10 Incredible Games With Only ONE Mechanic
1. Sledgehammer Climbing (Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy)
Video games offer players a variety of enjoyable feelings, such as power fantasies, a taste of romance, or a quick giggle. However, some games out there instead seek to test your patience, break you, and leave you in a pool of your own tears. If you spent any time on the internet in the late 2010s, you know that Getting Over It is one such game.
What's most impressive, of course, is that it destroys your mind with just one mechanic.
For the uninitiated, Getting Over It is a surreal game where you play a naked man in a cauldron climbing using only a sledgehammer. At the same time, the titular creator, Bennett Foddy, talks to you about philosophy, work ethic, and more. The one mechanic revolves around using a mouse or trackpad to move the sledgehammer and climb the various obstacles before you.
What makes this game so special isn't the immense challenge; it's the catharsis it makes you feel. Much like Sisyphus, those who focus only on the end goal will be disappointed, but slowly learning to enjoy the struggle is part of the game's learning curve.