bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Pavan Shamdasani

Human: Fall Flat
NoBrakes Games
4 stars
Almost every week I go on about innovation in gaming – how new releases are pushing boundaries, how the medium is on the verge of mass acceptance, how it’s all going to eventually converge into one big virtual reality play set. It’s all true, except the latter maybe, but not all games can be groundbreaking. Some thrive on sheer stupidity.
That’s not to say Human: Fall Flat is dumb in any way – far from it. The physics in this bizarre world involve an almost unparalleled level of creativity, even if it looks ridiculous on the surface. But the surface is what matters here, despite what the intentionally barebones visuals may have you believe.
Game review: when it comes to stress relief, Carmageddon: Max Damage delivers
But I’m getting ahead of myself. You don’t even know what the game’s about – although I don’t either. You’re a doughy, blank-faced little character who runs around an untextured world that’s constantly throwing him every which way. Think of a drunken, invincible Gumby lost in a 3D maze and you’re somewhere close.


There is a purpose behind it, even if stumbling about a virtual world sounds like reason enough to play. There are puzzles to complete, starting with such simple tasks as climbing a platform, all the way through to insanely complex affairs. And remember, this isn’t a one-button-jump affair – all the while you’re battling with bizarre physical dynamics that are fighting to steer you off course.

Now imagine the complexity of it all: controls that are purposely poor, a character with gummy worms for arms, and a seemingly endless world where any suicidal tendencies will bring you back to where you started. Thankfully, there’s a buddy option, a co-op mode that lets handy real-life victims jump into Human: Fall Flat’s Sisyphean madness. That doesn’t help things much, but it does give the game an extra level of entertainment.
I’m not sure whether I’ve fully explained the appeal of Human: Fall Flat here. There’s two ways of playing it: going with the flow and enjoying the absurd ride, or fighting against the current and aiming for one of its many goals. That’s almost an analogy for life, now that I think about it – sort of, not really, whatever.
I had fun with Human: Fall Flat and you probably will too.


Game review: Human: Fall Flat is a delightful little physics-based puzzler

In Human: Fall Flat, you are a faceless little character struggling to get by in a world whose physics keep throwing you about.

Art from the game Human: Fall Flat

Culture

Lifestyle

Arts

Tech

You can go with the flow and enjoy the surreal ride, or you can struggle against the current to complete the goals – either way, this is an absorbing game


Game review: Human: Fall Flat is a delightful little physics-based puzzler

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}You can go with the flow and enjoy the surreal ride, or you can struggle against the current to complete the goals – either way, this is an absorbing game

You can go with the flow and enjoy the surreal ride, or you can struggle against the current to complete the goals – either way, this is an absorbing game