Saturday, May 4, 2024
Human Fall Flat
Real physics in a dreamscape simulation
Human Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game developed by Tomas Sakalauskas, founder of the Lithuanian studio No Brakes Games. It’s one of those games that can be really fun, or really frustrating, depending on how much patience you have. You control a vaguely human-shaped figure named Bob that can pick up objects, push or pull things, grab on to ropes, or even vault over a gap with a pole. Your character moves almost like an animated sandbag, with a bit of lag time for its arm and leg movements. Both hands can be controlled separately with the left and right mouse button, so you can pull yourself up on top of obstacles with the right combination of moves. Objects and backgrounds in the levels are simple vector graphics with rendered light.
The puzzles in the game are physics-based sandbox puzzles. If you can solve the puzzle by winding up the catapult and throwing yourself over the wall, the game will allow it. You can break glass by picking up rocks, chairs, or using a crane with a wrecking ball. As long as you’re progressing, it’s allowed. I’ve even gone backwards through the level to see what happens, and it’s fine – it even gives you an achievement in some cases.
Scattered throughout the levels are helpful little popups activated by picking up a remote. They’re there to give you tips on gameplay and how to use your controls. Once you get used to how to control your character the game gets a lot easier.
I’ve only ever played this game in solo mode, but it looks like the real fun is with a two player or more cooperative game. You can help the other players by pulling them up over the edge of a building. Or carefully walking to the end of a platform and pulling a lever, so the other player can get to another activation point.
Human Fall Flat was originally conceived as just a physics puzzle game. But while playtesting with his son, Sakalauskas found that his son was trying to walk around the puzzles by jumping or parkour, and he realized that the real fun in this game is to find a variety of different solutions. He said “Okay, this is the game I'm going for, not really watertight puzzles or anything like that. Later playtesting with actual players and playtesters, I tried to keep that same spirit.” He credits the success of the game to the community involvement. Players and testers shared their experiences of the game, what they liked and disliked, and Sakalauskas used that feedback to improve the game.
But the multiplayer aspect of the game was the biggest draw for many players, and it’s had the most success with co-op split screen play. “Before that it was smaller, 10k to 100k copies, and crossing one million was done with multiplayer, I think. Finally, we implemented the workshop based on, again, community requests that gave a second wind to the game.” Players can now create their own levels. After testing, they’re included as free DLC content for the game.
My eight-year-old loves this game and has more patience than I do with the various physics-based puzzles. Aside from the falling flat part, it’s a non-violent game and encourages creative outside-of-the-box solutions.
Human Fall Flat by No Brakes Games is available on Steam OS for Mac and PC. Currently on sale for $5.99 until September 7.
screenshot courtesy no brakes games
Your character, ‘Bob,’ can be customized with colors and shapes.
SCREENSHOT COURTESY NO BRAKES GAMES
Human Fall Flat can be played solo, two person, or cooperative mode.
