Only Way is Down

About

Only Way is Down is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Jilted Generation Productions and was released on March 31, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Embark on a risky rage filled adventure in the Only Way is Down a challenging 3D platforming game that puts you in the paws of a kitty cat with an unexpected journey home. You take control of a feline explorer who, after an accidental catnap on some construction materials, finds themselves at the top of a towering skyscraper under construction. Now, it's up to you to find your way through a maze o…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews

humor7 positive mentions

replayability1 negative mentions

The game features adorable cat customization options, allowing players to change the cat's appearance and collect various hats.
Despite its difficulty, the game offers multiple difficulty settings and checkpoints, making it accessible for both casual and hardcore players.
The unique concept of descending through levels as a cat, combined with humorous ragdoll physics, provides an entertaining and engaging experience.

Controls are often described as janky and unresponsive, making precise movements frustrating and difficult.
The checkpoint system is criticized for being harsh, forcing players to restart from earlier sections after dying, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
Many players find the game excessively difficult, with some sections being nearly impossible to complete without significant practice.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing poor controls, clunky mechanics, and strict hit detection that hinder the experience. While some find the puzzles and platforming elements engaging and rewarding after overcoming the initial learning curve, others feel that the game lacks variety and suffers from an unresponsive environment. Overall, the gameplay requires significant improvement to enhance player enjoyment and accessibility.
- “The gameplay offers intriguing puzzles and challenging platforming elements that require precision and quick reflexes.”
- “The game encourages experimentation and the mastering of mechanics, allowing players to find their own strategies for overcoming levels.”
- “It provides an engaging gameplay experience and throws down the gauntlet, with each new level unveiling fresh opportunities to tackle the challenges.”
- “But the gameplay itself is not good at all.”
- “It's when you dig a little deeper into the game and the mechanics that it starts to fall apart a bit.”
- “Poor controls, questionable hit detection, no gameplay variety, giant empty non-interactive environment that only caters to one sort of player, and the devs that need hints to add the most basic features.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its chaotic and meme-inspired elements, with players finding the gore DLC and ragdoll physics particularly amusing. Despite some frustrations, the game's comedic aspects, including its quirky animations and gravity-defying gameplay, contribute to an overall entertaining experience.
- “Master gravity-defying jumps, feline agility, and platforming madness in this hilarious, purrfectly chaotic adventure.” ️”
- “Frustrating but funny game.”
- “The ragdoll physics are also funny as heck.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics are generally well-received, showcasing a bright and minimalist style that enhances the gameplay atmosphere. While some players note aesthetic repetition and a reliance on store-bought assets, the visuals are considered good, with effective animations and appealing backgrounds. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's engaging concept, despite some minor criticisms.
- “Graphics in the game are very good, and despite the game not recommending the highest setting of 'hype', I ignored the recommended setting, and the hype setting ran absolutely fine. Your cat looks and animates well, the buildings, scaffolding, and everything you usually find on an unfinished building site looked really good, as did the background, which had a few effects like birds flying.”
- “The visuals, atmosphere, and overall concept are great and keep you hooked from the start.”
- “The graphics feature a bright and minimalist style that creates an atmosphere perfectly suited to the gameplay mechanics.”
- “The platforming is demanding, and the aesthetic repetition may turn off some players.”
- “I have accepted that this is a mechanism-over-art type of 'rage quit ugly platformer' popular over the past few years, so the bad graphics or repetitive store-bought assets don't bother me too much.”
- “The graphics could be a bit slicker but everything looks and functions as it's supposed to.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features an engaging and cute story complemented by excellent customization options, which many players appreciate. However, some users feel that the enjoyment of the narrative diminishes due to awkward controls over extended play sessions. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight, though it may be overshadowed by gameplay challenges.
- “At first glance, this is a really fun game with an interesting story and brilliant customization options.”
- “I love the cat, I love the customization features, the music is good, and the story is cute.”
- “If you combine that level of difficulty with controls that are awkward after a long period of time, the joy of the story starts to sink.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users find the game's concept charming but suggest that enhancements are needed to boost its replayability, indicating that while the idea is appealing, the current execution may not encourage repeated play.
- “This is such a cute idea, and I would love to see some improvements to make it more replayable.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is well-received, with players noting that it enhances the overall experience and complements the cute story and customization features.
- “The musical accompaniment enhances the overall vibe, making the experience even more captivating.”
- “I love the cat, I love the customization features, the music is good, and the story is cute.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging visuals and minimalist style, which effectively complement the gameplay mechanics and keep players captivated from the beginning.
- “The visuals, atmosphere, and overall concept are great and keep you hooked from the start.”
- “The graphics feature a bright and minimalist style that creates an atmosphere perfectly suited to the gameplay mechanics.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game's controls require further optimization, particularly noting that the falling mechanics are excessive and occur too frequently, impacting overall gameplay experience.
- “Controls could use a little more optimization in my opinion; the falling is too frequent and excessive.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Only Way is Down" demonstrates strong stability on the Steam Deck, consistently achieving 60 fps on low to medium settings, and maintaining solid performance on high settings with only minor frame rate dips.
- “Only way is down runs great on the Steam Deck — 60 fps on low/medium settings, and even on high with minor dips.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized, with players feeling it resembles a cash grab that unjustly charges £6.80 for a subpar experience.
- “This game feels like an April Fools' joke if part of that joke was stealing £6.80 from you in a poor cash grab.”