(I Had to Try It Once I Read the Review on Polygon)
Let me start by saying this: I’ve played some frustrating games in my time. From brutal roguelikes to those puzzles that make you feel like you’re solving algebra with a crayon. But then I read a review on Polygon about Pushing It! With Sisyphus, and curiosity got the better of me. Polygon’s description of this torturous yet oddly exhilarating game had me questioning my sanity, so naturally, I had to see what it was all about.
Sisyphus, But Make It a Video Game?
You’d think someone in Greek mythology who’s cursed to push a boulder up a hill for eternity would be the last thing we’d want to experience. But here we are, with a game that literally lets you embody the guy. The premise is deceptively simple: you push a boulder up an endless hill. But, as I quickly discovered, much like the myth, simplicity is a lie. This game is an exercise in existential agony.
The mechanics are straightforward – move your little Sisyphus dude, grab the boulder, and push. But good luck keeping that thing steady. The moment you think you’ve mastered it, a slight miscalculation will send your boulder careening back down the hill, taking your hopes and dreams with it.
Why? Just Why?
As I progressed (or regressed, depending on how you see it), the same question haunted me: Why am I still playing this? Camus’ quote from The Myth of Sisyphus kept floating in my mind: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” In this game, though? That guy is not happy. You won’t be either, after you’ve watched your boulder roll down for the fiftieth time. But, like a moth to a flame, I kept at it, gritting my teeth and determined to beat this metaphorical mountain.
The experience has the same vibe as games like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy. You’ll yell. You’ll probably throw something. And then, just when you think you’re going to rage quit for good, the game lures you back in with a sick sense of accomplishment – or maybe that’s just the delirium talking.
The Art of Torture
What makes Pushing It! With Sisyphus so unique (read: maddening) is its embrace of absurdity. Much like the myth, the journey isn’t about reaching the top. It’s about accepting that you probably never will – and somehow being okay with it. The game’s minimalist art and hauntingly calm soundtrack only add to the sensation that you’re trapped in your own personal purgatory.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel some kind of twisted camaraderie with Sisyphus. The hill and the boulder become personal. That stone is your stone, and you will not let it win. You’ll curse the physics, the slope, and the gods themselves, but you won’t stop pushing. The game’s genius lies in this unbreakable loop – it becomes less about beating the game and more about surviving its emotional gauntlet.
The Final Roll
Pushing It! With Sisyphus isn’t just a game. It’s a meditation on perseverance, failure, and our own masochistic tendencies when it comes to video games. You’ll wonder why you’re playing it, but you’ll also feel a weird sense of pride once you’ve pushed that boulder just an inch further than last time.
If you’re looking for a challenge that’ll test your patience and existential resilience, this game’s got you covered. But fair warning: you may end up imagining Sisyphus happy, just so you don’t lose your mind.
