Game Review: Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

It's not often that I come across a game that defies description, but Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling does exactly that. I guess it's a visual novel with adventure game elements, but it's so much more than that. It's also somehow so much less than that too. That might be a cryptic way to start a review, but that's my honest thoughts going into this. Discussing this game is going to be hard, but I guess we'll just get into it and see what happens. Let's take a look at the game now, and hopefully we'll find something more than a ceiling.

The core gameplay screen.

That's not creepy at all...

Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling places you into a role that I'm sure many of us can sympathize with: a young student who is over-stressed from studying, and who seems to be reaching a rather bleak point in their life. Your avatar in this game may be a nameless girl, but it can be anyone really. This girl has a monotonous routine that is shattered when strange things start happening around their otherwise boring house. The girl attempts to take everything in stride, but eventually it all becomes too much and she's forced to face the problem head on. This leads to one of two endings, but I really can't talk about the story much more without giving it all away. I don't think that anything within the game gets anywhere near trigger warning status, but there is a realness to things that make this a game that'll probably hit close to home.

Just how I make my breakfast!

Very ominous...

Impactful or not, Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling is a very short game. One can see everything it has to offer in about 45 minutes, maybe an hour if you're really taking your time. I spent a little more than that on it, but that was because I was making sure I experienced everything for the sake of this review. Gameplay reminds me a lot of the old MacVenture games that released on the NES, as it's a point-and-click interface with the selectable objects/items/areas already highlighted for you. You're pretty much railroaded into going with the flow of the game, and the tasks you perform have to all be done in a certain order. There are a few sections where looking into everything may help you remember things for later, but there isn't much gameplay to speak of really. There's also very little character interaction as there's only one other character in the game besides the nameless girl. This other person is a boy just as nameless, and they pop up from time to time when things start getting a little intense. He never stays for long though, so don't expect to get to know much about him until the game's Exploration Mode. While the game stylizes itself as an adventure game, I think it falls more in line with a kinetic visual novel. It does have adventure game elements that I mentioned before, but it feels more like a straightforward story that you can only interact with on the simplest of levels. There are two endings to get, but nothing you do changes the outcome of the game very much.

This isn't creepy at all.

Foreshadowing is a literary device...

I'm a big fan of the hand-drawn art style this game has, but the odd screen size left me feeling like the game barely even has graphics to speak of. It's worth noting that while researching this game I came across the Steam release, and it seems to display the entire game vertically, like on a cell phone. I'm not sure if this game has a mobile version, or if it started life as a mobile title that moved to PC, but it really explains some of the odd quirks in the presentation. Besides all that, I really dig the monochrome color scheme that eventually shifts to color later on. That shift really adds to the overall atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, the music is equally creepy throughout, and the only thing I really can fault the sound for is that there isn't voice acting. I know that voice acting is almost definitely asking for too much with a game of this size, but seeing as it only has one character, and very little text throughout, it would've really helped the experience. And that's the thing really, this isn't so much a game as it's an experience. How you feel about it will change from person to person, and those looking for an actual GAME may not find what they're looking for here.

Focus on unlocking a la Resident Evil.

Some interesting horror imagery.

I often like to say that a short game's saving grace is how good of a story it tells. Short games can often be like movies, short films, or even good episodes in a television series. They don't need to be long experiences, or offer tons of replayability. Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling does have an epilogue of sorts in its Exploration Mode which offers up a coda to the story, and explores some of the game's lore. This lore explains a few of the supernatural elements in the main game, and reveals who the boy actually is. I counted this mode within my time estimation for the game, and while I think it does a good job in wrapping things up, it isn't a reason to come back to the game. The story Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling tells is a great one, and I want to say it's worth its $4.99 asking price, but I'm not sure I can. I'm sure many people can appreciate the game for what it is, but there are probably more people who will look at it and fault it for what it isn't. It's barely an adventure game, and it probably could've been better represented as a comic book. Part of me still loves it, but I'm so conflicted that I'm not sure where I stand on it from minute to minute.

It's all about studying?

See you later!

I'm at a loss as to my thoughts on recommending Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling. It's a great story, one that I applaud the developers for telling and creating, but it's a hard sell for anyone looking to actually play a game. Thankfully its very low price makes even casually recommending it an easier pill to swallow. That's what I think I'll do. If you're looking for a something that defies genres, tells a meaningful story, and may just help you through a tough time, then grab this game when it releases. If you're just looking for a game that focuses on gameplay, or even a visual novel that lasts longer than an hour, then you're best bet is to look elsewhere. If you do pick end up picking it up though, let me know what you thought about it. I'd love to discuss this with others who have played it.

Check Out Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/looking-up-i-see-only-a-ceiling-switch/

---

Story: A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: B+
Value: B

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ A really unique premise, and a story that has something to say.
+ The art style is rather unique, and there's a decent amount to see in both gameplay modes.
+ Has a very creepy vibe, bust still manages to keep things mostly positive throughout.
+ While it's barely qualifies as a game, it is a rewarding experience, and is priced well for what it is.

Cons:
- The game is very short, with little reason to play it again once completed.
- The somewhat clunky interface hides some of the game's details.
- There isn't a lot to interact with within the world, and some items/areas feel like odd red herrings to the plot.
- Something like voice acting might have added to the overall experience, as would more characterization.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

---

Hopefully you are too.