Freeverse's 'Hanged' - A Curious Take on Hang Man

posted December 15th, 2009 11:29 AM EST by Eli Hodapp in $1.99, 3 stars, Games, iPhone games, iPod touch games, Puzzle

While I was in New York for EA's Naughty or Nice pre-holiday event, I made sure to swing down to the Freeverse offices to hang out with their crew and Mickey the office cat. At the time they had an extremely elaborate stop motion claymation set wedged firmly between the conference room and the Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball machine for a mysterious game in the works that was only vaguely described as based on hang man.

Hanged [App Store] is the end product of countless hours of black, white, and red stop motion animation merged with the game of hang man, and the results are odd to say the least. You choose letters from droplets on the screen, which then roll to the bottom and the wind either blows the matching letter tile over, or you're faced with a short claymation clip which get even stranger the more letters you miss.

When a word is completed, it is revealed on a love letter presumably written by the couple you're attempting to save by solving these simple word puzzles. I'm not sure if I'd call Hanged a good game as much as it just is a curiosity of sorts. There are tons of hang man games on the App Store already, but none as weirdly ornate as this one.

I have a feeling there are going to be two distinct camps of people looking at this game: Those who look at the brief video, screenshots, and complex set used to create this game and truly appreciate it's bizarre charm... And those who look at those same things and scratch their head.

App Store Link: Hanged, $1.99

TouchArcade Rating:

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tsharpfilm

If David Lynch made a video game...

Looks interesting though.
tsharpfilm

If David Lynch made a video game...

Looks interesting though.
http://musicgamespickles.blogspot.com/ Robert M.

Buying this just for the art style alone!!
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

Put me in the charmed camp. It's the first version of hangman that makes you feel bad for the guy with the noose around his neck.
http://musicgamespickles.blogspot.com/ Robert M.

Buying this just for the art style alone!!
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

Put me in the charmed camp. It's the first version of hangman that makes you feel bad for the guy with the noose around his neck.
http://www.gildedskull.com Gilded Skull

I completely agree! You really feel the weird 'necessity' as he walks, slowly, missed letter by missed letter, toward the noose as she watches on...
http://www.gildedskull.com Gilded Skull

I completely agree! You really feel the weird 'necessity' as he walks, slowly, missed letter by missed letter, toward the noose as she watches on...
Ben!

So, is this just one experience? Is there a large database of words, or just those select few that complete the letter? Is the letter always the same?

This looks great, but I'd like a few of those questions answered before I grab it.
Ben!

So, is this just one experience? Is there a large database of words, or just those select few that complete the letter? Is the letter always the same?

This looks great, but I'd like a few of those questions answered before I grab it.
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

The game starts with the letter, but according to a poster in the main thread, once you finish it (30+ words) it goes to a much larger database.
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

The game starts with the letter, but according to a poster in the main thread, once you finish it (30+ words) it goes to a much larger database.
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

Well, she does more than watch...
http://www.squarezerostudio.com squarezero

Well, she does more than watch...
http://freeverse.com Lydia from Freeverse

That's correct. Once you uncover the letter, you can continue playing with a regular dictionary-database of thousands of words.
http://freeverse.com Lydia from Freeverse

That's correct. Once you uncover the letter, you can continue playing with a regular dictionary-database of thousands of words.
http://www.gildedskull.com Gilded Skull

...yeah, but I don't want to give too much away
http://www.gildedskull.com Gilded Skull

...yeah, but I don't want to give too much away
TheTheory

insta-purchase. looks amazing.
TheTheory

insta-purchase. looks amazing.
Franky Stainz

Here is the absolute value of the iPhone platform and its flexible pricing structure embodied in full. Game developers can try concepts and consumers can note their interest or approval all for the very reasonable impulse price of a dollar or two. This, in stark contrast to a DS, PSP, or any other platform where the exigencies of the market place dictate that the lowest common denominator must be serviced before a game is green lit and put into production. The reason video game IPs rely so heavily on Mario and Sonic and all that other crap is because when you dump several million into a game, you NEED to get a return on your investment.

This game is an experiment. If nobody buys it, the developer will try something else. If a niche demographic purchases it, you have a revenue generating serendipity which is simply not possible on other platforms. I, personally, would rather buy thirty or so games like this than a single $60 Xbox game. I like sampling the random and diverse ingenuity of so many innovative auteurs.
Franky Stainz

Here is the absolute value of the iPhone platform and its flexible pricing structure embodied in full. Game developers can try concepts and consumers can note their interest or approval all for the very reasonable impulse price of a dollar or two. This, in stark contrast to a DS, PSP, or any other platform where the exigencies of the market place dictate that the lowest common denominator must be serviced before a game is green lit and put into production. The reason video game IPs rely so heavily on Mario and Sonic and all that other crap is because when you dump several million into a game, you NEED to get a return on your investment.

This game is an experiment. If nobody buys it, the developer will try something else. If a niche demographic purchases it, you have a revenue generating serendipity which is simply not possible on other platforms. I, personally, would rather buy thirty or so games like this than a single $60 Xbox game. I like sampling the random and diverse ingenuity of so many innovative auteurs.
akira01

Thanks for your post Franky.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
akira01

Thanks for your post Franky.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
chris f

+1 times infinity!
i hope we see many more creative games such as this one
chris f

+1 times infinity!
i hope we see many more creative games such as this one
Greg K

I love word games... love them... and this one is great. The animations are fantastic.
Greg K

I love word games... love them... and this one is great. The animations are fantastic.
shumby

that should be framed somewhere - thanks for phrasing those thoughts so nicely
shumby

that should be framed somewhere - thanks for phrasing those thoughts so nicely