QWOP

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Q

Attempt to run a simple 100-meter dash by individually coordinating leg muscles in the world's most intentionally clumsy ragdoll simulator.

What it is

QWOP is the hundred-meter sprint where you control the runner's legs one muscle at a time. Q and W move the thighs, O and P move the calves, and your athlete, the sole representative of a small nation whose training program was under-funded, has to get from the start line to the finish without collapsing. Most runs end in a heap a few meters in.

How to play

Click to begin. The runner stands on a track with a distance readout at the top. Press Q or W to drive a thigh, O or P to drive a calf, and try to make the four of them add up to a stride. Falling over ends the run and you start again. The intro says it is not about whether you win or lose, and it means it. There is a sound toggle and a help button in the corner of the game.

What makes it different

It is a ragdoll-control joke from 2008, still on its maker's own site and now running in plain HTML5 with no plugin. Nothing about it has been softened: the physics are unforgiving, the runner is a puppet, and every meter is earned with a rhythm you have to work out for yourself. A few meters and a new respect for walking is the usual result, and the readout is happy to count backwards.

Why it is on Bored

A running game you cannot run in has been wasting people's afternoons for a long time, and it asks for nothing: no download, no account, no ads, no consent dialog, no connections to anyone else at all. Two meters, five minutes, and you will be back.

Tips

  • Small taps beat held keys
  • Watch the readout, it tells you when you went backwards
  • Find a rhythm before you find speed
  • Do not read tips, the point is working it out

FAQ

Is QWOP free?

Yes. It is free in the browser on its maker's site, with no account, no ads and no cookie banner.

Does it work on a phone?

No. It is a keyboard game, four keys, so a laptop or desktop is required.

Does it have sound?

Yes, small effects, with a mute button in the corner.

Does it end?

Yes, at 100 meters. Reaching it is the point, and very few do.

Reviewed on

URL: https://www.foddy.net/legacy/Athletics.html

Tags

00:00Warming up
0Pixels scrolled
0Clicks made
0.00Calories burned

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