Back when I played it on PC many years ago, I found Human Fall Flat to be delightfully weird and surprisingly challenging. When it came to the Switch I didn’t get a chance to check it out and give it a proper review, but kept hoping for an opportunity to revisit it, and to get more of a taste for its unique form of puzzle solving. Now, with the release of the Switch 2 version I’ve finally gotten that chance, and my perspective hasn’t changed. It’s hardly the type of game that will appeal to everyone, but it’s also a terrific example of indie developers being willing to play with weird ideas and who manage to make something delightfully distinctive.

Conceptually it may be best to think of Human Fall Flat as ragdoll physics meets a work simulator for the most part. In each of the game’s themed stages, you’ll have to work your way through a series of smaller segments, with the seemingly simple goal of merely making your way to the exit, but encumbered by a number of obstacles. The first is that your character moves and controls roughly like a drunken sailor, sometimes making routine tasks into arduous undertakings. You thankfully have independent control of your arms, which you’ll need to carefully move in order to grab various tools, activate buttons, and pull up on ledges among other things. For the most part on each level you’ll start out with minimal direction, needing to try to piece together how you’ll proceed, but thankfully once the game determines that you’re looking stuck, you’ll be provided with a small remote that you can use to get critical advice. That will often involve the use of a new technique that’s needed, but may not always be obvious to be successful.

If you’re willing to double down on the ridiculousness, the great news is that you’ll be able to have a friend join you in your endeavors via local split-screen play. There’s no question that this can streamline some areas where working solo you’d have more work to do, with your partner standing on switches being particularly helpful, but there will also be times where the silliness of trying to work together with these wonky physics can be a distraction, even if a humorous one. What I appreciate is what clocking in at roughly a handful of hours or so, for the most part the game doesn’t overstay its welcome or exhaust any particular technique too much. You’ll need to demonstrate some level of mastery of just about every technique you’re shown in order to complete the game, but then more often than not you’ll be thrown into an entirely new environment and situation afterwards, typically demanding you to learn or demonstrate the use of something else. This all makes for a ride that can absolutely be aggravating at times, but that still manages to feel wholly unique, and is sure to please fans of games that are just a little off-center in their approach.