Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

A punishing climb with purpose and personality

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy turns a simple idea into a memorable ordeal. You guide Diogenes, a man lodged in a pot, using only a hefty hammer to hoist yourself up a towering junkscape. The design nods to a 2002 climbing curio, but this version opts for sparse 3D scenes and a single controllable character, putting all attention on your tool, your timing, and your patience.

The hammer is everything. You plant it on edges, swing to generate lift, then catch yourself again with careful spins and nudges. Mastery comes from reading angles and momentum, not from button complexity. Slip-ups are frequent and often catastrophic. There are no checkpoints, so a minor lapse can send you back to areas you thought you had left behind. That brutal structure fuels a high replay loop as you refine routes and experiment with new grips.

A steady stream of narration from the creator accompanies the ascent. The voiceover reflects on failure, persistence, and why we chase tough goals. It can be wry, occasionally needling, and sometimes surprisingly comforting, giving falls both comic bite and context. The commentary elevates the climb from a physics challenge to something more reflective, and its dry humor helps the sting of a sudden plunge.

Visually, the game is intentionally austere. The collage of objects and the man-in-a-cauldron silhouette give it an uncanny tone that some will find off-putting and others will appreciate for its stark focus. It also asks for precise hand-eye coordination, so players without steady motor control may struggle. On the technical side, expect occasional instability, with crashes reported by some users.

Verdict: this is a difficult, sometimes maddening ascent that turns frustration into a lesson. If you enjoy skill-forward challenges with a meaningful core and clever narration, it is a singular experience worth grappling with. If you bristle at steep setbacks, you may find the climb too harsh.