Stairway
Table of Contents
Stairway is a free anomaly video game. Free video games are a toss of the coin. Stairway is fortunate to land on the right side of the coin. No boundaries are pushed. The game is fairly easy. You won’t witness any jump scares, but there are creepy sequences that will rattle your nerves. The game is optimized, looks good, and is free of bugs. The best part is it is free. Stairway is a great game for introducing someone to anomaly video games.
STAIRWAY
You start on the twelfth floor of a building and the elevator has malfunctioned. The floor’s hallway is blocked one way so the only option is to go down the stairs. You reach a large window and see a city with the streets far below. It’s raining outside which enhances the sense of dread stemming from the anticipation of walking down twelve flights of stairs.
Upon reaching the eleventh floor, you are immediately welcomed by signs suggesting something is not right. You’ll find a corridor looking dilapidated, directions that make no sense, and a stranger waiting for an elevator that never comes. The best move is to continue to the next floor.
You walk down to the tenth floor and everything looks the same…or does it? The directions finally make sense. You are stuck in this place and must follow directions to get out. The directions say you must look for anomalies and proceed to the correct hallway. Get it right and you are one step closer to freedom. Get it wrong and you have to start over.
GAMEPLAY
Stairway is an anomaly horror video game. You report anomalies by exiting the corridor through one of two hallways. One hallway indicates that you saw an anomaly while the other indicates you did not see any anomalies. Get enough correct answers in a row and you can exit the building.
There are no other game mechanics. You will not solve puzzles, pick up objects, or anything else. All you do is walk around and observe. Many of the anomalies are easy to spot. The easy mechanics and difficulty make Stairway the perfect video game for those unfamiliar with anomaly video games and want to try one. It’s free. What do you have to lose?
HORROR
Stairway’s horror won’t rattle you to the core but don’t let that fool you. Some sequences are unnerving. A couple of sequences are unique enough to be memorable and horrifyingly impactful. The rest of the horror you encounter is just fun.
The agony comes from the window you pass each time you descend a set of stairs. You are given a glimpse of freedom each time you pass. The view never changes no matter what floor you are on. It’s always from up high, looking down at the streets far below. All that says is you are far from freedom and must work hard to get there.
STAIRWAY’S IMPACT
We have already mentioned that Stairway is free, not too difficult, runs well, looks great, is fun, has, is sometimes somewhat scary, and can serve as a great entry point for newcomers to the anomaly game genre. It is a stairway for curious gamers.
There is a reason why the development of anomaly video games continues. Community and passion support the growth of these games. Many of us want more. Share this game with your friends who might enjoy these types of games. They aren’t for everyone but you never know. Again, it’s free!
VIDEO PLAYLIST
SCREENSHOTS
AS I SEE IT
The developer lists on the game’s Steam page that Stairway is the result of learning Unreal Engine. The sound files, 3D models, and textures come from free resources. The developer added modifications but to what extent is unknown.
I appreciate the transparency and have respect for the developer. They made a good free game. There are plenty of anomaly video games that cost money but aren’t as good. I’m not saying that Stairway will blow everyone away but for a project meant for learning is fantastic. It has me excited to see if they will make more games. I’ll be following them.
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