Super Meat Boy is a 2010 platform video game created and published by the American indie studio Team Meat. Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes designed the game as a follow-up to Meat Boy, a 2008 Flash game made by McMillen and Jonathan McEntee. In the game, players control Meat Boy, a red, cube-shaped character, as he tries to save his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the game's villain, Dr. Fetus. The gameplay requires precise movements and quick reflexes as players run and jump through more than 300 dangerous levels while avoiding obstacles. The game also allows players to create their own levels. Super Meat Boy was first released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010. It later became available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch. A version for the Wii was planned but canceled.
Development of the game started in early 2009. McMillen worked on level design and artwork, while Refenes handled the coding. The game's soundtrack was composed by Danny Baranowsky, who also worked on the original Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy received many awards and is often listed as one of the greatest video games ever made. Reviewers praised the game's controls, artwork, music, and challenging gameplay. It was also a commercial success, selling over a million copies by January 2012. A sequel, Super Meat Boy Forever, was released on December 23, 2020, without McMillen's involvement. Another sequel, Super Meat Boy 3D, was released on March 31, 2026.
Gameplay
Super Meat Boy is a platform game where players control a small, dark red, cube-shaped character named Meat Boy. His goal is to rescue his cube-shaped, heavily bandaged girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil scientist Dr. Fetus. The game is divided into chapters, and all chapters together include more than 300 levels. In each level, players must reach the end, which is marked by Bandage Girl, while avoiding obstacles like falling blocks, saw blades, and other dangerous traps. Players can jump, run on platforms, and move along walls by jumping off or sliding down. The main challenge involves precise movements and quick timing, similar to classic platform games like Super Mario Bros. and Ghosts 'n Goblins.
Each chapter contains levels that can be played in any order. However, completing a certain number of levels is required to unlock a boss stage, which allows access to the next chapter if the boss is defeated. Players can try each level as many times as needed. If Meat Boy dies, he restarts the level immediately, but red meat juice left on surfaces from previous attempts remains visible. After finishing a level, players can use a replay feature to watch all their attempts. Earning an "A+" grade by completing a level quickly unlocks a harder version of the level in the "dark world," an optional set of very difficult levels.
Hidden areas called warp zones can be found by discovering portals in specific levels. These warp zones include bonus levels with either the visual style of older video games and a three-life limit or designs inspired by other indie games like Castle Crashers or Braid. Players can also control other characters besides Meat Boy, many of whom appeared in different games. Each character has unique abilities, such as Commander Video's power to float briefly in the air. These characters can be unlocked by collecting bandage items scattered throughout the game or by completing certain warp zones. Some bandages are only obtainable with specific characters, and some levels, like warp zones and boss stages, can only be played with certain characters. The available characters depend on the version of the game being played.
The Xbox Live Arcade version includes an unlockable mode called "Teh Internets," which regularly adds new, free levels. The PC version features a section called "Super Meat World," where players can play and rate levels created by others using a level editor released in May 2011. Players can also access an unofficial developer mode to create their own levels using basic tools similar to those used by the game's creators, Team Meat.
Plot
The game begins by showing that Meat Boy (a boy without skin) and Bandage Girl (a girl covered in bandages) are in love. However, the antagonist Dr. Fetus (a smart fetus in a jar controlling a mechanical body) is not loved and hates everyone.
One day, Bandage Girl is kidnapped by Dr. Fetus because he is jealous. Meat Boy chases Dr. Fetus to rescue her. During the chase, Dr. Fetus starts a forest fire and attacks Meat Boy using a large mechanical robot called "Lil' Slugger." Meat Boy tricks Dr. Fetus into driving the robot into dangerous areas, which destroys it. Dr. Fetus then escapes to an abandoned hospital, where he creates a giant monster made of blood called "C.H.A.D." Meat Boy makes the monster disappear by exposing it to sunlight and later kills it offscreen by smothering it with a pillow. He then continues chasing Dr. Fetus to an abandoned salt factory.
At the factory, Dr. Fetus creates an evil clone of Meat Boy from his own waste, named "Brownie," and sends it to attack Meat Boy. Their fight is interrupted when salt floods the factory, likely killing Brownie. Dr. Fetus then travels to hell, where Meat Boy finds many copies of himself because the game is very hard. A large golem named "Little Horn" is made from these copies, but it destroys itself by repeatedly hitting its head on the ground. This allows Dr. Fetus to escape and launch a nuclear missile, causing a sudden event that opens a path to a ruined city. There, Meat Boy tricks three large worms called "The Larries" into jumping into sawblades.
In the final level, Dr. Fetus, angry that Meat Boy can come back to life, chases him with a rocket launcher. Meat Boy defeats Dr. Fetus by destroying the bridge he is standing on during their fight. Dr. Fetus tries to kill Meat Boy and Bandage Girl using a self-destruct sequence, but fails when Brownie returns to save them, sacrificing himself. After Bandage Girl hugs Meat Boy, Dr. Fetus lands on her and tries to attack her as the game ends. If Dr. Fetus is defeated in the Dark World, an extended ending shows that his attacks had no effect, and Bandage Girl stomps on him.
A bonus chapter called "Cotton Alley" appears after completing the game. In this chapter, Meat Boy is kidnapped by Dr. Fetus, and Bandage Girl must rescue him.
Development and marketing
The original Meat Boy is an Adobe Flash game created by Edmund McMillen and programmed by Jonathan McEntee. It was developed in three weeks and released on Newgrounds on October 5, 2008. By April 2009, it had received over 840,000 views on Newgrounds and 8 million total views. A map pack for the Flash version was released on December 8, 2008. McMillen began working on Super Meat Boy after Nintendo and Microsoft asked him to make a game for their download services, WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade, because they were impressed by the success of his Flash games Aether and Meat Boy. At the time, McMillen was working with Tommy Refenes on a Flash game called Grey Matter. Although McMillen first suggested a sequel to Gish or Aether, he and Refenes decided to create an expanded version of Meat Boy instead. Team Meat, which includes McMillen, Refenes, soundtrack composer Danny Baranowsky, and sound effects designer Jordan Fehr, described Super Meat Boy as a tribute to classic NES games like Ghosts 'n Goblins, Mega Man, and the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2. The game’s story is a mix of video game plots from the early 1990s. The developers wanted the game to feel like retro platformers but with modern difficulty levels. They included features like infinite lives, quick level restarts, and short levels to make the game challenging but rewarding.
Development of Super Meat Boy began in January 2009. It was initially planned for WiiWare and PC, with a release date in the first quarter of 2010. The release was delayed to the fourth quarter so the team could add more levels, such as dark worlds. A picture shared on Team Meat’s Twitter page on February 22, 2010, showed the game would also be released for XBLA. The next day, the team announced the XBLA version would launch first due to "contractual obligations." In August 2010, Microsoft invited the team to include the game in its Fall GameFeast XBLA promotion. The developers worked daily for the final two months of development, sleeping only five hours a night and often skipping meals. McMillen said this process was "never voluntary." The game was not heavily promoted by Microsoft but sold well during the event. The team called the effort to finish the game for the promotion "the biggest mistake" during development. The game was released on XBLA in October 2010 and on PC via Steam and Direct2Drive a month later. A Mac version came out in November 2011, and a Linux version was released in December 2011 as part of the Humble Indie Bundle #4.
Sony initially did not want to release Super Meat Boy on PlayStation 3, so Team Meat signed a contract that prevented the game from being released on that platform. Eventually, versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita were announced. The WiiWare version was canceled because the game’s file size was too large for Nintendo’s system. Team Meat considered making a retail Wii version but was told by publishers it would not be profitable. Later, versions were released for the Wii U and Switch. The PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and Switch versions were made by BlitWorks. The Switch version includes a "Race Mode" for two players using split-screen and Joy-Con controllers. This mode was added to the PC version in October 2018.
A limited edition retail version of the PC game was released in April 2011. It included bonus items like behind-the-scenes videos, a music disc, and a comic. In 2012, Team Meat started working on an iOS and Android version of the game. This project became Super Meat Boy Forever, announced in 2014 at PAX.
Team Meat created merchandise related to Super Meat Boy, including an iOS app called Super Meat Boy Handheld, styled like a Tiger Electronics handheld. They also sold charms, plush toys, posters, T-shirts, and a limited edition comic. In 2011, Voxelous released figures of characters like Meat Boy and Bandage Girl.
Danny Baranowsky composed the soundtrack for Super Meat Boy. He also made music for the original Meat Boy and other indie games. McMillen asked Baranowsky to use his existing tracks for Super Meat Boy. Baranowsky expanded the music to fit the game and ensured it supported the gameplay without overpowering sound effects. He had full control over the music and kept all rights to it. McMillen said the soundtrack makes players feel excited and stays with them after playing.
On October 26, 2010, the game’s soundtrack was released as a downloadable album on Bandcamp titled Super Meat Boy! Soundtrack.
Reception
Super Meat Boy received praise from critics. After being displayed at the Penny Arcade Expo 2010, the game was named the best game at the event by Destructoid and was considered for the same award by Machinima.com. It was nominated for the Grand Prize and Excellence in Audio awards at the 2010 Independent Games Festival. The game won the Most Challenging Game award in IGN’s Best of 2010 awards and was nominated for Best Soundtrack and Best Retro Design. GameSpot named it the Best Downloadable Console Game of 2010, and GameTrailers awarded it the Best Downloadable Game. Sales were strong, with nearly 140,000 copies of the Xbox 360 version sold by the end of 2010. By April 2011, the Steam and Xbox 360 versions had sold more than 600,000 copies combined. Of these, 400,000 were sold through Steam. On January 3, 2012, Team Meat announced on Twitter that the game had sold more than 1,000,000 copies.
Critics praised the game’s platforming elements and its difficulty. X-Play reviewer Alexandra Hall said the game had “exciting platforming action” and called the designers “masters of their craft.” Henry Gilbert of GamesRadar said the platforming was “perfect.” He wrote that the game was always challenging but never unfair. A GameTrailers reviewer said the difficulty was “just right,” making players feel frustrated when they failed but proud when they succeeded. Joystiq’s Richard Mitchell said the game was “as tough as the toughest nails in the toughest universe.” Gilbert noted that the difficulty made the game hard for some players, which is why he did not give it a perfect score. Tom McShea of GameSpot praised the game’s “precise control,” “excellent level design,” and “smooth difficulty curve.” Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer warned that the game was “very hard” and might make players want to throw the controller.
Critics also praised the game’s retro art style and presentation. Mike Channel of Official Xbox Magazine (UK) said the levels had a variety of visual styles, even though the graphics looked simple. Daemon Hatfield of IGN said the game’s visual style was unique and praised the soundtrack, calling it “the best I’ve heard since Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game.” Joe Leonard of 1UP.com said the game’s humor and fun gameplay helped players stay calm even when the game was hard. Russ Frushtick of MTV Multiplayer praised the game’s hand-drawn animated cutscenes, which looked like classic video game intros.
While the game received praise overall, some publications had concerns. Hatfield said the cutscenes had low quality compared to the rest of the game. A reviewer for PC Gamer mentioned “a few small bugs” that had not yet been fixed. Eduardo Reboucas of Game Revolution said some levels relied too much on quick reflexes and memorization. He also said some jokes were not funny and that the game’s difficulty might turn off casual players. Mitchell Dyer of GamePro agreed, saying some very hard levels disrupted the game’s flow, especially in boss fights and later chapters.
Legacy
Meat Boy has appeared in video games such as Bit.Trip Runner, Spelunky, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Ori and the Blind Forest, Retro City Rampage, ilomilo, and Indie Pogo. A copycat game made in Flash, called Super Tofu Boy, was released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on December 1, 2010, to protest the original game and encourage people to eat plant-based foods. In response, Team Meat added a version of Tofu Boy to the PC version of Super Meat Boy on December 2, 2010. The success of Super Meat Boy led to the creation of the 1930s-style animated game Cuphead, which is also known for being very challenging.
On August 29, 2014, Team Meat shared news that a sequel, Super Meat Boy Forever, was being made for smartphones, tablets, and Steam. The game was not moving forward until the project started again in 2017, without help from McMillen. In August 2017, the game was announced to be released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android systems. The Switch and Windows versions came out in December 2020, with other platforms releasing in 2021.
A new game, Super Meat Boy 3D, was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2025. The game is being made by Team Meat and Sluggerfly and was released on March 31, 2026.