SFX, music, and graphics create a compelling atmosphere rich with mystery, unpacking in tiny morsels as you progress. But it will try your patience and your will.

Your heart will leap with joy after finally getting to the next section, only to have everything go terribly wrong with one faulty move. Most of the time it's one step forward, two steps back. However, success is all the more rewarding when the potential for failure is so high.

It's ingenious in its simplicity, insidious in its difficulty; but every mistake will be your own fault. So much the more crushing.

Even with the continue button, which allows you to resume your most recent play session, this will likely be a very long and arduous journey. But it's also a wholly unique experience that you're not going to find anywhere else. If you're seeking a challenge and click with the atmosphere, this is highly, highly recommended.

I tried the demo for FlippUp on a whim during Nextfest and got curious. A friend of mine loves pinball, so I recommended the game to them, but I never expected to get completely hooked as soon as I picked up the full game.

What's the catch? Well, in case it wasn't clear - This game isn't like traditional pinball. You're trying to continuously climb up through area after area (which are beautifully illustrated btw) and reach the top. There's no lives or score, but dropping the ball simply risks losing progress and having to climb again. The gameplay is therefore quite foddian, like Jump King or Getting Over It, feeling more like a big puzzle. In my opinion the layout is designed to be more generous though, generally preventing you from losing large amounts of progress at once unless you make repeated mistakes.

The visuals and the sound design have to be the strongest point for me. The music is great and very catchy and the sound effects just feel satisfying and fun. As said before, the different areas you traverse are very pretty and distinct from each other, which is also reflected by a change in the soundtrack; a noticeable reminder that you've made progress. Additionally, each area generally has a certain gimmicks that add to their unique feel - like having to keep momentum for some jumps, timing based challenges or interactables. All of this adds to their character and while I definitely prefer some areas over others, they are all quite good.

tl;dr - FlippUp is a frustrating but rewarding pinball climb. It's very atmospheric and there's a lot of flavor and love put into it. If you're unsure whether it's for you, give the demo a shot!

Between the art style, the music, and the physics... this game is amazing. Deserves WAY more attention! While being very challenging, it is more forgiving than a typical OnlyUp style game. WORTH THE PRICE AND WORTH YOUR TIME!