Software:Human: Fall Flat

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Short description: 2016 video game
Human: Fall Flat
Human Fall Flat cover art.jpg
Developer(s)No Brakes Games
Publisher(s)Curve Digital
Director(s)Tomas Sakalauskas
Producer(s)Tomas Sakalauskas[1]
Writer(s)Tomas Sakalauskas
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Windows
macOS
Linux
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
iOS
Android
Stadia
Xbox Series X/S
PlayStation 5
Release
Genre(s)Puzzle-platform
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Human: Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game developed by No Brakes Games and published by Curve Digital. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2016, and received ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and iOS and Android over the next several years.

The game received mixed reviews from Critics, though the replayability of the puzzles and comedic animations were praised. The game has sold more than 50 million copies as of December 2023, making it one of the best selling video games of all-time. A sequel, Human: Fall Flat 2, was announced in June 2023 at Devolver Direct 2023.[2][3][4][5]

Gameplay

Human: Fall Flat is a physics puzzle game where players play a customizable human, referred to in-game as Bob. Bob is stated to have no superhuman abilities; he is purely human.[6] Players can make him grab objects and climb up ledges using both his arms and looking with his head.[7][8]

Bob interacting with a physics object

Although Bob's standard appearance is a featureless, minimalist all-white human with a baseball cap, players are able to customize him to their liking, painting his body in a different array of colors and dressing him in a variety of costumes.[6]

The game is open-ended. Each level is themed differently, each containing multiple solutions to their unique puzzles.[6] Various remotes hidden in the game cause instructional videos to appear, helping players learn the gameplay and ultimately solve the puzzles.[9]

Development

Human: Fall Flat was developed by Tomas Sakalauskas, founder of Lithuanian studio No Brakes Games. In 2012, Sakalauskas abandoned his work in IT to try video game development.[1] Initially Sakalauskas concentrated on making mobile games although he ran out of money partway through; this, combined with him questioning the ethics of the freemium model of most mobile games, led him instead to turn development towards a PC game. Sakalauskas has stated that Human: Fall Flat was his "last shot at gaming".[10]

The game began life as a prototype for Intel's RealSense motion sensing camera. Although Sakalauskas eventually realized that the game would work better with traditional control and transitioned away from the device.[10] Sakalauskas set out to make the game in the vein of a puzzle game similar to Limbo or Portal, however, when playtesting the game with his son Sakalauskas noted that "he did everything possible not to solve puzzles", instead just having fun with the physics engine. This caused Sakalauskas to change his approach and make the puzzles "not really watertight".[11] Initially the game was only single player. Although Sakalauskas received several requests for a multiplayer mode, he felt the physics involved would make online play impossible; however, he eventually formed a solution using technology from Nvidia, and in October 2017, an online multiplayer feature was added, allowing up to eight people to play online or by LAN.[12][13]

The game was released as a prototype on Itch.io after which many prominent streamers began promoting it, prompting Sakalauskas to release a Steam version nine months later.[11] PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions followed in May 2017 with a Nintendo Switch version that December.[14] A port to mobile platforms by Codeglue and 505 Games supporting iOS and Android was released on 26 June 2019.[15][16] A Stadia port by Lab42[17] released on 1 October 2020,[18] followed by Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 versions the following year.[19]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 70/100[20]
PS4: 67/100[21]
XONE: 73/100[22]
NS: 65/100[23]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid8/10[7]
Hardcore Gamer3.5/5[24]
IGN7.9/10[8]
Nintendo Life7/10 stars[25]
Nintendo World Report8/10[26]
Pocket Gamer3.5/5 stars[27]
Push Square6/10 stars[28]

Critical reception

Human: Fall Flat received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[20][21][22][23] Dan Stapleton of IGN recommended the game for watching rather than actually playing, praising the slapstick controls, humorous animations, and character customization.[8] Zack Furniss of Destructoid enjoyed the replayability of the puzzles and praised the multiple solutions each puzzle provided.[7]

Sales

By February 2018, more than 2 million copies of the game had been sold across all platforms.[1] According to Curve, the sales of the game were boosted with the addition of online multiplayer in late 2017; by early January 2018, the game had broken over 1 million units sold on the Windows version, but within a month, had seen an additional 700,000 sales.[29][30][31] By June 2018, the game achieved over 4 million sales across all platforms.[32]

