Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: The knee hop
• Method 2 of 2: Run for real
• Tips

QWOP is a very tricky online game. The goal is to run 100 meters with a professional athlete. But there is a catch. You have to control your leg muscles separately. There are two methods to succeed in QWOP. The "knee hop" method is much easier. But if you want to brag about your talents, you really have to learn to run and play the game the way the creator intended.

To step

Method 1 of 2: The knee hop

1. Hold down W to split. Press W at the start of the race and hold the button to tighten your left thigh. One leg now shoots forward, while the other remains behind. Drop your athlete until he is balanced, leaning on his foot in the front and his knee in the back.
   • When you've landed past 5 feet, it's time for champagne.
2. Tap W to scroll forward. If your front leg is not fully extended, you can tap W to advance a few more fractions of a meter. If your athlete stops progressing, continue to the next step.
   • Forget that you can also get up. Getting up is a myth that only children believe in.
3. Tap Q to bring your back leg forward a little. Do not hold the button for too long or you will fall backwards. Tap it lightly to bring your back knee up, until it's just behind your butt.
   • If you are more than 10 seconds in the game, Usain Bolt has already won the match. But don't worry.
4. Tap W. repeatedly Now that your back leg is further forward, you have more room to slide forward. You can now tap W multiple times, bumping forward on your back knee, or at least slowly dragging it forward. Stop tapping when your front leg is all the way forward, or when you stop moving forward.
   • If you wonder why you don't see supporters in the background; that's because they all walked home. On their legs.
5. Alternate Q and W. Keep doing this knee hop and you will slide forward slowly, with little risk of falling. You can make it to the finish line by quickly alternating between the two buttons, but you'll go faster (and possibly avoid tendonitis) if you take bigger steps. Tap Q to move your knee forward, then tap W several times to move forward. Repeat this until you reach the hurdle.
   • QWOP is too easy. We don't even need those O and P.
6. Wait, there is a hurdle? Yes, there is a hurdle at 50 meters. It is possible to stay in the split, knock over the hurdle and push it over the finish line. You move even more slowly than before, but the alternative - stepping over it - is risky. If you do want to step over the hurdle (after knocking it over first), you need to get on your front foot with O. If your front calf is slightly forward or vertical, press Q and W. This is very difficult to achieve without falling over.
   • Once you get past the hurdle, you do deserve a moment's rest from sarcastic commentary. Congratulations and good luck with winning your 100m prize.

Method 2 of 2: Run for real

1. Understand the movements. Practice can give you a feel for the controls, but it can take a long time to click. This is a simple explanation of what the buttons do exactly:
   • Q moves the right thigh forward and the left thigh backward.
   • W moves the left thigh forward and the right thigh backward.
   • O bends the right knee and straightens the left knee.
   • P flexes the left knee and straightens the right knee.
2. Practice long keystrokes. What beginners sometimes don't realize is that you keep the muscles tense when you hold down a key. With a short tap on a key, you tighten a muscle for a moment and immediately relax it again, making your movements cramping. For consistent and powerful steps, you need to hold the keys for at least a second.
3. Press W and O to push off with your right foot. Hold down the keys and your athlete will move forward. Think of this as one move: pushing off with your right leg.
   • As your right leg pushes off, your left knee bends. With good timing, you will now lift your left foot off the ground.
4. Press Q and P to push off with your left foot. Just before your left foot (in front) hits the ground, release W and O while simultaneously pressing and holding Q and P. With this, you push off with your left foot, lift your right knee and put your right foot forward.
5. Alternate between WO and QP. Always keep your attention on the front leg. Just before that foot hits the ground, let go of the keys you are holding and press the other two. This puts your athlete in a slow but balanced rhythm. The next foot should come forward each time the athlete leans back, and then fall forward a bit further down the course.
   • You can also look at the athlete's front thigh. When it is parallel to the ground, it is time to switch keys.
6. Speed ​​up your stride. If you don't want to take that long to get to the finish line, you'll have to get faster. Try not to hold the keys down until your next step, but only for half or a quarter of a second. Then release them. Press the following keys as your front foot begins to drop. You move faster, but you also make a mistake much faster, which can cause you to fall over.
   • If you do this correctly, your upper body will remain vertical. The front foot hits the ground directly below your torso. If your foot hits the ground behind your torso, you're pressing the keys too late.
7. Correct mistakes. If you lean back too much you will slow down, but with a little practice you can easily get out of this. Press the thigh button slightly earlier than the calf button on the next following pair of keys. For example, instead of Q + P, you press Q first, wait a split second, then press P, then release both keys.
   • Leaning forward is very difficult to correct because it usually causes you to fall over quickly. You can try pushing off hard with your back leg (repeating the same pair of keys) and pulling your front calf up to cushion yourself.
8. Stand up. If you accidentally get into a split, you can get up again like this:
   • With your front leg straight, tap the front calf button until your calf is roughly vertical.
   • Now tap the button on the back thigh until it is vertically below your upper body.
   • Tap the button on your front calf until your back foot is just off the ground. Then take off with that foot. (In other words, press p-p-p-W + O if your left foot is in front, or o-o-o-Q + P if your right foot is in front.)
9. Break through the hurdle. The hurdle on the 50 meters is not as scary as it seems, as long as you don't really try to jump over it. Just stick to your running stride and if all goes well, you will automatically knock over the hurdle. You will sometimes need one of the corrections above, but with a little practice you will learn how to recover smoothly. After that, there is nothing in the way between you and the finish line.
10. Keep practicing. Most people don't make it to the finish line, even if they've mastered the run. It takes many tries and usually hours of practice. Good luck!

Tips

• On mobile devices, you control QWOP with two diamond-shaped "buttons" - one for each leg. Most people find this control easier than a keyboard (but still difficult). An easy way to succeed is to always keep one finger at the top of the window and the other at the bottom. Quickly slide your fingers to this position to push off, switching positions each time you begin to descend.