Certain games present an unrelenting challenge, not through increased complexity, but by employing control mechanisms that are so clumsy, they essentially transform into the main obstacle in the gaming experience.
Motion seems challenging, even simple tasks become chaotic and disorganized, and any effort for precision results in failure.
But here’s the thing—they’re fun. The frustration is the point.
Regardless if it’s a clumsy surgeon, a swift runner who suddenly falters, or an octopus striving for normality, these games transform abysmal control mechanics into hilarious comedic gems.
As a gamer, I can tell you this: You’ll stumble, you’ll get angry, but somehow, you just can’t quit. There’s no feeling quite like the satisfying, absurd triumph of finally nailing it, or moving on – yep, that’s a nudge, we both know what’s ahead.
14. Everything Is Going to Be OK
Deeply And Troublingly Unhinged
As a gamer, I’m not just chuckling at the controls here; I’m fighting back against being controlled. Each move feels heavy and unnatural, as if the game’s deliberately making me struggle to understand its mechanics.
The controls aren’t inherently faulty, but they seem awkward as if the actions they require don’t align with what the game intends for you to do.
It carries a heavy, philosophical feel, which is intriguing, but it’s not the playful, disorderly aspect of physics that adds enjoyment to the rest of the items on the list.
This game provokes thoughts about if what you’re doing truly has any significance, which sounds intriguing conceptually; however, it’s essential to acknowledge that you probably opened this list seeking some entertaining physics tidbits rather than a philosophical dilemma.
13. Manual Samuel
“Sam Passes Out From A Lack Of Oxygen… Again”
Imagine a scenario where you must deliberately command each and every action your body performs – from taking breaths, to blinking, even moving around.
Manual Samuel” is a game where every action needs manual control, making something as simple as taking a step feel like competing in the Olympics.
In this scenario, you take on the role of Samuel, a wealthy yet idle simpleton. He strikes a bargain with Death, receiving a final opportunity to live – but with a twist: all tasks must be completed manually from now on.
This game trolls you from the get-go. It is needlessly difficult, but that’s where its charm lies.
In a gentle, continuous melody, an upbeat tune hums softly in the background, while the narrator provides helpful guidance as they walk you through each painful moment, emphasizing the importance of taking conscious breaths.
12. The Long Drive
Don’t Be Scared, I’m Just Trying To Rip Your Face Off
This game wants to be slow-burn horror, but the real horror is trying to close your car door because suddenly things are running at you and accidentally ripping it off instead.
The situation with the controls is chaotic, driving proves challenging, filling up with fuel can be nerve-wracking (I’ve even mistakenly drunk some of it on occasion), and whatever I attempt seems to result in another unexpected mishap.
The creepy rabbits? Awful. The random screams in the distance? Why?
Despite the excitement, there’s an odd sense of amusement about it all. It mirrors the authentic spirit of a journey on the open road, where everything seems just peachy until, all of a sudden, nothing appears to be going as planned.
If it weren’t so stressful, it’d rank higher, but this is the kind of broken that makes you sweat.
11. Grow Home
A Wobbly Climb to Something Beautiful
Initially, everything feels chaotic – Bud stumbles around like a tall toddler on tip-toes, scaling things with evident apprehension, while it seems as if the towering plant we’re nurturing has a mind of its own and follows an independent course.
On your voyage, you grasp, you stumble, you trip, and for the majority of it, it seems as though you’re barely holding on.
However, once you take a step back, you notice it – the intricate, lofty jumble of vines and isles you’ve crafted. It’s peculiar, growing organically, and completely unique to you.
Initially, things seem tough; however, they unfold into an unanticipated delight – a peculiar miniature universe that sprouts from your awkward attempts, miraculously, it’s flawless.
10. Enviro-Bear 2000
Exactly What A Bear-Based Driving Game Should Be
As a bear, if you’re inside a vehicle, you only have one paw to perform various tasks such as steering, accelerating, and even trying to catch fish. It becomes quite a challenging juggling act, almost like managing multiple tasks at once.
