Life as an adult is hard. You’re tired all the time, and there’s always a mounting list of tasks to do. Isn’t it exhausting? Silly physics game Exhausted Man asks that same question, as you control a worm-like man who’s extremely tired, and extremely over everything.
After a number of buzz-worthy previews for the game, developer Candleman has confirmed Exhausted Man will finally limp to PC and consoles on 25 July 2024.
When the game launches, players can expect an “absurd” sim all about the exhausting nature of the modern world. The titular exhausted man, protagonist of the game, is so tired he crawls everywhere. Players control his limp body as he takes his day horizontally – sometimes crawling along the ground, and other times up and around walls, like a bug.
In a new blog, Gao Ming, co-founder of Candleman Games, explained the inspiration for the game came from a simple concept: “people running out of energy.” The bones for Exhausted Man were created during a 48-hour game jam, and then refined over time.
“I decided to make a game with this exhausted character – so he couldn’t just stay slumped on the couch, he needed to move,” Ming told PlayStation Blog. “We’re all familiar with how our bodies feel when we’re extremely tired, standing up was not an option, so I made him crawl on the floor … I tested the crawling manoeuvre on the ground in real life and it hurt all over. But since people liked it, I kept it.”
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There’s shades of Octodad and Heavenly Bodies in the physics of Exhausted Man, but it differentiates itself with a lovely, worm-like movement style that adds comedy to its many challenges. And beyond comedy, there’s such a raw sense of relatability in Exhausted Man. Who amongst us hasn’t felt that same bone-tiredness, or the desire to be horizontal on a long-term basis?
We all deserve to get flat every one in a while.
For those keen to learn more about Exhausted Man, there’s not long to go before the game releases. As detailed, it’s set to release for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on 25 July 2024.
