Think Batman, but always drunk and he can time-travel. In HANK: Drowning on Dry Land, sink into Hank’s comic book world and escape The Unraveler’s trap. Play a dangerous time-bending co-op with your past self.
Developed by: My Next Games
Played on: Steam
Length: 1 hour
A review key was provided by TILT.
Problematic heroes have always brought a greater feeling of intrigue with how much a mess they are, but they somehow still manage to do the right thing. Well, if saving people and stopping the baddies is all it takes. But being a role model? Maybe not. That being said, let’s talk about HANK: Drowning on Dry Land.
HANK: Drowning on Dry Land was developed by Polish game developers, My Next Games, as the sequel to HANK: Straightjacket which was released in 2023. The game has already won awards such as the PAX West 2025 “Pax Rising Showcase – Official Selection”, Digital Dragons 2023 “Special Recognition Award”, and The MIX Fall Game Showcase 2025 “Mix Showcase – Official Selection”. But is this game worth one hour of your time?
You play as Hank, a hero with powers over time. With Hank’s time powers, you retrace your steps or re-evaluate scenarios that Hank has been through in order to figure out what to do next. What’s the problematic part about him, you ask? Alcoholism which leads to alcohol poisoning, hence the games title, aside from his jaded personality. Right at the start of the game, you are literally down on the ground, suffering from life-threatening alcohol poisoning. From this point onwards, the story kicks off.
The main objective of the story is essentially to save yourself from the dastardly plans of the The Unraveler, the main antagonist of the game and Hank’s twisted rival who set in motion Hank’s current predicament. The task he gives is simple: press 3 buttons before the clock runs out and save the hostage. If not, everything goes BOOM! For an extra bit of challenge, The Unraveler sics his horrifying dog on you as you look for each button.
The general gameplay has you running around as Hank to explore the map, finding buttons or things you can interact with. Along the way, there are ledges, ramps and doors you can use to avoid The Unraveler’s dog or to unlock a new pathway. The unique part of Hank’s gameplay revolves around his time powers, specifically to rewind or speed up time. As you’re racing against the clock, use Hank’s rewind ability to get back lost time after you scout ahead and plan your route.
Along the way, you’ll also find mirrors which allow you travel back in time. However, doing so will cause multiple Hank’s to exist simultaneously. Meeting the other Hank’s leads to a paradox. To avoid this, you have to hide in shadows or rethink your pathing. I personally loved this mechanic, as it really makes you think ahead instead of going off instinct. While the rest of the game is fairly simple to grasp from the get-go, this mechanic really makes you think twice. The game also does a great job with the details of having your past self mirror exactly what you were doing leading up to the mirror encounter.
There is also a dialogue element that doesn’t seem like a main mechanic, but becomes necessary to get the ending. Getting here is a brain scratcher as you only realise you need it once you reach the end game. You can use Hank’s rewind powers to explore all the options easily, but it does become a little tedious towards the end. The same could be said about the rewind time mechanic, which is fine for short instances but can be tiring if you want to go back further in time. And if it bugs out, you might have to restart the game from square-1.
Aside from that, there isn’t much of a challenge finding the buttons. The dialogue portion leaves no clues as it doesn’t really tie into the quest of looking for the buttons. Running around and planning your pathing is all you need, and it culminated in a rather underwhelming puzzle experience.
Part of its straightforward nature is due to the game’s short length. Clocking in at one hour of playtime, you begin with the exposition, objective explanation, even more talking, and in the blink of an eye, you’re at the final portion of the game. This was rather frustarting as the game felt like it had a lot more to offer, especially with regards to Hank’s alcoholism which began as an interesting character flaw but was quickly left by the wayside. Considering this is a sequel game, here’s hoping the developers add more installments to continue Hank’s tale.
What pulls me through the more tedious parts of HANK is its brilliant art style. The majority of the game takes the appearance of a 3D cell-shaded comic book, which really sells HANK’s superhero vibes. From the speech bubbles to the general appearance of world. True to its gritty theme, there’s a lot of black and generally dark colouring. However, it also blends bright vibrant colours to contrast the darkness, making things pop out and capture the eye.
The fun part of the art style is that it could all possibly be in Hank’s head. Could it be The Unraveler’s doing or the alcohol poisoning? Whatever it is, it looks gorgeous! The game even starts you in a diner in what I presume is a reference to Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks”.
It is worth noting that the game could use an epilepsy warning. While I myself don’t suffer from it, it certainly is required for those who do. The bright and constantly shifting colours, especially at the end, could be harmful for those who suffer from it. A warning at the beginning would certainly be recommended, if not an option to reduce certain visual effects.
Verdict: A Fun But Short Chapter
HANK: Drowning on Dry Land is a promising title with fantastic voice acting, comic book style art direction, and innovative gameplay. All of it blended together provides a cool premise and fun experience, but its short length might leave you wanting for more.
