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Stairway

Stairway Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story
96% User Score Based on 167 reviews

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PCWindows
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Stairway Game Cover

About Stairway

Stairway is a single player and multiplayer simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Hungry Games and was released on May 21, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

This game is an anomaly finding (difference finding) walking simulator. Game description: Get out of the building via the stairway. Observe the levels carefully for a successful exit. If everything is consistent in the level with the baseline state, proceed. If you observe any anomalies, turn back! Once you're out of the building, you can start the game all over again to experience all the anom…

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Stairway screenshot
Stairway screenshot
Stairway screenshot
Stairway screenshot
Stairway screenshot
Stairway screenshot
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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 167 reviews
atmosphere4 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • Engaging anomaly-spotting gameplay with a good balance of obvious and subtle anomalies that keep players on their toes.
  • Strong and unsettling psychological horror atmosphere created through minimalistic design, sound, and environmental storytelling.
  • Free to play with well-optimized performance on various platforms, making it an accessible introduction to the genre.
  • Some anomalies are extremely subtle or require audio cues, making them difficult to spot and causing frustration especially on smaller screens or lower graphics settings.
  • No save system; progress resets upon mistakes or closing the game, leading to repetitive restarts that can feel tedious over time.
  • Game length is short with limited variety in environments and may feel too simple or easy for hardcore anomaly or horror fans.

  • gameplay

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    15% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 23% negative mentions

    The gameplay is intentionally simple and minimalistic, focusing on atmosphere and player awareness rather than complex mechanics or combat. While some may find it slow or wish for more content, its concise design effectively supports the eerie, subtle horror experience and anomaly-spotting mechanics. Fans of atmospheric horror and minimal gameplay loops will likely appreciate its focused and immersive approach.

    • “The concept is intentionally simple, but its execution demonstrates how effective minimalistic horror can be when atmosphere and player awareness become the primary gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Fans of anomaly-hunting titles and atmospheric horror games will likely appreciate its focused gameplay and eerie atmosphere.”
    • “Very simple gameplay (may feel slow to some players).”
    • “Some players may wish for more environments, additional anomaly types, or expanded mechanics, but the game's concise scope prevents repetition from becoming overly tiresome.”
    • “There are no elaborate combat systems, inventory mechanics, or lengthy story sequences.”

  • atmosphere

    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its effective use of minimalistic, psychological horror that builds tension and keeps players alert without relying on jump scares. It creates an unsettling, immersive experience through a slow-burning, eerie mood that appeals to fans of atmospheric horror and anomaly-hunting games. Overall, the atmosphere is intense and compelling, enhancing the gameplay despite the simplicity and short duration.

    • “The concept is intentionally simple, but its execution demonstrates how effective minimalistic horror can be when atmosphere and player awareness become the primary gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The result is a horror experience that remains effective through atmosphere rather than excessive jump scares.”
    • “Well, well—this game is built around a very appealing idea and, when it works as it should, it manages to create a truly unsettling and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Stairway is a very simple game that builds its own atmosphere of expectation as you descend, always wondering 'what am I going to find, or in some cases, not find, next?'”
    • “Instead, it builds a moderate, unsettling atmosphere that keeps you alert the entire time.”
    • “With about 1–1.5 hours of playtime, it delivers some atmosphere and a few weird moments — enough for a short, fun session.”

  • graphics

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    57% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are generally praised for being good and effective, especially considering it is a free title. It runs well on the Steam Deck with low to medium settings, though performance may dip on very low graphics. Overall, the visuals provide a solid and engaging experience.

    • “I feel like this game was a pretty good simple introduction to anomaly games, and the graphics and texturing is pretty good in my opinion for a free game!”
    • “The graphics are great, and while the storyline is simple, it’s incredibly effective and engaging.”
    • “Great graphics and simple but amazing storyline!!”

  • story

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    43% positive mentions, 14% neutral mentions, 43% negative mentions

    The story is simple yet effective, relying heavily on environmental storytelling, psychological tension, and subtle anomalies to create an engaging and immersive experience despite its modest scale.

    • “Its emphasis on observation, psychological tension, and environmental storytelling results in a game that feels far more engaging than its modest scale might suggest.”
    • “Interesting anomalies collection found in the game, some of them might be put together to make a story behind that floor is like been cursed or something like that.”
    • “The graphics are great, and while the storyline is simple, it’s incredibly effective and engaging.”
    • “There are no elaborate combat systems, inventory mechanics, or lengthy story sequences.”
    • “No story.”
    • “Interesting anomalies collection found in the game; some of them might be put together to suggest a story behind that the floor is cursed or something like that.”

  • grinding

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is relatively minimal due to the non-repetitive nature of anomalies, which adds variety and reduces the need for tedious repetitive tasks to achieve completion.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game offers strong replayability by motivating players to revisit and explore anomalies they may have missed in prior playthroughs after completing it.

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game evokes strong emotional responses, deeply moving players to the point of tears.

  • music

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music in the game is engaging and enjoyable, enhancing the overall fun experience, especially when interacting with elements like stairways.

  • stability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game experiences occasional bugs and screen glitches during frequent turning movements, which can be distracting but do not significantly impact overall gameplay stability.

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Play Times

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Stairway is a simulation game with horror and mystery themes. Common tags for Stairway include free to play, first-person, 3D, indie, psychological and others.

Stairway is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Stairway.

Stairway was released on May 21, 2024.

Stairway was developed by Hungry Games.

Stairway has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Stairway for its atmosphere but disliked it for its gameplay.

Stairway is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include The Exit 8, Twisted Gallery 异馆, The Cabin Factory, Floor 9, Ten Bells and others.