The Harbinger's Head game banner

The Harbinger's Head

$2.99
Release Date:
Developer:
Hosted Games
Publisher:
Hosted Games
Platforms:
Windows Mac Linux
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About This Game

Visit a myth-infested 1820s Ireland. One dark (if not particularly stormy) night, you find yourself face to face with a frightening visage—or lack thereof. Though shaped like a man, the creature you’ve encountered appears to have lost his head. Worse, he seems to think you might be the one to blame!

The Harbinger's Head is a fantastic 46,000 word interactive horror novel by Kim Berkley, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

It’s up to you to prove your innocence and discover the true thief of the harbinger's head before your own winds up on the chopping block!

  • Play as male, female, or non-binary.
  • Step into the shoes of an herbalist, schoolteacher, or lamplighter.
  • Shape your personality and build your skills through the choices you make, or trust your luck at your own peril.
  • Make friends—or enemies—of the various Fae creatures you’ll encounter along the way.
  • Discover one of eight endings…or meet an untimely death.

Screenshots

User Reviews

Very Positive
17 user reviews
88%
Positive
7 hrs at review
Recommended

What a fun read! Suspenseful and set in a rich world of Irish folklore, The Harbinger's Head has a thrilling climax that doesn’t disappoint. Unlike the choose your own adventures of the 70s and 80s, the author does not punish you for taking risks. A great read for people who love Neil Gaiman and the world-building of his genre. The story world also reminds me a bit of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s. You should play this game, it’s a fun adventure for fantasy lovers.

20 helpful
56 min at review
Recommended

This game is wonderful, I adored the dullahan so much, even if he threatened me literally the entire game 10/10 give us the forbidden dullahan romance

14 helpful 10 funny
1 hrs at review
Recommended

a short and sweet read that has you play the role of an irish peasant graced/cursed/gifted with the ability to see the fae pros: - very immersive and well-established setting - the author clearly knows (and does very well in incorporating!!) irish folklore in a very natural way. a real treat! - unique and interesting story that's shockingly easy to get sucked into cons: - pretty short - sometimes expects you to know things about irish folk legends that most people just....don't. nothing a quick google search won't fix, though - not very character or relationship driven, with a relatively linear story line (different approaches, but not too many drastically different outcomes aside from the ending itself) ???: - you image search "redcap" once as a refresher and suddenly it's 3am and you're reading about this one specific account of this one specific dude who encountered this one specific ghostly rider at this one specific crossing near this one specific inn in the 1700s - i've never ...

8 helpful 4 funny
9 hrs at review
Recommended

Time played: About 10 hours. When I was younger, I grew up reading 'Choose Your Own Adventure Novels'. If you want to do this, go to this page. If you want to do this, go to this page. These books were filled with choices that would lead you on a grand adventure, while experiencing various types of deaths. This story here is in the same vein and, even improves on it with the digital design of the game. No more flipping pages, just click on your choice and you are there! At the heart of this game though, is the story. This story attempts to subvert your expectations, to which it succeeds. To say anything about the ideas of good and evil here would ruin the experience as the characters have more layers than your standard cookie-cutter archetypes. Each character seems to have a story to them, and it will take multiple playthroughs in order to experience them all. The adventure is definitely one you should take on, as it is filled with heart and suspence. The respect to the tim...

8 helpful
1 hrs at review
Recommended

If you’re looking for a long, character driven story where you bond with someone, this isn’t it However, I recommend this for how well the writer understands the Wee Folk (The Fae) and the story fairly well written, able to pull you into the tale. Keep in mind though that this is a short game.

6 helpful
1 hrs at review
Recommended

10/10 never have wanted to bang a scary headless death entity more

5 helpful 11 funny
6 min at review
Recommended

This is a choose-your-own-adventure tale set in 1820s Ireland. You happen to be a man, woman, or other that has the Sight, the ability to see the fae creatures of lore. Which could be... bad or good. But on this night, you run across a Dullahan (headless horseman) who accuses you of stealing something from him. In order to prove your innocence you must find the true rogue. Worth a try for those looking for a fun, thrilling read...

4 helpful
1 hrs at review
Recommended

I'm at a weird place with this game. I feel like it's too short but it was of good quality and I felt like I made genuine choices with a good checkpoint system to fall back on. I feel like I want more to read but I know I can go back and take a different path, so I'll update this review if I feel like it doesn't have replay value.

3 helpful
51 min at review
Recommended

THIS is good but disappointingly short rip

2 helpful
12 min at review
Not Recommended

Unless Irish folklore itself is enormously interesting to you I can't imagine liking this game. It is not well written or engaging, none of the characters have any emotional connection, I couldn't see any interesting choices that I didn't take on my first (and only) playthrough and it was embarrassingly short. Normally, a single playthrough of a Hosted game for me takes at least 1.5 hours. I finished this game in about 15 minutes and I was not attempting to rush or anything like that.

1 helpful

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System Requirements

Minimum

Minimum:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS *: Windows 7

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

FAQ

How much does The Harbinger's Head cost?

The Harbinger's Head costs $2.99.

What are the system requirements for The Harbinger's Head?

Minimum: Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS *: Windows 7 Recommended: Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

What platforms is The Harbinger's Head available on?

The Harbinger's Head is available on Windows PC, macOS, Linux.

Is The Harbinger's Head worth buying?

The Harbinger's Head has 88% positive reviews from 17 players.

When was The Harbinger's Head released?

The Harbinger's Head was released on Jul 19, 2018.

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