There have been a bunch of goofy games over the last few years about attempting to do some simple task using ridiculously difficult controls. e.g.: Surgeon Simulator, Where is the Button for Love?, Realistic Kissing Simulator, Soccer Physics, etc. This all started with QWOP. In it, you are a sprinter running the 100 meter dash and getting to the finish line is your only objective. There is nothing in your way and you have no competition, nor any time limit. Literally all you have to do is not fall down, and it is really difficult.

QWOP gets its name from it’s controls: keys Q and W flex your thighs and keys O and P flex your calves. This makes a sort of sense on a QWERTY keyboard, and makes you wonder why every game isn’t controlled by flexing individual muscles. It’s so obvious.

QWOP gets its charm from your own fumbling ineptitude. It’s bizarre how much fun it is to be terrible at walking, but turning something so ostensibly easy into an almost insurmountable barrier allows you to laugh at your own inability without the shame of failure. It’s clear from the outset that you’re not supposed to be good at this, or even competent, and freed from any expectation of success you can enjoy some pratfalls and goofy fun.