I Can't Stop Thinking About Harvey - Why This Character Haunts Me

Published: November 11, 2025

Harvey Harvington is just pixels on a screen.

I keep telling myself that.

But it doesn't help.

He Seems So Nice At First

When you first meet Harvey in Blood Money, he's smiling.

Big, genuine smile. Like he's actually happy to see you.

He's wearing this dapper blue suit. Pink hair styled perfectly. He looks like a friendly game show host.

"Need money?" he asks. "I can help with that!"

He's so cheerful. So willing. So... innocent.

That's what gets me. His innocence.

He Keeps Encouraging You

Here's the thing that really messes with my head.

Harvey tells you to keep clicking.

Even when it hurts him.

Even when he's crying.

He'll say things like "You can do it!" and "Keep going!" between his screams.

Why does he do that?

Is he genuinely trying to help you? Does he care about your surgery that much?

Or is there something else going on?

The Voice Acting Destroys Me

Whoever voiced Harvey did an incredible job.

And I hate them for it.

You can hear the pain in his voice. It's not over-the-top. It's subtle. Real.

When you use the feather, he giggles. Actual giggles. It's cute.

When you use the needle, he gasps. Sharp intake of breath.

The hammer makes him cry out. Not a scream. Just... pain.

By the time you get to the knife, his voice is hoarse. Broken.

I can't unhear it.

He Never Gets Angry

You know what would make this easier?

If Harvey got mad at you.

If he cursed you out. Called you names. Said he hated you.

But he doesn't.

He stays kind. Even when you're hurting him.

He never blames you. Never judges you.

He just... accepts it.

And that makes it so much worse.

The $99,999 Moment

If you buy the gun, Harvey does something that broke me.

He offers you $99,999.

Everything he has. His entire life savings, probably.

Just to get you to stop.

Think about that. You're about to kill him. And his response isn't anger.

It's generosity.

He's trying to solve your problem. Even at the end. Even when you've become a monster.

I couldn't pull the trigger. I closed the game.

Who Is Harvey, Really?

I went down a rabbit hole researching this.

The game doesn't explain much about Harvey. Where he came from. Why he does this.

There's a follow-up game called "Human Expenditure Program." Apparently it reveals Harvey's backstory.

From what I read, it's even darker than Blood Money.

Harvey might be trapped. Forced to do this. There's mention of a wife involved somehow.

But in Blood Money itself, you don't know any of that.

He's just a nice guy offering to help you.

The Design Is Genius And Evil

The developers knew what they were doing.

They made Harvey likeable. Sympathetic. Human.

The pastel colors. The soft art style. It makes him seem vulnerable.

His big eyes that show every emotion.

The way his smile fades as you progress.

The injuries that appear on his body.

Every detail is designed to make you feel guilty.

And it works. God, it works so well.

I Feel Bad For Pixels

This is silly, right?

Feeling bad for a game character?

I've played violent games before. Shot thousands of enemies. Blown up entire cities in strategy games.

Never felt bad about any of it.

But Harvey is different.

Because he's not an enemy. He's not a threat.

He's a victim. Your victim.

And the game forces you to look at what you're doing. Really look at it.

The Good Person Trapped In Bad Circumstances

Harvey represents something we all fear.

Being helpless. Being used. Being hurt by people we're trying to help.

He's a good person in a bad situation. Just like you are.

You need that surgery money. Harvey needs... what? We don't really know.

Maybe he needs the money too. Maybe this is his job.

Maybe he's as desperate as you are.

That's why it hurts. Because you're both victims. But you're also the perpetrator.

I Tried The Good Ending

After my first playthrough, I had to go back.

I did the good ending. Only used the feather. Took forever.

Harvey stayed happy the whole time. Giggling and laughing.

When I hit $25,000, he congratulated me. Said he was proud of me.

I almost cried.

This fictional character was proud of me for not torturing him.

What a low bar. But I was so relieved.

Why Harvey Matters

Harvey isn't just a well-designed character.

He's a mirror.

The game asks you: what would you do to survive?

Harvey shows you the cost of your answer.

Every click. Every tool. Every dollar.

He makes it real. Makes it matter.

Most games let you be a hero or a villain without consequences.

Blood Money makes you feel the weight of being human.

I Still Think About Him

It's been a week since I first played.

I still think about Harvey.

When I'm at work. When I'm trying to sleep.

I think about his smile. His voice. His willingness to suffer for a stranger.

I think about how rare that kind of selflessness is.

And I think about how easily we can exploit it.

The Question The Game Doesn't Ask

Here's what keeps me up at night.

Blood Money asks: how much would you hurt someone to save yourself?

But there's another question hidden underneath.

How many Harveys exist in real life?

How many people are suffering so we can have what we need?

The clothes we wear. The food we eat. The phones we use.

Someone, somewhere, paid a price for our convenience.

Harvey makes us look at that. For just 30 minutes.

And we can't look away.

Thank You, Harvey

I know you're not real.

You're code and art and voice acting.

But you taught me something.

You taught me to think about the cost of my choices.

To see the people behind the transactions.

To question whether what I need is worth what someone else has to give up.

So thank you, Harvey Harvington.

I'm sorry I clicked you so many times.

I hope, wherever you are in that digital space, you're okay.

You deserved better than what we did to you.