Headspun

A high-minded effort and decent story undermined by bugs and mindless management mechanics.

Ultimately, you’ll want to pack some paracetamol for this headache.

Headspun has a very interesting concept and narrative, but it’s let down by the technical side due to the bugs and glitches. As of version 1.09, I’ve been able to complete the game and achieve the platinum, but I have played the game seven times in total, unlocking a few trophies with each playthrough until prior versions hit a wall and glitched out on me. The use of FMV was, in my opinion, a really smart thing to do as it perfectly depicts the human viewpoint (FMV) as real life and the cartoon-like ‘Brain control people’ as a much more fantastical concept. The narrative itself is well written and acted, delivering a story which was very interesting and fun to play through.

I have to say, I don’t usually enjoy FMV style games. To be honest, usually, the storylines that really bore me and I find them quite tiring. However, I did not find that with Headspun, I felt like I was investing time in building Theo up to learning what has happened along the way. Every time it came to turn off the PC, I kept on wanting to play the next day to see what mystery unraveled. I loved how on a day to day basis the mini-games really keep you on your feet and not only do you see Theo progressing! I actually noticed myself improving. A great game and if you are an FMV fan this is not one to miss. I award Headspun a Thumb Culture Gold Award

Unique FMV/Adventure inside broken brain can amuse you. If you are not too exacting.

Headspun is intriguing and takes creative risks by blending genres together. It's a shame about those few missing links.

Headspun does a wonderful job of explaining brain trauma without being a textbook, and personally is a welcome reminder that trauma can linger, but we can still recover.

Lack of depth in narrative, gameplay, and character development hamper a potentially interesting concept.

Headspun's mix of management sim and FMV narrative is fairly unique. However, repetition and buggy gameplay mar the game's potential.

With its unique ideas and presentation, Headspun stands out for trying to be different, and for that it should be celebrated. It’s just disappointing that it wasn’t given that last coat of much-needed polish.