Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, explained
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy came out in 2017. A man sits in a pot and climbs a mountain using only a hammer that you swing with the mouse or your finger. One bad swing can send you all the way back to the start.
How it plays
You never control the man directly. You move the hammer, hook it on rocks and push or pull yourself up. There are no checkpoints and no saves to fall back on. Every meter you gain can be lost in a second.
The man in the pot is named Diogenes, after the Greek philosopher who lived in a jar. Bennett Foddy narrates as you climb, talking about failure and frustration, and says the game is a homage to Jazzuo's 2002 game Sexy Hiking.
Why people rage and keep going
The controls are fair. When you fall, you know it was your swing. That is what makes the falls hurt and what makes people try again. Streamers turned the long falls into some of the most shared clips of the late 2010s.
It is on PC, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Games in the same family
- Sexy Hiking (2002). Jazzuo's odd climbing game with a hammer. The one Foddy's game pays homage to.
- Jump King (2019). Charge your jump, land the platform, or fall back a long way.
- Pogostuck: Rage With Your Friends. Climb on a pogo stick, with other players on the same mountain.
- A Difficult Game About Climbing (2024). You climb a mountain with only your hands. One slip, one long fall.
Tips for the climb
- Small movements. Slow, short hammer moves are more reliable than big swings.
- Learn the pogo. Pushing the hammer down hard into the ground launches you up. It gets you past many walls.
- Hook, then pull. Catch the top of a ledge with the hammer head before you pull yourself over.
- Take breaks. Most big falls happen when you are tired and rushing.
Play it on Roam
More on Roam
Make your own rage climber with Roam
Roam is a free iPhone app. Describe the thing you climb with and the mountain, and watch your friends fall off it. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.
Try: "rage climber, I'm stuck in a trash can with a plunger, one wrong move drops me to the start, my friend narrates every fall"Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Questions people ask
How long is Getting Over It?
Skilled players finish in minutes. A first climb often takes several hours, sometimes much longer.
Is Getting Over It on mobile?
Yes, on iPhone and Android, as well as PC and Mac.
Who is the man in the pot?
His name is Diogenes, a nod to the Greek philosopher who lived in a jar.
What happens when you finish Getting Over It?
You climb past the top and fly into space. After the credits, players who finish can enter a chat room with others who reached the top.