You’ve seen the clips. A guy in a large metal cauldron, shirtless, wielding a Yosemite hammer with the kind of grim determination usually reserved for Greek myths. He’s trying to climb a mountain of literal garbage. Chairs, pipes, giant oranges, and random architectural debris stand in his way. One wrong move—one tiny slip of the wrist—and he tumbles all the way back to the start. This is Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, or as most people call it, the man in pot game. It’s brilliant. It’s also a form of psychological torture that somehow became a global phenomenon.
Honestly, it shouldn't work. The controls are intentionally clunky. The physics are floaty. But since its release in 2017, it has carved out a permanent spot in internet culture. Why do we keep coming back to a game that hates us?
The Philosophical Sadism of Bennett Foddy
Bennett Foddy isn’t just a developer; he’s a student of human frustration. Before the man in pot game, he gave us QWOP, that legendary track-and-field sim where you control individual thighs and calves. He knows exactly how to make a player feel incompetent. In Getting Over It, the protagonist is named Diogenes. He’s stuck in a pot. He can’t walk. He can only use his hammer to hook, push, and heave himself upward.
Foddy narrates the experience. As you fall—and you will fall—his calm, academic voice pipes in to quote Emily Dickinson or talk about the nature of frustration. It’s incredibly smug. It feels like someone explaining the "benefits of failure" while you’re watching two hours of progress vanish in three seconds. That’s the point. Foddy explicitly stated in the game’s description that he made this for a "certain kind of person. To hurt them."
It’s a commentary on the "B-games" of the past, like Sexy Hiking by Jazzuo. These were janky, difficult games that didn't care about the player’s feelings. Modern gaming often holds your hand with checkpoints and "easy" modes. The man in pot game does the opposite. It strips away the safety net. You lose because you messed up, and the game doesn't apologize for it.
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Why Streamers Made This Game a Legend
You can’t talk about this game without talking about Twitch and YouTube. In 2017 and 2018, it was everywhere. Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and PewDiePie all had their "Getting Over It" phase. Watching a grown adult have a total meltdown because a digital hammer didn't catch on a rock is top-tier entertainment.
There’s something universal about the "Orange" or "The Devil’s Chimney." These are specific obstacles in the game that have become infamous. The Chimney is a vertical shaft that requires precise, rhythmic movements. Most players get stuck there for hours. If you mess up the top, you slide all the way back down to the bottom of the shaft. It’s a perfect loop of misery.
But for speedrunners? It’s a ballet.
While a normal person might take 15 hours to beat the man in pot game, the world records are now under two minutes. Speedrunners like Blast0id or C60 have turned these frustrating physics into a high-speed art form. They don't just climb; they fly. They use "pogo" jumps—hitting the hammer against the ground to launch Diogenes into the air—with surgical precision. This contrast between the struggling amateur and the god-like runner is what keeps the game relevant. It proves that the "jank" is actually a high-skill ceiling.
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The Physicality of the Hammer
Most games use buttons. Here, your mouse is the hammer. The sensitivity matters. If you move your mouse in a circle, the hammer moves in a circle. There is no "attack" or "jump" button. This direct 1:1 input creates a weirdly intimate connection between the player and the pot man. When you slip, you feel like it was your hand that failed, not the character.
The physics are based on momentum and friction. The pot is heavy. The hammer is long. If you catch the tip of the hammer on a ledge, you have to find the right angle to pull yourself up without launching yourself backward. It’s counterintuitive. Most people try to play it like a platformer, but it’s more like rock climbing. You have to find your grip and shift your weight.
Key Obstacles That Break Players
- The Devil’s Chimney: The first major skill check. It requires small, controlled movements.
- The Orange: A giant piece of fruit on a slope. It’s slippery and cruel.
- The Furniture Land: A chaotic mess of tables and chairs where the hammer constantly gets stuck.
- The Bucket: Near the very end. A moving target that can send you back to the very beginning of the game.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
People think the goal is just to reach the top. Well, it is, but the reward isn't what you'd expect. There are no fancy credits or a "You Win" screen in the traditional sense. When you reach the summit and launch into space, you are granted access to a secret. Foddy provides a link or a chatroom that is only accessible to those who have finished. It’s a private space for survivors.
The game asks you: why do we value things? If a game is easy, does the victory mean anything? By making the man in pot game so absurdly punishing, the moment you finally clear it feels genuinely earned. It’s a digital pilgrimage.
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The Legacy of Frustrating Games
Since Getting Over It, we’ve seen a surge in "foddylikes." Games like Golfing Over It with Alva Majo or Jump King follow the same DNA. They are vertical, they lack checkpoints, and they rely on physics-based movement. Even Only Up!—the viral hit from a couple of years ago—is basically a 3D version of the man in pot game.
But Foddy’s original remains the gold standard because of the atmosphere. The music—soft jazz and old blues tracks—clashes perfectly with the internal screaming of the player. The random assets, which Foddy describes as "trash" found on the internet, create a surreal, dreamlike world. It feels like you’re climbing through a graveyard of digital culture.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you’re brave (or foolish) enough to start your journey with Diogenes today, keep these things in mind.
- Lower your mouse sensitivity. Most beginners have it way too high. You need precision, not speed. Small circles are better than big swings.
- Don't "grab" the ledges. Instead, try to hook them and then slowly move your mouse down to lever yourself up.
- Embrace the "Pogo." If you're stuck on a flat surface and need height, push the hammer directly down into the ground. It’s the only way to get verticality without a hook.
- Listen to the narrator. It sounds like he’s mocking you, but he’s actually giving you the philosophy you need to stay sane. The game is a lesson in "letting go" of progress.
- Take breaks. The "pot man rage" is real. Your muscles will tense up, and your movements will become jerky. If you can’t clear a section after 20 minutes, walk away. Your brain needs to process the muscle memory.
The man in pot game isn't about the mountain. It's about your reaction to falling off it. Whether you reach the stars or end up throwing your mouse across the room, the experience is something you won't forget. Just remember: it's only a game. Probably.