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Action Henk

A furiously upbeat and beautifully playable take on the platforming racer, Action Henk's offbeat action figure mayhem and forgiving difficulty curve is just what the genre needs going forward. It’s big, it’s colourful and it’s a whole heap of fun.
Action Henk Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, grinding
89% User Score Based on 605 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3Playstation 5Playstation 4XboxWindowsPlayStationPlaystation VitaLinuxXbox Series X|SPCWii UMac OSWiiXbox One
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Action Henk Game Cover

About

Action Henk is a single player and multiplayer platformer game with a comedy theme. It was developed by RageSquid and was released on May 11, 2015. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Action Henk is a challenging physics-based platformer game. Play as Henk, a former toy racing champion, and overcome obstacles and enemies in various household environments. Compete for the best time in each level and unlock new characters and customization options.

Genres & Tags
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Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
Action Henk screenshot
+6
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89%
Audience ScoreBased on 605 reviews
gameplay46 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Action Henk features tight controls and a simple yet engaging gameplay mechanic that emphasizes speed and momentum, making it highly addictive.
  • The game offers a vibrant and playful aesthetic, with levels designed around oversized everyday objects, creating a nostalgic toy-like environment.
  • The inclusion of a level editor and Steam Workshop support allows for endless replayability, as players can create and share their own tracks.
  • The difficulty spikes significantly in later levels, often requiring near-perfect execution, which can lead to frustration for some players.
  • The character designs and art style may not appeal to everyone, with some finding them grotesque or unappealing.
  • Multiplayer features can be lacking due to a small player base, making it difficult to find matches online.
  • gameplay
    127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Action Henk is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, allowing players to easily learn the controls while offering depth for mastery. The fast-paced, momentum-based racing platformer features a variety of levels that introduce new challenges without overwhelming players, complemented by a vibrant aesthetic and an upbeat soundtrack. While the gameplay loop is addictive and rewarding, some players note a lack of variation and occasional repetitiveness as they progress.

    • “The brilliance of the design lies in how these mechanics encourage flow; the best runs feel almost rhythmic, as if the level itself is guiding you forward when executed correctly.”
    • “The fast-paced gameplay keeps you on your toes, and the vibrant and colorful graphics are a feast for the eyes.”
    • “Action Henk combines the pure speed and exhilaration of early Sonic with a challenging and highly addictive racing mechanic.”
    • “Boring gameplay, no tutorial, and everything is just a race to the finish.”
    • “This game is just a very basic runner with many mechanics that are not explained at all, and I often had to randomly try to do what the game wants me to do in certain spots to finish the levels.”
    • “It is just boring after the first hour of gameplay.”
  • graphics
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are characterized by a vibrant, playful toy-box aesthetic, featuring colorful environments and quirky character designs that evoke nostalgia. While many players appreciate the smooth visuals and attention to detail, some criticize the exaggerated art style and character designs as unappealing. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, enhancing the fun and addictive gameplay experience.

    • “The fast-paced gameplay keeps you on your toes, and the vibrant and colorful graphics are a feast for the eyes.”
    • “The amount of love that went into this game is obvious: the game has an awesome art style, with great details put into the backgrounds of the levels, and into the individual characters.”
    • “Action Henk has wonderful graphics and the environmental scenery looks great.”
    • “The art style was terrible, in that all the characters are horrible nightmare creatures.”
    • “This doesn’t make the most compelling story, but the bigger problem for me is the graphics in these cutscenes look rather weak.”
    • “Huge effort spent on graphics for a mediocre 5 minute wonder?”
  • music
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its upbeat and energizing qualities, effectively complementing the fast-paced gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, leading them to turn it off in favor of their own music. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered catchy and enjoyable, opinions vary on its longevity and variety throughout the game.

    • “The presentation complements the gameplay with an upbeat soundtrack and lighthearted tone that never takes itself too seriously.”
    • “From the starting tracks to the ones you hear in the final levels in the game, you're hit with a bunch of high-tempo tracks that go along with the incredibly fast pace of the game, keeping you excited no matter how hard things got.”
    • “The game doesn't have the most mechanics, mostly consisting of the track itself, sliding, and occasionally a hook shot, but it gets much harder as you go through the game, all while listening to a fantastic heart-pumping soundtrack.”
    • “The toy theme is charming, but I think the music is a little weak.”
    • “My only issue with the game is the fact that the soundtrack starts getting repetitive, especially for a person like me who likes to restart a level if I make a mistake.”
    • “I wasn't a huge fan of the extremely repetitive soundtrack either.”
  • story
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Action Henk" is minimal and often described as nonsensical, revolving around a washed-up action figure trying to reclaim his glory by retrieving a stolen trophy. While the narrative lacks depth, it serves as a lighthearted backdrop to the game's focus on fast-paced gameplay and level design, reminiscent of a blend between "Toy Story" and classic platformers. Players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and character design, but ultimately agree that the gameplay takes precedence over the story.

    • “Set in a child's bedroom, Action Henk is the story of an action figure who has kind of let himself go.”
    • “The protagonist of the story is the titular Henk, he’s an out-of-shape, beer-bellied action figure who’s past his prime but trying hard to hold on to the glory of days gone by.”
    • “The story basically goes that the once famous action figure known as Action Henk has had his trophy stolen and he needs to retrieve it.”
    • “There's not much of a story here; you get a basic setup and you're on your way to stop him through a bunch of different levels. I won't nag on it that much considering this is one of those games that puts gameplay above everything else, and the setup works wonders.”
    • “To be honest, the story here is very limited, as can be seen above in the first look.”
    • “The story is some douchebag named Kentony stole a trophy of yours, and you gotta get it back.”
  • humor
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by playful character designs, energetic animations, and a whimsical soundtrack that collectively create a joyful atmosphere. While many players appreciate the hilarious character art and witty sound effects, some find the humor reliant on clichés and not universally appealing. Overall, the game successfully blends challenging gameplay with a lighthearted tone, making it enjoyable for those who resonate with its comedic style.

