Swytapp Games developed The Floor Above as a claustrophobic anomaly-horror game where players do not have to do much but turn, blink, and decide whether what they are seeing is real or just another hallucination. Sounds interesting, right? I thought so too, and it was indeed very intriguing until you reach the latter chapters of the game.
The demo was very interesting, and I immediately got hooked; I was genuinely waiting for the game’s release. If you have played anomaly games, you would know that developers spend a lot of time crafting features that keep players engaged. This title was surely better than many I have played in the subgenre.
The game has four chapters, a cute cat, and a wheelchair, all of which will keep your few hours spent staring at the same room feeling fresh. The Floor Above is a great game, honestly, but it loses itself in the late chapters, becoming something it is not.
Gameplay & Core Mechanics
I really like how Swytapp Games kept the game as simple as possible. You are just sitting in a wheelchair in a room, can’t move, can’t run away, have to face jump scares, and all of it can be countered with one mechanic: blinking. If you know how to blink right, you can move past each room very easily. This was indeed very interesting. You would see a horrifying-looking man staring at you, and the moment you blink, he is gone, telling you it was nothing more than a hallucination. Don’t forget that if he doesn’t go away when you blink, you need to run for your life by clicking the red button.
The loop of The Floor Above is also done right. As an anomaly game, it demands that you stay focused, cautious, and are always looking for clues that tell you whether the room is safe. What makes it interesting is the sheer variety of things the developers have added or changed in each room, giving you something to focus on and look for in every round, which keeps you engaged throughout the runtime.
Before playing, I thought I would be bored by the core gameplay. Since the main character is just sitting in a wheelchair, I expected another repetitive game with predictable elements. Somehow, that was not the case. The developers have designed each room to keep you engaged. It also gives you a beautiful cat named Morty, who stays in your room, keeping you safe from evil and helping you progress. This is a cute addition that can confuse you at times as an anomaly, but that is clearly what the developers intended.
Atmosphere & Horror Execution
Another thing I liked was the slow burn vibe, rather than just cheap jump scares. Since the player cannot move, I expected the developers to rely on a bunch of cheap jump scares and call that a horror game. Surprisingly, The Floor Above has very few of these. It had genuine tension where you would be looking for clues, sometimes a missing element in the room, and much more to progress further. It does have jump scares, but they actually land.
Now, one thing that really bothered me was the story. The game was going well until the first two chapters. As you progress through each room, you would know whether it was correct or not; you would spot an anomaly and pick the right room. The tension worked because the rooms were simpler.
Eventually, it became the opposite. The fun I had in the first two chapters raised my expectations for the last two, and those expectations were a complete let down. You would see a dead man or other anomalies hanging or flying around the room, and it only got worse in the final chapter.
You would not even know if you are picking the right room anymore. There are no indications, no subtle clues, nothing to hold onto. The same room that once felt readable feels wrong in every direction, and you cannot tell what is real and what is not. Everything fell apart. It was so bad that I was just hoping to get through to the ending. The last two chapters were genuinely off-putting, as the developers did everything right in the first two, only for the experience to gradually become something odd by the end.
Conclusion
The Floor Above is a great entry in the anomaly horror genre. It features great mechanics and a satisfying gameplay loop. I enjoyed how the developers kept game elements as simple as possible while still creating an engaging and intriguing experience, making your few hours feel worth spending.
Still, the game comes with its own issues. The loading times were way longer than expected, which I think can be fixed with updates, but it was quite frustrating. It also becomes repetitive in the last two chapters, with the story going over your head too many times and leaving players feeling completely lost. Nonetheless, The Floor Above offers a brilliant concept that loses its grip toward the end, but could be worth your time. It is currently 10% off on Steam, so grab it before the sale ends.
(6.5 / 10)
Above Average
(6.5 / 10)A PC review copy was provided by the publisher.
