The Lift moving ever closer to PC release

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Sci-fi "supernatural handyman simulator" coming later this year to Steam 

They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. (I can personally attest to that.) But in the upcoming supernatural sci-fi horror adventure The Lift, indie developer Fantastic Signals is determined to let players do both at once. 

It wasn't supposed to be like this. You weren't even the primary caretaker for the Institute, mankind's "most advanced research facility," just a newly hired "spare" in case of emergency. Then... an emergency happened. You're unexpectedly awakened from your cryosleep chamber, only to find the station in shambles when "a catastrophic incident left it drifting through the interdimensional void." With practically nothing working and no one to help, it's up to you to do what you do best: fix things. In order to repair the Institute and figure out what went wrong, you must use your wits and all available tools to undertake a "massive renovation project with unique challenges." As you progress, you'll use the titular elevator as a "mobile base" from which to venture deeper and deeper. Along the way, you'll "explore multiple biomes, unlock hidden areas, meet unforgettable characters, and complete their quests to piece together the mind-bending truth behind the incident that changed everything." But be forewarned that in gradually bringing the "massive abandoned research complex" back to life, you'll also uncover "eerie mysteries around every corner" while you're at it. 

Described as a "narrative-driven, supernatural handyman simulator," The Lift is set in a "mysterious world inspired by the works of the Strugatsky brothers and the SCP Foundation." Although this is their first game as a studio, Fantastic Signals is comprised of industry veterans who previously worked on Pathologic 2 and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, drawing on that experience to introduce "immersive sim elements [and] multiple unique twists into a genre that usually focuses on repairs, renovations, and cleaning." If that doesn't sound like an adventure game, you're partly right, as the game is designed to meld "house-flipping gameplay and mind-bending storytelling ... in a highly interactive world inspired by retrofuturistic Soviet sci-fi." What that means in practice, however, is a lot of first-person, free-roaming adventuring via WASD/mouse controls as you advance through the giant facility, solving myriad mechanical puzzles every step of the way. 

No matter where you go, you'll find broken machines and equipment, each floor without power or lights or functioning electrical systems. It's your task to scavenge for the tools, parts and "gadgets" you need to repair "dozens of intricate devices, from vending machines and generators to satellite dishes and reactors." Fortunately you can do so at your leisure, taking your time in "tackling everything from basic furniture repairs to complex electrical engineering projects" that require you to "build circuits with multiple components, identify fault currents, route cables, manage power supply, and generate torque to repair each system." If you can't find what you need, then perhaps a "recycling-based crafting system" will allow you to construct it on your own. In between fixes, you'll find you're not entirely alone, as scattered throughout the Institute are some "quirky" fully voiced characters, each with their own unique stories to tell and perhaps even quests for you to fulfill. 

There's no specific arrival date yet, but The Lift is currently en route to Steam, where it will launch for Windows PC sometime later this year, with console versions to follow later on. 

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