Simultaneously, it seems as if bees, stones, and fish have taken up residence in your vehicle, turning the journey into a surreal, disjointed experience. Strangely enough, the controls work in a peculiar manner that somehow fits the chaos of this unusual situation.
This is exactly how a bear trying to drive should feel—pure, unfiltered chaos.
It’s old-school physics nonsense, and it’s still one of the funniest games ever made.
9. Wobbly Life
I’ve Never Felt More Wonky
Walking? Fine. Driving? Shockingly fine. Doing literally any job? Total disaster.
The tasks in this game are easy to understand – they include delivering a pizza, taking out the trash, or driving a taxi. But, navigating the methods required to accomplish them can sometimes lead to unforeseen difficulties.
It seems as though every job you undertake feels like a battle you’re destined to lose, due to the fact that your character appears to navigate and interact with the world in a manner reminiscent of soft, limp spaghetti.
Next came the issues – I completed a task, jumped into a vehicle (which I had taken without permission) – and before I knew it, I found myself in space.
Granted, that was in the early game, I’ve gotten better at it, but it’s still a riotous mess.
8. Surgeon Simulator
Don’t Worry, I’m A Doctor
Imagine if the surgeon lacked understanding of how to use their hands effectively, that’s the essence of this game. You have control over each finger individually, making even the simple task of grasping a scalpel quite challenging.
At a certain point, there’s a risk that you might accidentally place a crucial item within the patient’s thoracic cavity, and any attempt to retrieve it could potentially complicate the situation further.
The game demands strict adherence to its instructions, yet the controls are so challenging that executing the strategy becomes practically impossible.
You will rip a lung out by accident, and the game will pretend that’s not entirely your fault.
Oh, if you’ve ever played I Am Bread—also an entry on this list—, things get even weirder.
Your patient, Bob, and Bread’s Mr. Murton? Same universe. This guy just can’t catch a break.
7. Human: Fall Flat
The Name Says It All
In a nutshell, this game seems more like a mishap in team-building activities where trust is key, and your onscreen persona resembles a mobile blob of marshmallow. Instead of solving puzzles, you’re often left with comedic misadventures that could pass as a slapstick performance.
Theoretically, it involves collaboration to tackle physics-based conundrums, but unlike the comfortable puzzle games that are my forte, this one is all about pandemonium.
Essentially, it involves missing handholds, taking tumbles headfirst, and unintentionally causing your companion to plummet from a precipice.
Playing together just amplifies the humor – if you’ve ever doubted your ability to coordinate, just wait and see the chaos that ensues when two individuals, both equally uncoordinated, try their hand at the same task simultaneously!
6. I Am Bread
But I Want To Be Toast
As a devoted lover of bread, I can’t help but feel frustrated when trying to manipulate slices. It’s as if I’m wrestling with each corner individually, making even the simplest movements feel like a cosmic battle.
The end goal is to become toast. The problem with that is that everything is out to get you.
Throughout the game, you’ll likely find yourself hanging on tightly to whatever pieces of furniture are nearby, frantically attempting to keep from taking an accidental tumble onto a rather unsanitary floor surface.
The indomitable spirit that took hold of me as I clung to the box’s edge, inch by inch maneuvering towards the toaster, was beyond comparison.
And somehow, there’s lore. Why? No idea.
5. QWOP
The Controls Are In The Name
QWOP walked—sort of—so that other mobility simulators could try to run.
In this scenario, we find ourselves in an authentic, retro-styled representation of the fundamental physics world. It’s quite evident who the creator is, as I assume that information is already familiar to you.
You control a runner’s legs individually, which means even moving forward is a monumental task.
Most people don’t even make it past one meter before collapsing in disgrace.
Should you somehow find yourself moving, it rarely appears graceful. Each try seldom endures for more than a few moments, yet it’s as if everything aligns perfectly.
