Heads Off: The App that Allowed Me to Scream for Ten Days
‘Head Tripping Action’ and fun for everyone, and I loved every minute.
What have you wanted to do the most ever since 2020 started? I have had countless moments full of rage, sorrow and deep anguish. The burning urge to simply open my mouth and let out a primal sound has been real.
While it may be only slightly psychotic to scream in the privacy of my own apartment, the societal norms dictate that I maintain composure when with company. I can’t go around screaming every time something happens and it doesn’t go my way.
Studies have shown that vocalizing your feelings in the form of a scream can help in relieving stress. But shouting doesn’t come naturally to me. I was raised to be polite, and considerate of others even when no one was around.
Believe me when I say I have had the desire to scream. I haven’t reached that nirvanic moment in my life where I can simply let go of the stress. So, the stress has built up with no outlet.
On the other hand, crying comes naturally to me. It can be a great outlet when I need a release. But crying also drains me out; physically and emotionally. And again, I can’t start crying every time something doesn’t go my way.
So, when I heard about this game where a disembodied head is propelled forward into an endless abyss by the force of your screams, I was instantly intrigued. This game is just enough weird to be right up my alley. I had to install it immediately.
Heads Off by Ponos Corporation
‘Heads Off’, is a very simple and aesthetically pleasing game developed by Ponos Corporation. It’s available on Google Play and the Apple Store (as of June 2022) and when you try it out, you will quickly realize there is no set objective for this game.
As bizarre as this sounds, the idea is you play as a disembodied head to catch flames in your path. You do so by pressing and holding on the screen. The harder you press, the louder, and thus, stronger is your jump.
As the head, your goal is to the move as far possible without falling off the structures. The further you move, the higher your rank will be. You can also acquire more ‘heads’ as you make progress
As seen in the picture above, the flames help you ‘grow’ more heads on a mysterious tree. The shape of the head and the hairstyle will determine how fast you roll though the abyss.
Oh and did I mention? The game lists all your life achievements as you roll through time and gives you a reason to scream for each year of your life. The usability and gameplay is so simple, in fact — it gets addictive.
The app might be super simple in terms of control but the developers have put a lot of attention on the details. The facial expressions, alone, when the head screams, kept me engaged.
They have also managed to match the screams to the head. The head with ramen bowl toppled over shouts lo-mein, the head resembling a zombie shouts like a zombie, the head resembling a baby shouts like a baby, and so on. Plus, the captions with life’s accomplishments are extremely hilarious.
Why I Loved It
This is one of the oddest game I’ve come across. They have really relied on this gimmick and milked it for what it’s worth. The app description just says “AaaAAaAAAaaaaaAAAAAHhUpdate”.
The app delivers on what it promises; or maybe it never promised that it will provide catharsis. The fact is — it does. At a time when screaming has been most relevant, to be able to use it in such a creative way is innovative.
And you know what, I get it. It is definitely a gimmick but rarely, do I come across a game that’s so simple in concept that it keeps you engaged. It may have a short shelf life but it is cashing in on the current trend. So kudos to the developers for their creativity!
I play games on my phone as a distraction. I’m not looking to be sold on something, or trying to learn something… sometimes. I use my games to relax and take my mind off stressful moments. I have been playing Heads Off for 10 days now and I’m not done with it yet.
This game put a smile on my face and it really connected with me, and apparently it’s true for others as well. Heads Off is also featured on the Editor’s Choice list and has one million plus downloads.
If you’ve not tried it yet, go ahead and download it, try it. I hope you guys enjoy it as much I did.
Let’s get behind something silly and creative. Life’s been dragging anyway.
Special thanks to Tremis Skeete, Executive Editor at Product Coalition for the valuable input which contributed to the editing of this article.
