Helheim Hassle

Helheim Hassle is a puzzle-platformer with a genuinely weird premise: you play a Viking named Bjorn who spends his whole life terrified of dying, only to die anyway and wake up in Valhalla. Instead of accepting his fate, Bjorn strikes a deal with a shady figure named Pesto to work his way back out, and the game builds its entire identity around that morbid, funny setup. It comes from Perfectly Paranormal, the studio behind Manual Samuel, and shares that same universe and off-kilter sense of humor.

How it plays

The hook here is Bjorn’s body itself. Since he’s already dead, his limbs can be pulled off and reattached wherever the puzzle demands, which turns basic platforming into something stranger and more physical than the genre usually asks for. Across a run of levels, you’re rearranging arms and legs to reach ledges, trigger switches, or just get Bjorn’s torso somewhere it has no business being. The game leans heavily on narrative too, with a large cast of characters to talk to and a story that carries the puzzle design rather than sitting on top of it. It’s less about split-second reflexes and more about figuring out the right (and often absurd) configuration of body parts for each room.

Who it’s for

If you like adventure games that prioritize writing and personality over mechanical depth, this fits well. Fans of Norse mythology getting roasted rather than reverenced will probably get a kick out of the tone, and the same goes for anyone who enjoyed Manual Samuel’s blend of dark comedy and physical-comedy puzzle mechanics. It’s also a reasonable pick for players who want a game they can sit with and actually follow a story in, rather than something built for grinding or competitive play. If you want fast action, tight platforming challenge, or a game with systems to master over dozens of hours, this isn’t really built for that. It’s a narrative-first, puzzle-second experience, and going in expecting anything else will leave you disappointed.

Is it worth grabbing?

For a free claim, this is an easy yes. The concept alone (a dead Viking bartering his way out of the afterlife by unscrewing his own limbs) is distinctive enough that it’s worth experiencing even if adventure games aren’t usually your thing. It’s the kind of game that’s better played in a sitting or two rather than left half-finished, so if you grab it, actually carve out the time rather than letting it sit in your library forever. Adventure and indie fans get the most value here, but even players who mostly stick to bigger genres might find it a fun, low-commitment detour. There’s little downside to adding it while it’s free, since it’s a complete, self-contained story rather than something that demands ongoing investment.

Quick facts

Genre: Adventure, Indie. Developer: Perfectly Paranormal. Publisher: Yogscast Games. Platform: PC (Steam). Release date: August 18, 2020.