Samuel Welthenburg Jr. is a rich daddy’s boy who has never worked a day in his life. That changes fast in Manual Samuel, a side-scrolling adventure from Perfectly Paranormal, published by Curve Digital. After a septic tank truck sends him to Hell, he has to live manually for 24 hours to keep his life — breathe, blink, walk, and simply exist. The game pairs the awkward controls of QWOP with the humor of Monkey Island. It is a comedy-adventure built around controlling every bodily function.
Trailer, via Curve Games.
The Manual Control System
The core idea is simple: every action is broken down into individual commands. Walking takes alternating button presses for each foot. Blinking requires a separate key. Eating food involves moving a mouth over it. The system is clever, and it works best in short bursts. Extended play reveals the limits of its design.
The Day In Question
Sam’s task is to survive a normal day doing everything himself. That includes walking to work, eating lunch, and dealing with a disaster at his father’s company. Death, a skateboard-loving resident of Hell, agrees to let Sam return to life if he can complete the day manually. The catch: Death accidentally triggers a robot uprising at Sam Sr.’s firm.
Robots And A Robotic Suit
To stop the robots, Death forces Sam to pilot a massive manually controlled robotic suit. Players control each joint individually, which adds a layer of difficulty on top of the usual bodily functions. The chase leads to Mushroom Orphanage, where the robot tricks Sam’s heat-seeking missiles into firing on the building, killing 300 innocent orphans and sending their souls to Heaven.
Death’s Deal Falls Apart
Death’s deal falls apart when Sam technically dies during the robot attack. Since he has already died, the terms of the agreement are no longer binding. Death ends up in Hell’s jail, and the horseman War takes his place. Without Death’s deal in effect, Sam cannot pay the gatekeeper’s toll to get a job and enter Hell.
Escape From Hell Jail
Trapped together in Hell jail, Death hatches a plan. He cuts open a demon guard’s body and lets Sam control it from the inside. The pair slaughter several guards before facing Satan directly. A sword fight with Satan nearly goes badly until Death performs a kickflip for the first time in his existence, distracting Satan long enough for them to escape.
Comedy And Tone
The humor draws on skateboarding culture, including the kickflip moment. It is a comedy-adventure aimed at a general audience, minus grandma and the kids.
How It Compares To Its Influences
| Game | Focus | Control Style |
|---|---|---|
| QWOP | Running | Individual leg movements |
| Monkey Island | Adventure | Point-and-click puzzles |
| Manual Samuel | Survival | Individual bodily functions |
The game borrows from both, but its own identity rests on the manual control scheme.
What Works
- The concept is original and well executed in short sessions
- The animation is expressive and funny
- The story moves quickly between set pieces
- The kickflip sequence is a highlight
What Doesn’t Work
- Controls become tiresome over long periods
- Some sequences feel repetitive
- Difficulty spikes occasionally frustrate rather than entertain
- The pace slows during extended stretches
Final Word
Manual Samuel is a game with a great idea and a weaker execution. The manual control scheme is clever, but the game does not sustain itself across its full runtime. It is a solid, sometimes funny adventure that works best in short bursts rather than as a marathon. For those who enjoy quirky, hand-drawn adventures, it holds some appeal. For everyone else, the novelty wears thin quickly.
The game is available on PS4, Linux, PC and PS5.
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