Game Review: Hair Nah

Hair Nah is a free browser game about a Black woman fending off an endless assault of white hands from touching her hair. It is endless, monotonous, and exhausting, and that's the point. 

Before we go any further with this review, you the reader should know that I am neither Black nor a woman. I do not speak from authority on the subject. These are entirely my views and opinions, for what it's worth. 

What is most telling about this game is that without knowing anything else about Hair Nah, you know what this game is, and why it exists. It is a well known trope at this point that thou shalt not touch a Black woman's hair. And yet, in the year of our lord 2020, it is still very much a thing that happens with disappointing frequency. 

The game has a few customize-able features. You can select from a variety of different Black skin tones, and hair styles. Hair Nah then has you select one of three vacation destinations. But no matter your skin tone, hair style, or where you go, the oppressive hands come at you with the same speed, frequency, and audible commentary. Your vacation, what should be a time of relaxation, has you alert and prepared at all times. In fact, the game is closer to a one-click reaction fighter. 

It is pretty much a settled issue at this point that video games are art. Some are grand statements about the world, while others are more akin to movie blockbusters. Hair Nah falls into the former category. It wears its politics on its sleeve. While the mechanical aspects of the game lend itself well to that arcade drive to beat a previous high score, the point is not to win, but to play out a catharsis for those who wish they could be as emboldened as the protagonist to slap away an encroaching hand. If you haven't shared this experience, then it might provide some insight and empathy towards those who have. 

In a 2008 profile, author Toni Morrison is quoted as saying "All good art is political! There is none that isn’t. And the ones that try hard not to be political are political by saying, ‘We love the status quo.’" This game does not love the status quo, and wishes very much you would stop trying to touch her hair. 

Hair Nah can be found for free at Hair Nah.

The game’s creator, Momo Pixel, has a website: Momo Pixel. 

-The Clever Coyote