Action Henk is a 7-year-old’s daydreams come to life

There were times, as a kid, that I just wanted to dump all of my toys onto the floor and see if I could combine them into something awe-worthy. Dark Igloo, the cover artists for our recent VR issue, made that dream a reality in their giddy “Bored Game” video. Action Henk’s levels take it one step further.

Each level is constructed from wooden blocks, plastic racecar tracks, books, and anything else you might find in a 7-year-old’s bedroom. The titular character, Henk, is a rather ungainly looking fellow who jumps, slides, and runs gut-first through this improvised racetrack. Your job is to make sure he does it with all the speed and grace of Usain Bolt. Momentum is king here—choosing how to approach each jump and when to get down on your butt and slide feels akin to Sonic or the skiing in Tribes.

You control Henk himself, but it almost feels like you’re controlling the hand that’s holding Henk. He’s a portly fellow who nonetheless keeps up an impressive clip, and it’s easy to imagine your hand compensating, pushing him down slides and carrying him over jumps. “Can’t let Henk touch the floor,” you think to yourself. “it’s lava!” But as it turns out, this is actually the case.

The room in each level, with its posters, toys, and bed, is clearly inhabited. Somewhere there’s a kid getting bored and knocking down each track before building anew, stacking the blocks and books. That kid is imagining the model volcano exploding into confetti with each cross of the finish line. That invisible child holding Henk, speeding him around the room, is you.

Action Henk hits Steam Early Access today.