Manual Samuel [for PC & Mac]

What Does Manual Samuel Do?

Manual Samuel is a 2D adventure game that centers on a unique physiological control mechanic. After a fatal encounter and a subsequent deal with Death, the protagonist, Samuel, must survive for 24 hours by manually managing his bodily functions. Players are tasked with coordinating actions that are typically automated in gaming, such as breathing, blinking, and maintaining posture, while simultaneously navigating complex scenarios like driving and workplace tasks.

The game features several distinct technical and gameplay elements:

• Control Mechanics: Players must toggle individual buttons to perform basic movements, creating a high-dexterity challenge.
• Local Co-op: A cooperative mode allows two players to share control over Samuel’s body, splitting the manual responsibilities.
• Time-Attack Mode: A dedicated setting for players to test their speed and precision across the game's levels.
• Visuals and Audio: The title uses hand-drawn 2D animation and includes a soundtrack by Sondre Jensen and Ozan Drøsdal, supported by over 600 lines of recorded dialogue.

The narrative follows Samuel’s attempt at redemption through a series of physics-based puzzles and scripted events. With Death acting as a constant companion and source of environmental complications, players must master the character’s physical movements to progress through the story. This giveaway provides the complete experience, including all secrets and challenge modes.

Top 5 Reasons To Download Manual Samuel

1. Unprecedented Gameplay Mechanics: The "Manual" gimmick isn't just a label; it is a complete reimagining of how we interact with a digital character, forcing you to manage every individual breath, blink, and step.
2. A Comedic Masterpiece: From the witty narration to the absurdity of Samuel’s predicament, the game is packed with over 600 lines of expertly delivered dialogue that will keep you laughing through the frustration.
3. Stunning Hand-Drawn Aesthetics: The 2D art style is vibrant, unique, and full of personality, making every frame of Samuel’s awkward movements look like a high-quality animated feature.
4. The Ultimate "Friendship Test" Co-op: Sharing control of a single body with a friend creates a chaotic, hilarious, and genuinely challenging local multiplayer experience unlike anything else in the adventure genre.
5. High Stakes and High Replayability: Between the brutal time-attack modes and the hidden secrets scattered throughout Samuel’s 24-hour journey, there is plenty of depth to keep you coming back long after the credits roll.

Let’s be honest for a second: most games today treat the basic act of "being alive" as a given. You press forward on an analog stick, and your character walks. You don't think about their lungs expanding; you don't think about their eyelids moisturizing their corneas; you certainly don't think about the coordination required to keep their spine from collapsing into a heap of wealthy, spoiled limbs. But Manual Samuel is not "most games." This is a title that takes everything you know about character control and throws it out the window, replacing it with a hilarious, stressful, and deeply rewarding manual interface. If you have the chance to grab this through a giveaway, you shouldn't just walk to your computer—you should manually coordinate every muscle in your legs to sprint there. Here is why this game deserves a permanent spot in your library.

1. Unprecedented Gameplay Mechanics

The core hook of Manual Samuel is something you truly have to experience to believe. After a fatal accident involving a coffee truck and a distinct lack of situational awareness, our protagonist, Samuel, finds himself in the underworld. He makes a deal with Death (who, in this universe, is a kickflip-loving, hoodie-wearing skater) to get another shot at life. The catch? He has to survive for 24 hours while manually controlling every single bodily function. When we say "every," we mean every.

In most games, the "difficulty" comes from the enemies you face. In Manual Samuel, the difficulty comes from the simple act of existing. You have to press buttons to inhale and exhale. If you forget, Sam’s face turns a worrying shade of blue and he eventually passes out. You have to press a button to blink, or the screen gradually blurs until you can't see the world around you. Walking isn't just "holding up"; it’s a rhythmic alternation of triggers to move the left and right legs. Lean too far forward or back without correcting Sam’s posture, and he’ll do a face-plant that would make a toddler look graceful. This creates a gameplay loop that is simultaneously stressful and incredibly engaging. It turns mundane tasks—like brushing your teeth, driving a car, or even just standing still—into high-stakes puzzles. This mechanical depth is a breath of fresh air (pun intended) in an industry often dominated by standardized control schemes.

2. A Comedic Masterpiece

Comedy in video games is notoriously difficult to pull off. What works in a movie doesn't always translate when the player is the one in control. However, Manual Samuel nails the landing by leaning into the inherent slapstick comedy of its premise. There is something fundamentally funny about watching a grown man struggle to use a toilet or accidentally kick a boss because the player got their leg triggers confused. The game understands this and heightens the humor through its writing and voice acting.

