Only Up!

Only Up! is a video game by SCKR Games. The game was first on Steam on May 24, 2023.[a] It was taken from the Steam store for not respecting copyright laws. It was removed again because the creator felt stressed.

Only Up!
Developer(s)SCKR Games
Publisher(s)SCKR Games
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseMay 24, 2023
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Singleplayer

Critics gave great opinions for the difficulty of Only Up!. Critics also felt that the game's graphics were poorly made. The game was similar to other video games Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy and Jump King. Only Up! was the most popular game on Twitch and Kick.

Gameplay

File:Only Up Gamplay.gif
The game begins with the character in a junkyard.

The game starts in a junkyard. The main character, Jackie, must climb up obstacles. Shortcuts include beds as trampolines. There are no checkpoints; the player must complete the game without falling.[2]

Release

Only Up!'s gameplay is traced back to "Jack and the Beanstalk".[3][4][5] On June 15, 2023, SCKR Games released an update. This added camera controls. The player can now switch between first- and third-person perspectives.

First removal from Steam

Only Up! was removed from Steam on June 30, 2023. It had copyright violations.[6] One of them was a 3D model. It was made by an artist named Aboulicious. SCKR Games released an update and removed the statue. Only Up! was up to play again on July 1.[7] SCKR Games asked Abolicious to create a new 3D model,[8] and it was later replaced by a statue of Atlas.

Second removal from Steam

On September 7, 2023, Only Up! was permanently removed.[9][10] The creator was stressed. They stated that they needed "peace of mind and healing"[11] The developer announced their next video game, Kith.[12][13]

Promotions of non-fungible tokens

In October 2021, all blockchain games that buy and sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were not playable.[14] Truth Labs created the Goblintown NFT series. They released it under a Creative Commons 0 license. Only Up! had NFTs around the game.[15][16][17] The NFT series later sold clothing inspired by the game.[17]

Only Up! released on May 24, 2023. Players from China, Japan, and Spain played the game.[18][19][20] In June 2023, Only Up! was the sixth most popular game.[21] A big part is because of how much progress a player loses when they fall down.[18][19]

Reception and legacy

Critics say that Only Up!'s felt tense. They compared Only Up! to Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy.[b] Ayuo Kawase of Automaton Media commented about the tension.[1] Writing for TechRadar, Elie Gould felt that Only Up! was stressful when a player is in the game.[25] Ben Lyons of Gamereactor, giving a score of 7/10, wrote that the game was without checkpoints.[26] Rating the game three out of five stars, Dexerto's Rishabh Sabarwal summarized the "captivating"[27] gameplay. The player could fall at any point in the journey. However, journalist Jason Cartwright of TechAU said the gameplay was "very rewarding".[28]

Only Up!'s design was not liked by critics. Try Hard Guides's Christian Harrison, Gould, and Lyons agreed that the design was not good.[25][26][29] However, Cartwright praised the "beautiful"[28] graphics when using a high-tech computer. Even though Kawase wrote that Only Up! was not easy to look at,[1] Harrison said that the setting for graphics were at their highest.[29] A widespread opinion was that Only Up! was unoriginal in gameplay.[25][26][27][29]

OnlyUp Fortnite

OnlyUp Fortnite is a Fortnite map created in Unreal Engine. This version takes Only Up's gameplay and adds objects from Fortnite.[30] OnlyUp Fortnite was more popular than the original game. 100,000 players played the game in July.[31]

