What Are Foddian Games, and What’s the Origin of the Name?

Some of the best platform games were marketed and sold in what is often called the golden age of gaming. Foddian games result from taking the core platformer concept and cranking the difficulty up to 11.

As a result, Foddian games are some of the most challenging titles currently available. But what are they exactly? What is the origin of the name and the concept behind these games? Also, how far has this base concept evolved to accommodate newer, unique titles? Let’s find out.

Foddian Games: The Origins and Revolution

Games that fall under the Foddian category are as unique as the name, but how did they come about? Here are some events that led to a platform game revolution, birthing the Foddian genre as we know and love it.

The First Bennet Foddy Game

It all began with the Foddian game, “Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy”. Getting Over It is a puzzle game that challenges the player to use a sledgehammer to propel themselves up steep ledges and across slick platforms to get to space. “Foddian” refers to the creator of the first game, Bennett Foddy, in this genre and represents titles of a similar format.

There are a few reasons why this title still has a grip on the platforming scene. The first is that it mixes well with the speedrun format. A player can decide to try to finish the game as quickly as possible after mastering the basic mechanics.

Another attribute of Getting Over It’s success is the sheer difficulty and the entertainment tied to watching people either fail or succeed. Popular creators like Ludwig and CdawgVA saw the content potential and have helped popularize this title.

Getting Over It wasn’t the first platformer, but it created a format that has been improved upon in newer games that fall under the Foddian genre. Bennet Foddy pioneered an era of gaming, whether he intended to or not, and complex puzzle platforming games are better for it.

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The Rise of Jump King

Jump King is a title that transcends the Foddian game genre. You may have heard about the game thanks to its tendency to be played live on Twitch streams. Speedrunners are especially fond of the small series of Jump King games.

The player starts at the bottom of a tall path, at the pinnacle of which stands a majestic babe. Evidently, the goal of the game is for the player to jump from platform to platform all the way to the top.

Jump King is an excellent game for content creation because it is easy to gauge a player’s progress, making it easier for viewers to follow along. It is also relatively easy to run and could offset how much a streamer needs tooptimize their game streams using OBS .

Almost every popular streamer and YouTuber you can think of has played Jump King to some extent, indirectly marketing the game to their viewers. As such, it didn’t take long for a community to spawn around this game, and it remains one of the most played in its genre.

Foddian Games and Content Creation

Streaming goes beyond just playing a game. Streamers understand that they need to engage their chat as much as possible to keep interest high. Fortunately, Foddian games are the perfect gateway for viewer engagement.

A player still needs to focus on the game, especially when speedrunning it. However, the punishment for responding to chat is not so severe as to ruin your game. In other titles, like shooters or racers, you may end up dying to an opponent or losing a race if you are distracted.

Ultimately, Foddian games area great way to interact with your subscribers and let your personality shine. Some popular creators who have tried this include Ludwig, CdawgVA, Apharad, and Ironmouse. What’s more, there’s a high chance that your favorite creator has played some popular Foddian titles like Getting Over It, Pogostuck, Only Up!, or Jump King.

The Evolution of Foddian Games

Getting Over It created an exciting format that other game developers have explored to varying extents. A few other games fall into this genre, but only a couple have left a mark on the community.

For instance, Pogostuck was the next big release after Bennet Foddy’s original title. The game was released with different movement mechanics and overall design. However, it was just as difficult, if not more so.

Many Foddian games are 2D, but the genre isn’t limited to that representation. A great example of this is Only Up!—this game captures the ambiance of the Foddian genre in a 3D format. As such, it can be incredibly challenging but satisfying.

Only Up! has become popular enough to dominate the viewership on Twitch for concurrent weeks. And while the hype is not the same as it was during release, many people still actively play the title.

Foddian Games: Difficult but Rewarding Platforming

There is a gradual shift in the type of video game content enjoyed live on stream or alone on a slow Saturday afternoon.

While Foddian games are simple in design, the execution is magnificently intricate. They present a fun challenge for players, one you can ride all the way to victory at the top of the map.

FAQ

Q: What Games Are Similar to Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy?

Within the genre of Foddian games, numerous titles emulate the addicting frustration of games like Getting Over With Bennett Foddy. Of these games, titles like QWOP, an aggravating sprinting game in which you need to order every limb of your runner to move, or the classic browser game Happy Wheels, are some of the most popular Foddian-like games. That said, tons ofdifficult browser games also provide a similar Foddian experience.

Q: How Long Is Only Up!?

A popular Foddian game, Only Up! takes around 40 to 120 minutes to complete. However, because of the game’s difficulty, it will more than likely take quite a lot longer than the listed competition time, especially due to a lack of checkpoints. Because of this, you may be looking at a completion time of around four to five hours depending on your skill level.

Q: Who Popularized the Only Up! Game?

While Only Up! was popularized by streaming communities, if you’re wondering which streamer first brought the game to a larger audience, KaiCenet first played Only Up! on the ninth of June 2023, to an audience of 55.8 thousand viewers. From this point on, the popularity of Only Up!, much like other Foddian games, grew exponentially within gaming communities.