There's definitely something scrappy about Indie physics simulators. Realistic physics is a difficult thing to get right for a major AAA developer who requires some state of the art tech behind its various big cinematic set-pieces, let alone for an Indie poking around to slake their own curiosity. I submit that it's why these Indie physics simulators/puzzle games generally have a healthy dose of self-effacing, failure-embracing personality behind them. "Don't get frustrated," they seem to say, "Failure is an inevitable component of human endeavor." That's why Goat Simulator was deliberately ridiculous, why Octodad: Dadliest Catch was a Saturday morning cartoon, why Getting Over It had soothing voiceovers to assuage your frequent plummets, and why Human: Fall Flat earnestly celebrates the sporadic successes of a little doughy plasticine man who can barely pull himself up ledges or swing a stick around.

Human: Fall Flat has no formal narrative to speak of, rather it's a loose collection of levels filled with physics puzzles to solve that have been ordered in ascending difficulty. Early on, the game expects nothing more of the player than to leap across platforms and move boxes onto switches. Eventually, the player is taught how to pull themselves up ledges - the camera has an active role, oddly enough - and then it leaves the rest to the player to figure out, barring the occasional hint if the player spends too long on any one puzzle. This can involve creating elaborate lever and pulley systems - wouldn't be a physics game without them - or some challenging swinging platforming, or careful navigation of ledges, or even navigating a vehicle such as a sailboat or delivery truck. Your destination isn't always apparent, and a level will occasionally branch to offer a few routes, the shorter route invariably being the more difficult to pull off. Your controls essentially boil down to basic movement, a jump button, two grab buttons on either trigger that correspond to the character's left and right hand, and a mostly useless "play dead" button for, I'm guessing, venting one's frustration at their current predicament.

One memorable puzzle that ended up being a lot harder than it looked involved a boat floating through the skeletal wreck of a galleon. You were meant to use a long oar to sort of poke your way through this dilapidated timber, pulling or pushing yourself forward by using the long oar as a lever. The reality of the game made this very difficult, however, with the boat regularly moving backwards or sideways with every push. The physics here were a combination of what would probably occur in reality and what almost certainly would not occur, which meant I couldn't tell if what I was doing was necessarily incorrect or simply something the game's engine didn't agree with or lacked the capacity to properly convey. I got through that section eventually - I think by that time I'd dropped the oar into the sea (any required objects respawn if they become inaccessible) and managed to float gently to the off-ramp - but considering all I had to do was navigate a 50 yard stretch of water, it sure become an ordeal fast.

Personally, I think I may be done with jokey physics games after this. While I appreciate the appeal of succeeding through adversity, in this case a frequently unresponsive physics engine that rarely does what you want or expect, the frustration of attempting to complete relatively simple goals made far more untenable by some intrinsic obstinance in the game's willingness to work with you can occasionally be overbearing. I'll say that games like these work far better in a group setting, either competitive or cooperative, as you feel less personally put-upon and can appreciate everyone being in the same shaky boat. Human: Fall Flat does feel a little less arbitrary and aimless than something like Goat Simulator, and unlike Octodad it doles out its difficulty in a way that's both carefully measured and doesn't bite off more than its absurd controls can chew, so it's probably my favorite of those three. I could totally understand someone having a whale of a time watching all their best-laid plans come crashing down around them due to their hurriedly constructed platforms or the pudgy hero's less-than-stellar agility. It's probably a good stream game for that reason. In a solo setting with no audience, though, any enjoyment arrives fitfully at best - reserved only for those rare occasions in which some Hail Mary scheme actually goes right.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I tried playing this on a few different occasions; something about this game gives me motion sickness. We're talking gotta-go-lie-down-in-the-dark-for-a-while motion sickness.

Good write-up; this bit in particular in your last paragraph resonated with me.