Remember Human: Fall Flat? Turns out over 40 million humans paid up

A clip showing a Human Fall Flat avatar crashing into a wall.
(Image credit: GhostShark Games)

Wibbly-wobbly platformer Human: Fall Flat came out in 2016, and its blend of funky physics, dreamlike floating worlds, and multiplayer support saw it quickly find an audience. Those that like this game love it, and it's a much more freeform and relaxing experience than some of the obvious comparisons one might make (such as Fall Guys).

I played it years ago and liked it well enough, but a new press release from publisher Curve had my jaw dropping. This game was on my radar as a 'neat indie platformer' but over the seven years since release Human: Fall Flat has shipped more than 40 million copies worldwide. This is a paid game that usually retails at around $20 across various storefronts, and not on any streaming service I can see, so even allowing for regular sale discounts that's a lot of jellybeans. By which I mean cash.

"What makes Human: Fall Flat so great is our community," said Tomas Sakalauskas, Human: Fall Flat's creator and CEO / founder of No Brakes Games. "We really appreciate all the support of the fans and are astounded that we have over 40 million people experiencing our game around the world."

"When Curve first met with No Brakes Games, we knew that Human: Fall Flat was something special," said Curve Games COO Gary Rowe, "but we have been astonished by the enthusiasm and passion from the fans over the years who continue to support the game with their quirky new level ideas. We are extremely proud of everyone involved."

One of the reasons for this ongoing success may be the reliable cadence of post-release content added to the game for free, and the sales figures come hot on the heels of the latest addition, the Copper World, which adds an industrialised environment filled with massive machinery, various deathly traps, and what the developers call some of the game's most challenging content yet. Human: Fall Flat has done anything but.

Rich Stanton

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."