haimrik is a 2D side-scrolling action-puzzle game set in a medieval fantasy world. The player takes on the role of Haimrik, a lowly scribe whose life is turned upside down when he discovers a magical book. The core gameplay revolves around a unique text-based mechanic where words written on the pages of the book come to life and can be used to solve environmental puzzles, combat enemies, and navigate the fast-paced, beautifully designed levels. The game is described as a charming and frequently brutal journey that blends a strong, immersive story with innovative puzzle-solving.

Haimrik: A Chronicle of Words, Blood, and Revolution

Introduction

In the vast and often predictable landscape of indie gaming, few titles dare to be as conceptually audacious as Haimrik. Released in 2018 by the Colombian studio Below the Game, this side-scrolling action-puzzler immediately distinguishes itself with a premise that is both literal and metaphysical: words have power. Not just in the narrative sense, but as tangible, interactive objects within the game world. Haimrik is a game about reading, but more importantly, it is about the act of writing one’s own destiny through the very language that constructs reality. It is a title that garnered a modest but passionate following, praised for its originality and artistic vision, yet critiqued for its short runtime and occasional lack of polish. This review will delve deep into the fabric of Haimrik, examining its development, its innovative mechanics, its thematic ambitions, and its lasting legacy as a cult classic that dared to weaponize the written word.

Development History & Context

Below the Game, a studio based in Colombia, embarked on a formidable task with Haimrik. The vision, led by directors Andres Arocha and Carlos Andrés Rocha Silva, was to create a game where the core mechanic was intrinsically tied to language and narrative. Developed using the Unity engine, the game was a significant undertaking for a relatively small team, evidenced by the 82 individuals credited on the project. The gaming landscape in 2018 was dominated by large-scale AAA titles and a thriving indie scene saturated with pixel-art platformers and retro-inspired RPGs. In this environment, Haimrik’s unique selling point—its text-driven, interactive wordplay—was a bold gambit.

The technological constraints were navigated with a distinct artistic direction. The team opted for a 2D, side-scrolling perspective to keep the focus on the text-based puzzles and the narrative. This choice allowed them to pour resources into the hand-drawn art style and the intricate integration of words into the environment. The development process was clearly a labor of love, with a focus on a core mechanic that was untested in the market. The studio’s previous work, including the similarly themed Story Warriors: Fairy Tales, provided a foundation, but Haimrik represented a significant evolution of their ideas. Published by 1C Publishing EU, the game found a platform but perhaps lacked the marketing muscle to break into the mainstream, ultimately cementing its status as a hidden gem.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Haimrik tells the story of its eponymous hero, a meek and unremarkable scribe living in the impoverished village of Sinisa within the kingdom of Estria. The land is under the tyrannical rule of King Udolf, who, after discovering an ancient power in the mountains, used it to unite the kingdoms and create an elite force of “Word Warriors.” The narrative begins with Haimrik, dismissed by his community and struggling to pay his rent, discovering a mysterious book that eerily resembles one from a dream. Upon cutting his hand and spilling blood on its pages—a visceral and recurring motif—he is transported into the book’s world, where words become reality.

The plot is a classic zero-to-hero journey, but it is elevated by its sharp, dark humor and a surprisingly sincere political undertone. The villagers’ disenfranchisement and their rallying cry for rebellion against an oppressive regime resonate with real-world themes of class struggle and the power of collective action. Haimrik’s mother advises him to “be nice to everybody and to not underestimate the power of words,” a thesis statement that the game explores with literal and metaphorical depth.

Characters are broadly drawn but effective. Haimrik himself is a milquetoast everyman whose transformation is driven by necessity rather than ambition. Jelena, the tavern owner and object of affection, is a pragmatic and strong-willed woman who pushes Haimrik into action. The standout is Masamba, a perpetually hungry lioness who acts as both protector and potential predator, adding a layer of dark comedy and constant tension.

The narrative structure is expertly paced, blending black comedy, bloody revolution, and political intrigue. Critics noted that the story “deftly blends black comedy, bloody revolution and political backstabbery,” leading to a “brilliant, creative final act.” However, the ending itself was often cited as rushed, feeling as if it needed another 10-20 minutes to fully resolve its threads. The writing within the puzzle sections can be haphazard, with occasional grammatical errors, but the overarching story is compelling and well-constructed, serving as a strong backbone for the innovative gameplay.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Haimrik is an action-puzzler built upon an “interactive words” mechanic. When Haimrik enters the book’s world, the player is presented with a side-scrolling environment where the floor is composed of the story’s text. By standing on specific nouns—such as “sword,” “torch,” “bucket,” or “blizzard”—and pressing a button, the player manifests that object or effect into reality. This system is used for combat, environmental puzzle-solving, and progression.

