Human: Fall Flat
A physics puzzle game with open-ended solutions and comedic animations.
Human: Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game released in 2016, created by Lithuanian developer No Brakes Games and published by Curve Digital. It first launched for Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2016, with versions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, iOS, and Android arriving over the following years. A Nintendo Switch 2 port came out on 19 March 2026. Critics gave the game mixed reviews, but they praised its replayable puzzles and comedic animations. By December 2025, it had sold over 58 million copies, ranking among the best-selling video games ever. A sequel, *Human: Fall Flat 2*, is currently in development.
The game is a physics-based puzzle title where players control a customizable human character named Bob. Using both arms and head movements, Bob can grab objects and climb ledges. His default look is a featureless white figure in a baseball cap, but players can paint his body in various colors and dress him in different costumes. Each level has a distinct theme and offers multiple ways to solve its puzzles. Hidden remotes in early levels trigger instructional videos that teach players how to play and solve the challenges.
Developer Tomas Sakalauskas founded No Brakes Games after leaving his IT job in 2012 to try game development. He initially worked on mobile games but ran out of money and grew uneasy with the freemium model, so he shifted to a PC game, calling *Human: Fall Flat* his "last shot at gaming." The project started as a prototype for Intel's RealSense motion camera, but Sakalauskas realized traditional controls worked better. He aimed for a puzzle game like *Limbo* or *Portal*, but after playtesting with his son—who ignored puzzles to mess with the physics—he made the puzzles less rigid. The game began as single-player only. Despite requests for multiplayer, Sakalauskas thought the physics made it impossible until he found a solution using Nvidia technology, adding online play for up to eight people via internet or LAN in October 2017.
The game first appeared as a prototype on Itch.io, where popular streamers promoted it, leading to a Steam release nine months later. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions came in May 2017, followed by Nintendo Switch in December 2017. Codeglue and 505 Games released mobile ports for iOS and Android on 26 June 2019.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Human: Fall Flat
- Developer
- No Brakes Games
- Publisher
- Curve Digital / 505 Games (iOS, Android)
- Producer
- Tomas Sakalauskas
- Genre
- Puzzle-platform
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Windows / macOS / Linux / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / iOS / Android / Stadia / Xbox Series X/S / PlayStation 5 / Nintendo Switch 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Human: Fall Flat was developed by Tomas Sakalauskas, founder of No Brakes Games. In 2012, Sakalauskas abandoned IT work to try video game development, initially focusing on mobile games before running out of money and questioning the freemium model. He turned to PC development, calling the game his 'last shot at gaming'. The game began as a prototype for Intel's RealSense motion sensing camera, but Sakalauskas realized traditional controls worked better. He aimed for a puzzle game similar to Limbo or Portal, but after playtesting with his son, who avoided solving puzzles and instead had fun with the physics engine, Sakalauskas made the puzzles 'not really watertight'. Initially single-player, an online multiplayer mode for up to eight players was added in October 2017 using technology from Nvidia. The game was released as a prototype on Itch.io, where streamers promoted it, leading to a Steam version nine months later.
Reader's Guide
Human: Fall Flat received mixed or average reviews from critics, though the replayability of the puzzles and comedic animations were praised. Dan Stapleton of IGN recommended the game for watching rather than playing, praising the slapstick controls and humorous animations. Zack Furniss of Destructoid enjoyed the replayability and multiple solutions per puzzle. Sales were boosted by the addition of online multiplayer in late 2017; by February 2018, over 2 million copies had sold. The game reached 4 million sales by June 2018, 25 million by February 2021 (partly due to popularity in China during the COVID-19 pandemic), 40 million by March 2023, 55 million by January 2025, and 58 million by December 2025. It was the first game released by Super Rare Games, a limited-print company for Nintendo Switch, with 5,000 copies made available in March 2018. In Japan, the Nintendo Switch version was the fourteenth best-selling game in its first week, with 5,241 copies sold. A sequel, Human: Fall Flat 2, was announced in June 2023, published by Devolver Digital, and is in development for Windows and Nintendo Switch 2.
Did You Know?
- Tomas Sakalauskas considered Human: Fall Flat his 'last shot at gaming' after abandoning IT work and running out of money making mobile games.
- The game sold more than 58 million copies as of December 2025, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time.
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