    • “Character animations and sound effects emphasize humor and energy, reinforcing the idea that this is a game about joyful movement rather than punishment.”
    • “The gameplay, soundtrack, and humor are all top notch in a game not like many others.”
    • “So I'd definitely recommend this game to anyone that likes a fast-paced game, that also requires learning and skills, and offers a hilarious and surreal twist to childhood memories as you race through the levels.”
    • “I despise the exaggerated grotesque character art style and find it unfunny and uninteresting, relying on tropes and stereotypes.”
  • replayability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability due to its engaging mechanics, including the ability to beat personal bests, explore multiple routes in levels, and compete on leaderboards. The addition of the Steam Workshop further enhances replay value by providing new content and challenges. Overall, players find the gameplay addictive and rewarding, making it a title that encourages repeated play.

    • “There is no end to replayability because you can always try to beat your own ghost.”
    • “The Steam Workshop addition is really cool and adds so much replayability.”
    • “Not as much replay value as the Trials games.”
    • “As you progress, you will begin to discover that a number of levels have multiple routes, so there is definitely a degree of replayability outside of simply wanting to beat your own score.”
    • “I found the game to have a lot of replay value.”
  • optimization
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization aspect is highly praised, as players can complete levels easily but must engage in experimentation and repeated attempts to achieve higher scores and medals. The gameplay encourages subtle optimizations and timing strategies, allowing for creative approaches to improve performance. Overall, it offers a rewarding challenge for those who enjoy refining their skills in a platforming context.

    • “It seems simple, but it gives way for a lot of little complexities; you can jump onto slopes to sacrifice speed early on but gain more in the long run, jump-boost off of slopes to gain a brief burst of speed in exchange for your momentum. Though pro players have already optimized most of the easier levels, there's still room for creativity to get the best possible times.”
    • “Each level can be completed at a basic level with little trouble, but earning gold or the coveted rainbow medals requires optimization, experimentation, and repeated attempts.”
    • “The gameplay is both really simple in terms of actions available (run, slide, jump, slide+jump) and extremely subtle when it comes to little optimizations you can make absolutely everywhere.”
    • “It seems simple, but it gives way for a lot of little complexities; you can jump onto slopes to sacrifice speed early on but gain more in the long run, jump-boost off of slopes to gain a brief burst of speed in exchange for your momentum, etc. though pro players have already optimized most of the easier levels, there's still room for creativity to get the best possible times.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is polarizing; while it offers a satisfying experience for players who enjoy mastering mechanics and achieving faster times through repeated attempts, it can feel tedious and overly focused on trial and error for those less inclined to grind. The one-button restart and shorter levels facilitate this process, making it appealing for competitive players, but may leave others feeling that the game lacks variety over time. Overall, it's best suited for players who thrive on refining their skills and chasing high scores.

    • “Suddenly the focus is on extremely precise jumps and it feels like the game is much more about tedious trial and error than fun racing.”
    • “Also, if you are not into grinding, doing stuff over and over again until it's perfect, then the game doesn't offer much to you after a while.”
    • “Once you master all the little mechanics that might be hard to pull off, but save you a lot of momentum and time when done correctly, you can spend countless hours grinding levels to get a better time.”
  • character development
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding the character designs to be unattractive and off-putting, while others appreciate their uniqueness and humor. Despite the criticism of the visuals and voice acting, some users believe that the gameplay experience can still be enjoyable if one can overlook these aspects. Overall, character design appears to be a significant detractor for many players.

    • “The 2D gameplay in a 3D environment feels quite intuitive, character design is hilarious, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
    • “Unique character designs.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game is dragged down by horrendous character designs and annoying voices you can't turn off, but if you can get past that you'll have a fun time.”
    • “The character designs so far are terrible.”
    • “Add in some of the ugliest character designs that I've ever seen, and it's clear that this just isn't for me.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is marked by a sense of heartbreak, as players appreciate the vibrant and artistic backgrounds but find the gameplay lacking in depth and engagement, leading to a dwindling player base and a lack of multiplayer activity.

    • “The game beautifully captures the essence of human emotions, making players feel deeply connected to the characters and their journeys.”
    • “Every moment in the game is filled with emotional weight, drawing players into a rich narrative that resonates long after the screen fades to black.”
    • “The soundtrack perfectly complements the emotional highs and lows of the story, enhancing the overall experience and leaving a lasting impact.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players acknowledge that while the game has some glitches, the developers are actively addressing these issues and are responsive to community feedback. The game's design and mechanics are praised, contributing to a generally positive experience despite the stability concerns.

    • “Great game, some glitches but the devs are working hard to fix them.”
    • “The devs did an amazing job with design and sound and mechanics, the feeling of making it smoothly through a level just feels great; however, there are a few glitches that could not have been foreseen, but they are already being worked on.”
    • “This game has a wonderful community, and the devs are always willing to help you with any problem you might have and fix any glitches that you find.”
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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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34h Median play time
83h Average play time
5-200h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Action Henk is a platformer game with comedy theme.

Action Henk is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox Series X|S and others.

On average players spend around 83 hours playing Action Henk.

Action Henk was released on May 11, 2015.

Action Henk was developed by RageSquid.

Action Henk has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Action Henk is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Cyber Hook, Distance, Polyball, Seum: Speedrunners from Hell, Hot Lava and others.