The brilliance of this mechanic is its simplicity and its constraints. Haimrik can only hold one item at a time, forcing the player to think strategically about word selection and order. For example, a puzzle might require combining “barrel” with “gunpowder” to create an explosive, then using a “torch” to ignite it, but only after moving a safe distance away. The game constantly introduces new combinations and scenarios, keeping the puzzles fresh despite the limited toolset.

Boss fights are a highlight, ramping up the pace and requiring quick reading and reaction. One notable battle involves using the words “ink,” “oil,” and “fire” to defeat a Word Warrior. Later, a section where the player controls two characters on different planes simultaneously adds welcome variety. However, the game is not without its flaws. The puzzles, while inventive, rarely achieve a high level of difficulty, often solvable within a minute or two. This led some critics to feel the mechanic never reached its full “eureka” potential. Additionally, the platforming controls were sometimes cited as “sketchy,” with unresponsive jumps causing frustration.

The game’s structure alternates between these word-world segments and hub-like sections in the village where Haimrik interacts with NPCs to advance the plot. These segments are more traditional adventure game fare, often involving fetch quests, and they serve as a narrative breather between the more intense puzzle sequences. With a runtime of only 3-5 hours, Haimrik is a brief experience, and its lack of replayability—no chapter select and minimal incentive for a second playthrough—is a noted weakness.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Haimrik‘s aesthetic is one of its most defining features. The visual direction employs a monochromatic sepia tone, reminiscent of old parchment or a wood-burning art style, which is violently punctuated by splashes of bright red blood. This choice is not merely stylistic; it reinforces the game’s themes of a gritty, medieval world where life is cheap and violence is ever-present. The hand-drawn artwork is consistently beautiful, with characters designed in a caricatured manner—often with oversized heads—that enhances the darkly comic tone.

The setting of Estria feels lived-in and oppressed. The village of Sinisa is depicted as a place of poverty and discontent, with visual cues that reinforce the political narrative. When Haimrik enters the book, the world transforms into a literal tapestry of words, with the environment constructed from the text itself. This seamless integration of narrative and gameplay is a masterstroke of visual storytelling.

Sound design is more functional than groundbreaking. The music uses period-appropriate instruments to create a medieval atmosphere but can become repetitive, especially during sections that require multiple attempts. The sound effects are effective, from the squeak of Haimrik’s voice to the gruesome squelches of combat. The absence of voice acting puts the focus squarely on the text, which is appropriate for a game so centered on the written word.

However, the art style’s commitment to its gore-soaked vision may be a barrier for some. Deaths are depicted in exaggerated, cartoonish detail—eyeballs pop out, organs fly, and blood fountains are commonplace. It’s humorous in a Monty Python vein, but it firmly establishes the game as unsuitable for a younger audience, despite its storybook appearance.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its release, Haimrik received a mixed but generally positive critical response. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 58 based on 5 reviews, while OpenCritic reports a 74% average based on 4 reviews. Publications like Adventure Gamers praised it highly, awarding it 4.5/5 stars and calling it a “fast-paced, text-driven action-puzzler with a fair amount of challenge.” Conversely, Video Chums scored it 6.1/10, criticizing its simple puzzles and minimalistic boss fights.

The consensus was that Haimrik was a game with a brilliant central idea that was sometimes let down by its execution. Common critiques included its short length, lack of replayability, and occasionally frustrating controls. The price point—originally £15.99/$19.99—was frequently cited as too high for the experience offered, though subsequent deep discounts have made it more accessible.

Commercially, Haimrik did not set the world on fire. It remains a cult title, beloved by those who discovered it but lacking the breakout success of similar indie darlings. Its legacy, however, is found in its innovation. It stands as a bold experiment in ludonarrative harmony, where mechanics and story are inextricably linked. While not the first game to play with words—Scribblenauts comes to mind—Haimrik‘s approach is uniquely literal and integrated. It has influenced a niche of narrative-driven puzzle games that seek to blend text and gameplay in new ways, though no successor has yet fully captured its peculiar magic.

Conclusion

Haimrik is a game of contrasts. It is both brilliantly innovative and occasionally flawed; beautifully artistic and gruesomely violent; narratively compelling and frustratingly brief. Below the Game should be commended for crafting a experience that is truly unique, a game that respects the intelligence of its players by asking them to engage with language as a tool and a weapon. Its sepia-toned world, soaked in blood and dark humor, is a place worth visiting, even if the stay is shorter than one might hope.

For players seeking something genuinely different, Haimrik is an easy recommendation, especially at its frequently discounted price. It is a testament to the power of indie development to explore ideas that larger studios would never risk. While it may not have achieved mainstream success, its place in video game history is secure as a brave, inventive, and unforgettable experiment in what happens when words become more than just words. They become the story, the sword, and the key to revolution.