In November 2008, QWOP was born. It was created by Bennett Foddy, who was a Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow of the programme on the Ethics of the new Biosciences. Funnily enough, Foddy taught himself to make games while he was procrastinating which I am very envious of, as I am nowhere that productive when I procrastinate! In fact, I’m starting to question the truth of it, how is it even possible to be productive whilst in a procrastinative mindset?!

QWOP is not just the name of the game itself, but it is the name of the athlete you play as in the game. QWOP the athlete is competing in the 100-metre race at the Olympic Games (no pressure!). The only keys you can use to control QWOP the athlete’s legs are Q, W, O and P. Notice anything? This game is not just the name of the game, and not just the name of the athlete, but it is also the keys you use to play the game! You have to use those keys to move QWOP the athlete forward, without him falling over, which is very tricky. The Q and W keys are in control of his thighs, whilst the O and P keys are in control of his calves. You have to be very careful as the amount of movement of a joint is affected by the resistance.

I think this is an awesome game, because when you first go to play it, you think it seems like such a simple game, and it definitely comes across that way! However, as soon as you start to play it, you realise how hard it is! It requires a lot of thought and a lot of technique… So, if you’re struggling I’ve come up with a couple of tips on how to help you beat your high score.

Tip 1 – the run

When the game starts, hold down Q, so QWOP’s leg raises, and then hold down P (at the same time), to bring his leg down.

As soon as his foot touches the ground, hold down W and O.

It is very important to get the timing right for this to work. If you apply this accurately, it will cause QWOP to run, although not particularly smoothly and it is also tricky to maintain. But it works, and if you practise it, you should get good results!

Tip 2 – the crawl

When the game starts, press W and P until QWOP is on his knees, then switch between Q and O together and W and P together. If he starts to fall backwards, hold W and P together. It is important to do it in short clicks so he doesn’t stand. This tip can be very long and tedious, however, it is guaranteed to give you good results, which is worth the time consumption. Oh and I also want to mention Learn to fly 2, this game was also developed by the same company and it is awesome.

There you have it, try them out, and be patient! They won’t work for you first time, it is a tricky game and it takes practise! Don’t take it so seriously either, have fun with it, it is humorous experimenting with it and seeing all the positions you can get QWOP in. Lastly, don’t smash your computer screen out of frustration!