Oily Man

About

Oily Man is a mobile platformer where you guide a slippery protagonist through treacherous paths using simple swipe controls. The goal is straightforward but tough: keep him moving in the right direction without falling off or hitting traps. Momentum builds with each swipe, making tight control essential as the challenges grow more chaotic. With no blood or violent themes, it focuses on pure reflexes and timing. The difficulty ramps up fast, testing players with increasingly wild obstacles that demand split-second decisions. Based on Malay folklore, the game’s quirky premise adds charm to its punishing gameplay. Its bright visuals and minimalist design make the chaos easier to parse, though the learning curve is steep. Community chatter often highlights how easy it is to lose track of time while chasing higher scores. While the lack of online leaderboards might feel dated, the local multiplayer challenge of beating friends’ times keeps it replayable. Released in 2017, it still shows up in "hardest games ever" lists, which says something about its lasting grudge against players.

Storyline

Oily Man derives from the idea of Orang Minyak, from one of the Malay ghost myths, which is also very similar to the Grease devil in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). His body is covered in oil to make it harder to be caught if pursued. The game is about a minion raised by the Devil to be Oily Man but he doesn't want to do bad things and wants to escape this accursed fate.