To say that QWOP is a difficult game is a major understatement, having played it know a handful of times over my life since my early years, the hellish challenge remains ever so elusive to complete. Until you put a lot of time and practice in it will be an accomplishment to even end with positive yardage. More often than not you will be falling backward and hitting your head elbow or knee on the ground. Using only the QWOP keys to move the player sprite, each key pertaining to a different muscle group of the legs, a rhythm quickly forms through trial and error. But even as the player gets used to the repetitive nature, the ragdoll effects of the game still make it very difficult to maintain balance causing constant failure.
The game is built to have you constantly fail, as you continue to refresh with each subsequent fall, the further you go the higher the stakes, testing the tolerance of players given the luck and quick movements it takes to get to these higher distances. Even with this immense challenge of completing 100 meters, the payoff is just as forgettable as the failure screen, presenting the player with a simple congratulation. This may seem to deter the player from actually playing the game (granted, many of them do stop) but still for some it becomes an unnerving challenge to complete one that highlights the true point of this strange gaming experience.
The act of failing is a core part of the game that makes the eventual victory that much sweeter of a reward, although there are no external validating factors in the game like sharing your score on some social media or being placed on a leaderboard there is an internal mechanism within players that adds meaning to the futile gesture. While the game lacks external recognition it provides an opportunity for the player to generate their own meaning from the experience and ultimate satisfaction over conquering an obstacle so few have had the time or given the importance to do. With each failure, the player is faced with the choice to quit or continue and through the mere choice of continuing and finishing they develop a system of value in conjunction with the game that aids in giving self legitimacy to their eventual victory.
The scathing critique of game reviews and disgruntled players only seems to have the opposite effect on the mystification of this game. Often cited for its pointlessness, the game thrives as an example of counterculture in video games, going against the basic principles that make a game fun for players. Yet it still attracts a cult following for its disruptive nature. The difficulty of this game which dissuades so many at the same time attracts a different kind of individual who seeks validation, not through external but internal means.