# Let's play QWOP! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 17, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495 "2010-12-17T10:01:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/1 "2010-12-17T10:01:39Z")
[QWOP](http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html) You are the product of an under-funded athletics training program, how far into the 100m can you get? My record is a measly and poorly-coordinated 2.5m :o ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/2 "2010-12-17T10:05:01Z")
There’s a hurdle at 50m. I got to it once, then just kinda collapsed in despair… ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/3 "2010-12-17T10:16:38Z")
I hope you can pass the hurdle by somersaulting backwards onto your face because that seems to be my go-to move. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/4 "2010-12-17T11:33:47Z")
I considered it a major achievement when I finally figured out how to face plant in a way that looked marginally anatomically plausible… ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/5 "2010-12-17T16:04:17Z")
My record is -.3. Then I gave up on the game. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/6 "2010-12-17T16:10:39Z")
Yeah, that just becomes zero fun after a while (like, 45 seconds). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/7 "2010-12-17T21:34:04Z")
49.2 before smashing into the hurdle. However, that was probably the most comfortable part of the race for poor Qwop. I got him that far by repeatedly alternating between Q and W, with no O or P at all. The end result was he would push off with his foot and then smash his knee into the ground, repeat several hundred times. How his knee wasn’t a bloody, mangled mess by the time he got to the hurdle I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/8 "2010-12-18T00:24:20Z")
I only got to about 15 getting into a Russian hat dance rhythm, then I gave up. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/9 "2010-12-22T20:50:44Z")
I can get to the hurdle with a sploit I figured out. Playing legitimately, I’ve made it to 18.2. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/10 "2010-12-22T21:30:06Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I can get to the hurdle with a sploit I figured out. Playing legitimately, I’ve made it to 18.2. You made him wear Vibrams? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/11 "2010-12-22T22:10:23Z")
Haha, no. Qwop is from a poor country with an under-funded track program. They can’t afford Vibrams. ---
**Author:** ![alaham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@alaham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaham)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/12 "2010-12-22T22:34:04Z")
Using the QW-only method where you basically bounce painfully along on one knee, I eventually got all the way to the end. I had to push the hurdle along for 15m before getting bored and using some very careful Os and Ps to get over it. I also managed 17m of fairly legitimate running, after I discovered that holding down keys rather than tapping them produces a sustained movement. Start with holding down WO very briefly just to get his leg moving forward, then as his foot approaches the ground hold down QP to push off from that foot. There’s a fine line between holding down too long and too briefly. Sometimes another tap of QP is necessary to keep his momentum going forward. Then alternate between holding down QP and holding down WO, always starting each press just as his foot approaches the ground. When you hit the right rhythm you can sustain a relatively graceful gazelle-like run for quite a while. Wow, I have too much time on my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/13 "2010-12-23T03:48:35Z")
> [@alaham](#): > > Using the QW-only method where you basically bounce painfully along on one knee, I eventually got all the way to the end. I had to push the hurdle along for 15m before getting bored and using some very careful Os and Ps to get over it. > > I also managed 17m of fairly legitimate running, after I discovered that holding down keys rather than tapping them produces a sustained movement. Start with holding down WO very briefly just to get his leg moving forward, then as his foot approaches the ground hold down QP to push off from that foot. There’s a fine line between holding down too long and too briefly. Sometimes another tap of QP is necessary to keep his momentum going forward. Then alternate between holding down QP and holding down WO, always starting each press just as his foot approaches the ground. When you hit the right rhythm you can sustain a relatively graceful gazelle-like run for quite a while. > Wow, I have too much time on my hands. Under normal circumstances, I would maintain an aloof stance on this issue, given my somewhat snotty dismissal above… But no. I have to say, this is impressive, 'cuz I couldn’t get poor QWOP to do shit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/14 "2010-12-23T23:19:44Z")
37.2m, legit running. Fell down when I turned around to tell a co-worker I was on a tear. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/15 "2010-12-24T05:18:04Z")
I found the Wall. You know, the one that is 3 meters or so behind you. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/16 "2010-12-24T05:38:49Z")
I got to seven meters with one of his knees dragging on the ground and the other leg fully extended and dragging him forward. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/17 "2010-12-25T00:55:54Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > I found the Wall. > > You know, the one that is 3 meters or so behind you. I was rather happy when I made it to -1.9m (my best yet). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/18 "2011-03-19T18:33:38Z")
I know this thread is getting a little long in the tooth, but [this](http://sports.failblog.org/2011/03/19/funny-sports-pictures-qwop/) made me laugh my ass off. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/19 "2011-03-19T18:41:54Z")
Does it require any updated software like flash or something? Because it’s not working on FF or Chrome for me. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495/20 "2011-03-19T19:07:04Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > I know this thread is getting a little long in the tooth, but [this](http://sports.failblog.org/2011/03/19/funny-sports-pictures-qwop/) made me laugh my ass off. Invisible hurdles? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-qwop/564495.md?page=2)