Headlander

Launch into the ultimate head trip as you blast through psychotic robots in a retro 70's sci-fi action adventure from Double Fine Productions. It is a world of automation, a utopia gone wrong in which all of humanity have transferred their minds into robotic imposter bodies and are ruled by a computer.

Headlander is a sci-fi, action and metroidvania game developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Adult Swim Games.
Released on July 25th 2016 is available on Windows and MacOS in 6 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain and Russian.

It has received 1,016 reviews of which 921 were positive and 95 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 19.99€ on Steam.

The Steam community has classified Headlander into these genres:

Sci-fi Action Metroidvania Platformer Comedy Side Scroller Funny Retro Great Soundtrack Space Singleplayer Bullet Hell

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at Headlander through various videos and screenshots.

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Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

OS *: Windows 7 (64-bit)
Processor: Dual-core 2 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 550 Ti, AMD Radeon HD 7750
Storage: 4 GB available space

MacOS

OS: macOS Sierra (version 10.12)
Processor: Dual core Intel i5
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 650 Ti, AMD Radeon HD 7800 series, or later
Storage: 4 GB available space

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Oct. 2024

Very short and sweet Metroidvania. An interesting concept, Very good vibes in terms of visuals and music, cool twist, give this game a shot.

Sept. 2024

Want a metroidvania where you fly around as a head that takes over robot bodies? Then check out this Cheapness affordable gaming review of Headlander [Episode 87] https://youtu.be/s71rwKqVZL8 Text Review: -This game is a unique, odd take on the metroidvania as you can't even jump, and you play as a flying head that takes over bodies by sucking off their heads and then landing to take over their powers like Kirby (But not as weird or fanciful... you can get the ability to fire lasers with different spread patterns or take over a small body to get in a tiny hole etc.) -But each body has its own dance you can activate by pressing a button (Unique music track included) which is one of the lovely quirky touches of the game (Who doesn't love the moonwalk) -Rather pleasantly the game styles itself after the 70s (Instead of gamings' much more common 80s fetishism) with its shag carpet, lava lamps etc. -And the 2.5D visuals are great (Arguably a better attempt at incorporating 3D into a 2D metroidvania because of the rigid movement... at least before the more mobile Prince of Persia metroidvania came along) and has nice backgrounds, a nice soft quality and sometimes cinematic angles -The music is good enough (Can be generic sci-fi but it can ram home the beauty of space feel and the tracks that play during dances are a bit more 70s fun... unfortunately these two approaches rarely combine because when it does the result is interesting) -Good voice acting (The robots sound and feel alive... sure not that surprising as their voices weren't distorted too much to robotify them) but voice actors obviously get reused, and the robot speak can have a scratchy, piercing quality (But hey Invader Zim is one of the voices) -The story is a bit functional though (If it has one or two satisfying moments and the bots are likeable but talking to them is optional) -The game is very stylish but arguably that's what keeps you going as there isn't really a movement challenge, secrets are easy to find and short, backtracking is removed to a large extent (That is probably a unique pro though for this genre), laser aiming can be finicky, active use abilities are fairly late game and by that time you may not want to start to use them and the headlanding doesn't give as much variety as Kirby probably would have Practical Concerns: -Good value (R2.00/ $0.19/ £0.14 per hour for me) -Not the smallest (3.55 Gb) -Not the easiest to run (Almost works on the warhorse)

Sept. 2024

What a curious little metroidvania. In this game, you are a head. Just a floating head, and you have to float around a space station, taking over robots of various ranks, to navigate through and save the cryogenically frozen bodies. It also has a strange retro 70s space aesthetic. The play control is good--the head moves around nicely. I'd say it's pretty fun to play.

Aug. 2024

Headlander is a light and enjoyable Metroidvania that doesn’t require a high skill level or extensive time commitment. If you’re thinking of something as challenging as Hollow Knight, this isn’t quite on the same level. I managed to unlock all the achievements in under 12 hours over two days, which is noteworthy because I’m not typically quick at finishing games. The story is cool. I didn’t laugh much, honestly, but I enjoyed the characters and the arc as a whole. The mechanic of taking over bodies is unique and interesting, though I did wish for more variety in the types of bodies you can control. While there are different types, most of them function similarly, just with increasing power. If you have a day or two free and are looking for something quick to play without a huge commitment, Headlander is worth a try. It offers something different, but without being too demanding. Overall, it’s a fun and accessible game that’s perfect for a short, satisfying experience.

Dec. 2023

Really fun to play and discover the map. The visuals, colours and animation are perfection.

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Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates

Steam data	17 November 2024 11:19
SteamSpy data	19 December 2024 16:30
Steam price	24 December 2024 12:47
Steam reviews	23 December 2024 09:57

19.99€

8.6

921

Online players

Developer

Double Fine Productions

Publisher

Adult Swim Games

Release 25 Jul 2016

Platforms