Helheim Hassle
Helheim Hassle is a narrative adventure game that is as much about friendship as it is about body parts. From the same universe (and set on the same Tuesday in fact) as previous hit Manual Samuel, comes this macabre adventure where you play as Bjørn, a pacifist Viking who hates the idea of dying and going to Valhalla… who then ends up dying and getting taken to Valhalla. When Bjørn is resurrected to assist with a task for the mysterious Pesto, he sees a way to negotiate his way out. Using Bjørn’s undying corpse with its ability to detach and combine limbs at will, players must solve challenging puzzles and navigate tricky levels in order to retrieve a certain magical item… In return, Pesto will try to grant Bjørn a permanent residence in Helheim – what a hassle!
Game Discussion
Steam User 4
✿ PROS
- funny dialogues and a fun story overall
- okay, it's not just the story but the extra things not related to the main game are hilarious too
- norse mythology with satan and his gang doing a crossover
- odd but unique characters
- lots of side quests
- you get to be a chill viking who refuses to do what vikings do
✿ CONS
- puzzles are too easy (not really a con but if you're into a more difficult puzzle, you shouldn't expect that here)
✿ RATING: 5/5
// wow, this game had me chuckle from start to finish. i don't think i had played a game which made me do that in a while so hats off to the developers of this game. the humor was great and i enjoyed it! this puzzle platformer is quite easy and straightforward (don't pay attention to my no. of hours. i had this game running in the background several times), you might be able to finish it in less than 2 hours if you choose to disregard the side quests.
now, the game play isn't bad. you basically have to throw your body parts around and figure out how to solve a puzzle. the game doesn't punish you if you fall, get squished, get caught, or whatever else that can potentially kill you because there's no dying in this game. there are no such thing as "fights" (wink wink) but i enjoyed the mixture of a chase scene while solving puzzles. i wish that there could be more like that out of personal interest but i think the way they did it in this game is quite alright. i was here for the humorous adventure to begin with. so yea, i highly recommend this one if you like a fun story with a chill game mechanic. you won't regret it!
Steam User 3
Helheim Hassle is a thumbs-up game for me, but a weak one on that. The game is a quirky puzzle-platformer that is fun and enjoyable to play. Puzzles are well-designed, and most of the time they are challenging without being overbearing, with the exception of any puzzle that requires timing or precision platforming. Plus, the humor is spot-on, injecting laughs into every corner of the game.
The progression feels smooth, but the story can get a bit convoluted, leaving you scratching your head for reasons beyond just the puzzles. The main line is already a bit dense, but then the game throws a number of side quests and characters and as soon as they appear, they disappear. It's very confusing. The game is humorous, but too frequently breaks the fourth wall in a way that gets overused quickly. The graphics also lack polish, which might be a turn-off for players expecting a more visually stunning experience.
Controls can feel clunky at times, especially during moments requiring precision or timing. This can lead to frustrating deaths or missed opportunities, detracting from the overall enjoyment. You can hardly read the puzzles - sure, I know that a leg+leg combination jumps higher and farther than a full body, but you can't clearly read how much higher or farther, and you never know if you missed jump because you're designed to miss that jump, or if it was because you jumped too soon. For the main story this is hardly an issue, but for optional content this is way too frequent.
But despite its flaws, Helheim Hassle delivers where it counts, offering a delightful blend of brain-teasing puzzles and belly laughs. If you can overlook its rough edges, you'll find a charming adventure well worth your time. First playthrough is roughly 7 hours long which is already pretty decent, but if you're going for 100% you can triple that playtime which is not too bad. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but they could have done much worse than this
Steam User 6
Loved Manual Samuel, and this is absolutely even better. Very unique and creative puzzles (yes the puzzles are fine.) Get your goblins in a gander and go have a good old gosh-darn time.
Edit: Okay yeah I had to come back and edit. The game is fantastic 98% of the way, and then the ending gets really annoying. If you enjoy Parappa the Rapper you might enjoy the finicky timing of the final sequence. Also, the achievements in order to 100% the game absolutely reek of "we released this during the pandemic and expect you to have nothing better to do" including taking 100 pictures of an in-game character who shows up randomly in different places? Yeah no way man.
It's still worth playing for what it's worth, but don't even bother trying to complete this. Save yourself the trouble and just have a good time with the base game.
Steam User 0
Pretty fun time and the mandatory stuff is not difficult.
I had a bunch of smiles and strong nose exhales even if I did not burst out in laughter often.
Wasn't sure if the darker humor was my cup of tea, but it doesn't get too far, it is rather PEGI-13. Mostly in an absurd direction, rather than a uncomfortable one.
The post-game exploration of the world is also fun with some less obvious usage of your condition as a dismembering viking. But you can have a fun time without worrying much about difficulty for the most part, I did not get stuck on any main quest puzzles.
There is some action part though in an otherwise puzzle platformer, but nothing too bad for most people.
I recommend and will buy their other games once I'm finished with this one.
I do recommend playing with a game controller though, it is more intuitive
Steam User 0
Surprisingly intuitive, great story & a LOT of content. I put in about 10 hours, but you could probably get 20-30 doing everything.
There is a lot of world building, characters & narrative that have been a joy to explore.
Most of the puzzles are 'simple' enough, it's mostly figuring out which limbs are best to solve it with.
I personally never enjoy puzzles that are timed, which there are a few of, however the game is generous with the checkpoints & being able to teleport out if things are getting frustrating.
I mostly stuck to the main story, however there are many optional extras to collect & areas to go to that you don't have to. It rewards you for completing side quests as you go & a few of your choices do matter. If you want to collect everything, you will be rewarded.
Steam User 0
I got this after donating to the yearly Jingle Jam charity (you get a bundle of games for donating 30 British pounds). If you like "Monkey Island," any Nancy Drew puzzle games, or even just something like "Portal," you will like this game. Puzzles are FUN here, and I love them. I also love the cringe (a very unusual statement from me (that's a lie)), and I cannot wait for the next game from this studio.
Steam User 0
Great and fun puzzle game. Just found the controls a bit confusing, having to swap between different body parts