Ever wonder about the true story behind a lock of Beethoven's hair that was cut from his head and passed down through history? Neither have I, but I took a look at a little flash game called Beethoven's Hair anyway. (And I was impressed by what I saw.)

Created by Alex Mayhew for Xenophile Media, the game starts when you unwittingly summon the ghost of Beethoven from his tomb. It then puts you in the role of a butterfly that is tasked with freeing Beethoven from his most painful memories. This is done through interacting with musical notes and key objects related to these memories. There are also information bubbles and short quotes scattered around the score (another nice touch), which provide further historical context and insight into the life of Beethoven.

The game really stands out in its presentation. Every object adds to the story or theme. Words of advice or instruction appear in a bar across the top of the screen, while Beethoven speaks to you (via audio), with his words also displayed in a handwritten style across the bottom. Language is used sparingly, though, as you are never given more information than you need unless you explicitly seek it out (by hovering over question marks that tell of the actual history behind the current section). Snippets of Beethoven's music play in the background, along with sound effects for some of the more violent memories. And the imagery is at times extremely disturbing, featuring the end result of extreme violence, or the what-might-have-been version of it that would have haunted Beethoven in his later years.

It only takes about 5 minutes to play, and left a distinct impression on me. I never realized Beethoven was such a haunted and tragic figure, having only previously heard a fraction of what happened in his life. I also had no idea that a lock of his hair was taken from his head on his deathbed and passed through history via some -- shall we say -- interesting figures. The journey through time of a lock of hair is an odd concept for a game, but one that ultimately works quite well. If you're up for a short experience that's a little different, check it out here. You might learn something too.

(Look at the website that hosts the game for more on the relevant history, found here.)