Human: Fall Flat was the first video game released by Super Rare Games, which is a limited-print company that physically publishes Nintendo Switch games. 5,000 copies were made available to order in March 2018.[33] In Japan, the Nintendo Switch version of Human Fall Flat released by Teyon Japan, a subsidiary of Teyon, was the fourteenth bestselling game during its first week of release, with 5,241 copies sold.[34]

As of February 2021, the game had sold more than 25 million copies; part of these sales included the popularity of the game in China over 2020 after being released there through XD Inc and 505 Games, in part due to the game's popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.[35]

As of March 2023, Human: Fall Flat had sold more than 40 million copies.[36]

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref
2017 Develop Awards New Games IP Nominated [37][38]
The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards Casual/Social Game Nominated [39]
2018 The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards Best Audio Design Nominated [40][41]
Best Casual Game Won

Sequel

In June 2023, Human: Fall Flat 2 was announced at Devolver Direct 2023.[2][3][4][5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Why 2m sales means the Human: Fall Flat developer never has to work in IT again" (in en). 15 February 2018. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-02-15-why-2m-sales-means-the-human-fall-flat-developer-never-has-to-work-in-it-again. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Human (June 8, 2023). "Human Fall Flat FAQ". https://www.humanfallflat.com/faq. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Game Press (June 8, 2023). "Human Fall Flat 2 Is Under Construction!". https://www.gamespress.com/en-US/Human-Fall-Flat-2-Is-Under-Construction. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 IGN (June 8, 2023). "Human Fall Flat 2 - Official Reveal Teaser Trailer Devolver Digital Showcase 2023". https://www.ign.com/videos/human-fall-flat-2-official-reveal-teaser-trailer-devolver-digital-showcase-2023. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dompier, Miles (June 8, 2023). "Human Fall Flat 2 is real, and we're here for it". https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/human-fall-flat-2-is-real-and-were-here-for-it. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Donnelly, Joe (26 July 2016). "Seven ways Human Fall Flat will make you smile". https://www.pcgamer.com/seven-ways-human-fall-flat-will-make-you-smile/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Furniss, Zack (6 August 2016). "Review: Human: Fall Flat". https://www.destructoid.com/review-human-fall-flat-378498.phtml. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Stapleton, Dan (28 July 2016). "Human: Fall Flat Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/28/human-fall-flat-review. 
  9. ↑ Minguez, Cindy. "Human Fall Flat Review". https://www.trueachievements.com/n27859/human-fall-flat-review. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Robinson, Martin (27 February 2018). "How Human: Fall Flat rose up to become a smash hit". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-02-27-how-human-fall-flat-rose-up-to-become-a-smash-hit. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Aubrey, Dave (11 February 2021). "Human Fall Flat Interview With Tomas Sakalauskas, CEO Of No Brakes Games". https://www.thegamer.com/human-fall-flat-interview-tomas-sakalauskas/. 
  12. ↑ Walker, John (2 February 2018). "How Human: Fall Flat has kept its head held high". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/human-fall-flat-interview. 
  13. ↑ Donnelly, Joe (31 October 2017). "Human Fall Flat adds 8-person online multiplayer". https://www.pcgamer.com/human-fall-flat-adds-8-player-online-multiplayer/. 
  14. ↑ Phillips, Tom (11 August 2017). "The Flame in the Flood, Human: Fall Flat headed to Nintendo Switch". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-08-11-the-flame-in-the-flood-human-fall-flat-headed-to-nintendo-switch. 
  15. ↑ Holt, Kris (20 June 2019). "'Human Fall Flat' lands on iOS and Android June 26th". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/20/human-fall-flat-ios-android-release-date/. 
  16. ↑ Sholtz, Matthew (20 June 2019). "Human: Fall Flat is coming to Android thanks to a partnership between 505 Games and Curve Digital". https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/06/20/human-fall-flat-is-coming-to-android-thanks-to-a-partnership-between-505-games-and-curve-digital/. 
