The Abuser, or the Abused? || He Beat Her (PC)

Title Screen

He Beat Her is an interesting interactive mystery created by Zephyo. You play as a lawyer who is defending a client accused of domestic abuse. It seems, however, there is more to this story than it seems. The trial is about to end, so you need to use the last few precious minutes to change the outcome—to see that justice is served. But can you?

This game as a unique mechanic, which requires typing your actions into a dialogue box to perform them. For example, you can type “grab” and then you have to type what you want to grab. It can be frustrating to figure out, but I feel that is likely a part of the intended feeling of the game.

Source: Itch.io page

There are apparently different paths you can take, and there is a walkthrough to help you through them all. I played around with different inputs, and I managed to walk out of the case and abandon my client, and I got a little bit of somewhere with the plaintiff. Because it is looking for specific inputs, it can be difficult to get through.

I love the art style, and the game overall is well put together. I feel like the developer achieved the feelings and goals they set out to create, and I’m happy for that. As frustrating as this game can be, I enjoyed every minute I played of it.  I hope you’ll download this game free from Itch.io *here*

Be sure to leave your feedback and comments for the developer. Until next time, Jammers… Happy Gaming!

Bell 

Behind the Wallpaper (PC)

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." --Albert Einstein

Behind the Wallpaper is a short VN style story created by leafthief. You play as Fritzi, a young jewish girl in WW2 Germany. You get to watch Fritzi’s family take refuge in their home to try to stay hidden from the Nazi force. 

You’ll get to witness the family’s struggle as they are abandoned by those they once thought of as friends, and deal with the isolation of being cut off from the world. This can be particularly hard on children, like Fritzi and her little brother. Fritzi is relatable, and I felt myself getting attached to Fritzi and her family.

The story telling is wonderful, the graphics are dark, but appropriate, and the subject matter is heart wrenching. I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The first time I played, I took too long finding the hammer and the game ended abruptly, as if to emphasize my failure. The second time I made it to an ending, but it wasn’t a good one—if there is a “good” ending. 

The game over all is well crafted—kudos to leafthief. I feel that they achieved the feelings they wanted to with this game. I wish there was more. The Itch.io page is scarce on information so I don’t know if there are different endings or anything like that, but I am curious to know. If you play, let me know what ending you received and we can compare. 

When this game was recommended to me, I expected it to be a horror game based on the title—jumpscares and the like. Instead it was a different kind of horror. I really enjoyed the game. If you want to experience it for yourself, then you can download and play for free from Itch.io *here*.

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell