In my opinion, Foddians are best described as games that require you to learn a skill while testing your patience. Some involve some kind of platforming challenge, that can feel punishing, as a small mistake can cost you a chunk of progress.
I don’t think calling them “bad on purpose” with crappy controls is very fair, as Getting Over It, Jump King, and A Difficult Game About Climbing, to name just a few, are all extremely well polished games.
Wow, I came here to say this too! I wonder if the devs knew!