The story of love, redemption, and "deep feces" is narrated with a dry, cynical wit that comments on your failures and successes in real-time. With over 600 lines of dialogue, the game feels alive and reactive. The voice actors deliver their lines with a level of "eloquence" (as the features list claims) that makes even the most absurd situations feel grounded in their own weird reality. Death himself is a standout character, serving as both your tormentor and your unlikely companion. His dialogue is sharp, his personality is infectious, and his presence adds a layer of "cool" to the otherwise pathetic struggles of Samuel. If you appreciate dark humor and physical comedy, this game is a goldmine.

3. Stunning Hand-Drawn Aesthetics

In an era where many indie games default to pixel art to save on costs, Manual Samuel stands out with its gorgeous, hand-drawn 2D animation. The art style feels like a high-end Saturday morning cartoon, but with a slightly twisted, modern edge. Every animation frame has been carefully crafted to convey Samuel’s awkwardness. You can see the strain in his face when he’s holding his breath, the wobble in his knees when he’s about to fall, and the sheer terror in his eyes when things go wrong.

The visual flair extends to the environments as well. From the sleek, minimalist design of Samuel’s rich-kid apartment to the grime of his workplace and the surreal landscapes of the underworld, the world feels cohesive and vibrant. This visual excellence is paired with a "scintillating" soundtrack by Sondre Jensen and Ozan Drøsdal. The music perfectly complements the on-screen action, ramping up the tension during frantic sequences and providing a jaunty, ironic backdrop to Samuel’s more pathetic moments. It’s a total sensory package that proves you don’t need a multi-billion dollar budget to create a game that looks and sounds professional.

4. The Ultimate "Friendship Test" Co-op

While playing Manual Samuel solo is a fantastic experience, playing it in local co-op is where the game truly ascends to legendary status. In co-op mode, you and a friend share control of Samuel’s single body. This means one person might be responsible for the legs and blinking, while the other handles the arms and breathing. If you thought managing one body by yourself was hard, try coordinating it with another human being who may or may not have the same rhythm as you.

This mode turns the game into a social experiment. Communication becomes vital. You’ll find yourself shouting "Breathe!" or "Left leg!" at your friend while you both struggle to perform basic tasks. It leads to moments of pure, unadulterated chaos that are perfect for a game night. It’s the kind of cooperative play that can either solidify a friendship through shared triumph or lead to a heated argument over who forgot to blink. It’s a bold design choice that differentiates Manual Samuel from other co-op titles that simply give each player their own character to control. Here, you are two halves of a very broken whole.

5. High Stakes and High Replayability

You might think a game about manual control would be a "one and done" experience, but the developers have packed in plenty of reasons to keep playing. The story itself is filled with secrets and hidden details that are easy to miss on a first pass. Because you’re often so focused on just staying upright, you might overlook the subtle environmental storytelling or the hidden jokes tucked away in the backgrounds.

Beyond the narrative, there is the "brutal" time-attack mode. Once you’ve mastered the art of manual existence, the game challenges you to do it fast. Speedrunning a game where you have to manually breathe is an exercise in extreme focus and dexterity. It transforms the game from a comedy-adventure into a high-skill technical challenge. For completionists and trophy hunters, these modes offer hours of additional gameplay. The satisfaction of finally clearing a level perfectly—without tripping, suffocating, or going blind—is a rush that few other games can provide. It’s a testament to the game's design that even its most frustrating moments feel fair; when you fail, it’s usually because you forgot to exhale, not because the game cheated you.

In conclusion, Manual Samuel is a rare gem in the gaming world. It takes a seemingly impossible premise and turns it into a cohesive, hilarious, and visually stunning adventure. It challenges your coordination, your patience, and your funny bone all at once. Whether you’re playing it for the story of Samuel’s redemption, the challenge of the time-attacks, or the sheer madness of the co-op mode, there is something here for every type of gamer. This isn't just a game you download because it's part of a giveaway; it’s a game you download because it represents the kind of creative risk-taking that makes the indie scene so vital. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Manually move your finger to that download button, remember to blink, and prepare yourself for one of the weirdest and most wonderful 24 hours of your digital life. You might end up in some "deep feces," but trust me, you'll be laughing the whole time you're there.

By the time you reach the end of Samuel's journey, you'll have a new appreciation for your own nervous system. You'll realize that being a human is actually quite difficult, and that doing it with a skater-dude version of Death hanging around is even harder. Manual Samuel is a reminder that games can be more than just power fantasies; they can be hilarious, humbling, and heart-pounding struggles for survival. Download it today and see if you have what it takes to keep Sam standing—one manual breath at a time.