I discovered a tip that suggests pressing W and O simultaneously to assume the ideal running position initially, followed by Q and P to proceed. However, when I tried this out, it didn’t seem to work for me.
Instead of that, let me rephrase it for you: W and O were the ones who started things off, followed by a gentle tap on Q, and another round of tapping on W and O afterward.
In simple terms, I disregarded aspect P entirely, and fundamentally altered the title of the activity, which propelled me to approximately 6 kilometers before I tumbled.
4. Speaking Simulator
That Dream Where You Lose All Your Teeth
Interacting with Games as a Metaphor: The Challenges of Social Anxiety – In the Simulator for Conversationalists, you guide a robot that yearns to blend in, yet faces an obstacle. This obstacle is that the robot struggles with maintaining normal social interactions.
In a surprising turn of events, it proves challenging to correctly shape words using your tongue, lips, and jaw.
Rather than maintaining a fluid discussion, any effort at communication results in a jittery, robotic catastrophe as your machine breaks down mid-speech, with its eyes flickering, jaw popping out, and sparks—along with a few teeth—scattering.
Engaging in simple tasks such as ordering coffee or casual conversations can sometimes seem equivalent to disarming a bomb using only your teeth.
As your performance worsens, the more likely it is that your robot will malfunction, resulting in a rather painful and amusing display of physics-based control mishaps.
A subtle recognition for the cleverness and genius in this game: as you engage, you instinctively mimic mouth movements to determine actions, ultimately gaining insights into true communication – understanding the intricate steps involved in our expressions and speech. Well done!
3. Goat Simulator
The Literal GOAT—Almost
In simpler terms, this physics engine functions more like a makeshift model, held together by temporary fixes and questionable choices. It seems that once you touch certain objects, they become permanently attached, you can freely contort your character as if it’s a ragdoll, and the game appears to promote destruction and chaos rather than order.
The controls aren’t just poorly designed; they are faulty in a manner that encourages you to behave like an average unintelligent individual.
Or, more casually:
The controls aren’t just bad; they’re broken in a way that rewards stupidity.
What I find most enjoyable is discovering various types of goats such as Tall Goat, reminiscent of a giraffe and my preferred choice among them due to its quirky nature, and Tony Shark, an entertaining sight with a skateboard-riding shark.
The programmers clearly had a plan in mind, and rather than just addressing potential issues, they fully embraced the chaos, ultimately transforming it into a magnificent work of disorder.
2. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
I’d Stuff Him In A Stew Myself
In simpler terms, you’re playing the role of a regular human father, but the game penalizes you for actions that seem unusual or awkward because you independently control each of your ‘limbs’, making success elusive.
The most chaotic factor is that people are watching, and you have to look normal.
In every task – like making coffee or mowing the grass – it feels like a challenging struggle against the laws of physics when a chef seems determined to expose your inadequacies.
As time passes while you’re playing, it becomes increasingly amusing since you begin to feel that you’ve got the hang of the controls – only for you to find yourself all of a sudden thrashing about wildly, knocking over furniture, and sending dishes flying across the room, resembling more of an out-of-control spaghetti creature in a costume.
1. Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
Just Why?
The final boss of bad controls.
The game, as told by its protagonist Bennett Foddy, emphasizes that each mistake or failure is a result of your actions, leaving no room for doubt.
Each time you stumble, it’s as if all your advancements are wiped out – quite possibly. What makes this situation less shocking, however, is that Bennett, known for his philosophical leanings (given he was once the bassist in a band), consoles you with his wisdom while you weep.
This challenge is exceptionally complex, combining elements of genius with a ruthless design that demands an extraordinary approach to solve it. Good luck!
In simpler terms, when you get really frustrated and give up (rage-quit), you’ll swear never to touch it again. However, the challenging nature of it, despite being so tough, will draw you back in, as you’re determined to show that you can master it.
This game serves as a form of mental combat, and I find myself suggesting it to others, almost as if I’m passing on a shared suffering.
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2025-02-10 21:41