  17. ↑ "Games". lab42.games. https://www.lab42.games/games. 
  18. ↑ "This Week on Stadia: Six new free games plus Risk of Rain 2". 29 September 2020. https://community.stadia.com/t5/Stadia-Community-Blog/This-Week-on-Stadia-Six-new-free-games-plus-Risk-of-Rain-2/ba-p/32956. 
  19. ↑ Peppiatt, Dom (24 June 2021). "Human: Fall Flat lands on PS5 today, supports Haptic Feedback". VG247. https://www.vg247.com/2021/06/24/human-fall-flat-ps5-haptic-feedback. Retrieved 24 June 2021. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Human: Fall Flat for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/human-fall-flat/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Human: Fall Flat for PlayStation 4 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/human-fall-flat/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Human: Fall Flat for Xbox One Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/human-fall-flat/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Human: Fall Flat for Switch Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/human-fall-flat/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  24. ↑ Whittaker, Matt (31 July 2016). "Review: Human: Fall Flat". Hardcore Gamer. https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-human-fall-flat/218969/. 
  25. ↑ McMahon, Conor (17 December 2017). "Human: Fall Flat Review (Switch eShop)". Nlife Media. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/human_fall_flat. 
  26. ↑ Koopman, Daan (11 December 2017). "Human: Fall Flat Review". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/45999/human-fall-flat-switch-eshop-review. 
  27. ↑ Sowden, Emily (2 January 2018). "Human: Fall Flat review - Toddler simulator 2017?". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/human-fall-flat/human-fall-flat-review-toddler-simulator-2017/. 
  28. ↑ Fitzgerald, Simon (9 May 2017). "Human: Fall Flat Review (PS4)". Push Square. https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/human_fall_flat. 
  29. ↑ Calvin, Alex (8 January 2018). "Curve Digital's Human: Fall Flat surpasses 1m sales on Steam". http://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/66551/curve-digitals-human-fall-flat-surpasses-1m-sales-on-steam/. 
  30. ↑ Calvin, Alex (15 February 2018). "Human: Fall Flat hits 1.7m sales on PC". http://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/66689/human-fall-flat-hits-17m-sales-on-pc/. 
  31. ↑ Bensen, Julian (20 February 2018). "Why Human: Fall Flat's success is "f***ing crazy"". https://www.pcgamesn.com/human-fall-flat/human-fall-flat-sales. 
  32. ↑ "Physics-based puzzle platformer Human: Fall Flat smashes sales charts with four million units sold". 19 June 2018. https://mailchi.mp/planofattack.biz/physics-based-puzzle-platformer-human-fall-flat-smashes-sales-charts-with-four-million-units-sold. 
  33. ↑ "Super Rare Games". https://superraregames.com/. 
  34. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 2, 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 6/22/20 – 6/28/20 [Update"]. Gematsu. https://www.gematsu.com/2020/07/famitsu-sales-6-22-20-6-28-20. 
  35. ↑ Peppiatt, Dom (February 11, 2021). "Human: Fall Flat tops 25 million sales, gets Chinese New Year event to celebrate". VG247. https://www.vg247.com/2021/02/11/human-fall-flat-25-million-event/. Retrieved February 11, 2021. 
  36. ↑ Stanton, Rich (9 March 2023). "Remember Human: Fall Flat? Turns out over 40 million humans paid up". https://www.pcgamer.com/remember-human-fall-flat-turns-out-over-40-million-humans-paid-up/. 
  37. ↑ Cleaver, Sean (12 May 2017). "Develop Awards 2017: The Finalists". https://www.mcvuk.com/development/develop-awards-2017-the-finalists. 
  38. ↑ Cleaver, Sean (12 July 2017). "Guerrilla Games win Studio of the Year at the Develop Awards 2017". https://www.mcvuk.com/development/guerrilla-games-win-studio-of-the-year-at-the-develop-awards-2017. 
  39. ↑ "2017 Winners". 2 November 2017. http://tiga.org/awards/2017-winners. 
  40. ↑ Stephenson, Suzi (19 September 2018). "TIGA Announces Games Industry Awards 2018 Finalists". http://tiga.org/news/tiga-announces-games-industry-awards-2018-finalists. 
  41. ↑ "2018 Winners". 1 November 2018. http://tiga.org/awards/2018-winners. 

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