How “Fall Guys” Is Taking Over the Internet With Nostalgia

Similar to the Fortnite takeover of 2017, the gaming world has been swept up in the wake of a rising game. Nicknamed “Fall Guys,” the cartoony application has taken the internet by storm, establishing a large presence on the PS4 and PC. Although it’s currently unavailable on Xbox, Fall Guys continues to make headlines, surpassing all expectations. 

Upon opening my TikTok, I was flooded with an array of videos from this product. Taken aback by the level of virality that the game has achieved, I decided to check out what the hype was about. I wasn’t disappointed. Most video games take a certain level of concentration and have a considerable learning gap. Still, Fall Guys seems to break the mold with a comfortable yet intricate game of 4 primary controls.

Fall Guys is relatively simple, with the primary goal of winning in a collection of 60 other players. Dressed as animated jelly beans, players navigate many colorful obstacles to achieve the “crown” positioned at the end of the game. 

The lobby begins with 60 incoming players, with each level eliminating a certain amount.  Stages contain mazes packed with obstacles that the players scurry through to obtain a qualifying slot.

As daunting as it may seem, the levels are enjoyable to play. Modes like “tail tag” give selected users a virtual tail, having others chase them through an obstacle course until they “steal” the tail by pressing the R2 button on a PS4 controller. The objective is to end the game with a tail, making for an action-packed level. The course itself is filled with spinning platforms, autonomous hammers that throw the players off course, and many more add-ons to make the game interesting.

Another section named “seesaw” lands the characters in an area where the only obstacles are massively sized seesaws. If the users jump on them simultaneously, it’ll tip, knocking some players off and taking them back to the start. The learning curve in this section is relatively simple. Players have to be patient when picking the time to jump onto the platform. However, you can’t wait too long, considering it’s a race. 

A lobby generally goes through 3-5 of these levels before reaching the final stage, in which a winner is determined. Although I’ve been playing for nearly a week, I’ve been starved of this victory. While I haven’t been able to win, I continue to play. Fall Guys is fun, regardless of whether you win or not. 

Given a 96% positive rating on Google, there’s something about the game that resonates with users. Fall Guys acts as a nostalgic throwback to simple games before all the advanced controls were introduced. With a relatively nonexistent skill gap, anyone can become proficient at Fall Guys within a few rounds of playing. 

While the game will likely serve as a short-term quarantine fad, it provides a level of refreshing fun that simply isn’t supplied in video games at the moment.