See also

  • Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
  • Jump King

Notes

  1. The actual Steam page says that the game was released on May 24. However, a source wrote that the game did not release on that day.[1]
  2. [1][22][23][24]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kawase, Ayuo (June 15, 2023). Translated by Marco Farinaccia. "Frustrating climbing game Only Up! grows popular among Japanese streamers". Automaton Media. https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230615-19516/. Retrieved July 23, 2023. 
  2. Roy, Icon (June 27, 2023). "Steam: Only Up! Why is it Trending on Twitter?". SpielTimes. https://www.spieltimes.com/news/steam-only-up-why-is-it-trending-on-twitter/?utm_content=bd-true. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  3. Jarvis, Matt (June 26, 2023). "Only Up, a 3D Getting Over It-a-like inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk, is the latest indie sensation to blow up on Twitch". Rock Paper Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/only-up-a-3d-getting-over-it-a-like-inspired-by-jack-and-the-beanstalk-is-the-latest-indie-sensation-to-blow-up-on-twitch. Retrieved July 23, 2023. 
  4. Fischer, Tyler (June 30, 2023). "Only Up! Back on Steam After Being Mysteriously Removed". ComicBook. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/only-up-game-steam-sale/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  5. Nelva, Giuseppe (June 30, 2023). "Popular Indie Game Only Up! Suddenly Removed From Steam [UPDATED]". TechRaptor. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  6. Mallow, Max (June 30, 2023). "When is Only Up Coming Back to Steam?". AppTrigger. https://apptrigger.com/2023/06/30/when-is-only-up-coming-back-to-steam/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  7. Wilde, Tyler (July 1, 2023). "Only Up! pulled from Steam, developer says it'll be back (update: and now it is back)". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/twitch-phenomenon-only-up-pulled-from-steam/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  8. "Elevator for restoring progress/ anime girl coming back soon/ Copyright". Steam. July 4, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  9. Yin-Poole, Wesley (8 September 2023). "Viral Hit Only Up! Pulled From Steam by Creator Due to 'Stress'" (in en). IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/viral-hit-only-up-pulled-from-steam-by-creator-due-to-stress. Retrieved 8 September 2023. 
  10. Gach, Ethan (8 September 2023). "Twitch Sensation Only Up! Removed From Steam So Dev Can Find 'Peace Of Mind And Healing'" (in en). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/only-up-steam-twitch-removed-indiesolodev-platformer-1850817370. Retrieved 8 September 2023. 
  11. Shanklin, Will (8 September 2023). "Viral indie game Only Up! delisted from Steam". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/viral-indie-game-only-up-delisted-from-steam-171652546.html. Retrieved 9 September 2023. 
  12. Jarvis, Matt (September 8, 2023). "Only Up dev yanks Twitch hit from Steam after saying it caused 'a lot of stress'". Rock Paper Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/only-up-dev-yanks-twitch-hit-from-steam-after-saying-it-caused-a-lot-of-stress. Retrieved September 9, 2023. 
  13. Young, Rory (8 September 2023). "Only Up Has Been Removed from Steam" (in en). Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/only-up-steam-removal/. Retrieved 9 September 2023. 
  14. Yin-Poole, Wesley (October 16, 2021). "Valve bans blockchain, crypto and NFT games from Steam, but Epic is on-board". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/valve-bans-blockchain-and-nft-games-from-steam-but-epic-is-on-board. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  15. Wilde, Tyler (July 1, 2023). "Only Up! pulled from Steam, developer says it'll be back (update: and now it is back)". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/twitch-phenomenon-only-up-pulled-from-steam/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  16. Brandt, Oliver (July 4, 2023). "Only Up: Everything you need to know about the latest hit game on Twitch". Video Games on Sports Illustrated. https://videogames.si.com/news/only-up-game-twitch-explained. Retrieved July 23, 2023. 
  17. 17.0 17.1 Chalk, Andy (June 21, 2023). "Twitch's new sensation is a weird indie climbing game that's also quietly promoting NFTs". PCGamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/twitchs-new-sensation-is-a-weird-indie-climbing-game-thats-also-quietly-promoting-nfts/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 Brusie, Chaunie (June 30, 2023). "What is Only Up? Frustrating Climbing Game is Causing Twitch Streamers to 'Rage Quit'". In The Know. https://www.intheknow.com/post/only-up-game-explained/. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  19. 19.0 19.1 Marshall, Cass (June 26, 2023). "What is Only Up!, the climbing game blowing up on social media?". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/23774440/only-up-twitch-tiktok-twitter-climbing-game-influencers-social-media-explainer. Retrieved July 24, 2023. 
  20. Meeks, Randy (July 12, 2023). "Only Up: The Indie Game that Ibai, Rubius, and Other Influencers Have Turned into a Phenomenon". Softonic. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023. All the Spanish streamers have played it, from Ibai to Rubius, and even TheGrefg.
  21. Ostler, Anne-Marie (June 27, 2023). "This punishing climbing game is Twitch's latest masochist craze". GamesRadar+ (Yahoo Finance). https://finance.yahoo.com/news/punishing-climbing-game-twitchs-latest-162141009.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK5WKwnY3xzpaNoW2lprXQeBJrkK_jUOnIKYVSc4GJWt0GN8FI6bUZ8Xa-RzvtQDRcYcLVtoT220hL5rOZWugiZheITvGh4bWRQPtXSSLDEkEE6LOr-L9tOnd3Kcdqs13hwIZA8bzP5lQJyHsCSuhyTd7XS552aUSSEebzXuzmYz. Retrieved July 23, 2023. 
  22. Gould, Elie (July 14, 2023). "Only Up! Is a terrifying endeavor that left me dizzy, sick, and wanting more". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/only-up-is-a-terrifying-endeavor-that-left-me-dizzy-sick-and-wanting-more. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  23. Lyons, Ben (July 13, 2023). "Only Up!". Gamereactor. https://www.gamereactor.eu/only-up-1284463/. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  24. Sabarwal, Rishabh (June 29, 2023). "Only Up! review: The ultimate test of your patience". Dexerto. https://www.dexerto.com/reviews/only-up-review-2193932/. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Gould, Elie (July 14, 2023). "Only Up! is a terrifying endeavor that left me dizzy, sick, and wanting more". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/only-up-is-a-terrifying-endeavor-that-left-me-dizzy-sick-and-wanting-more. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Lyons, Ben (July 13, 2023). "Only Up!". Gamereactor. https://www.gamereactor.eu/only-up-1284463/. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  27. 27.0 27.1 Sabarwal, Rishabh (June 29, 2023). "Only Up! review: The ultimate test of your patience". Dexerto. https://www.dexerto.com/reviews/only-up-review-2193932/. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  28. 28.0 28.1 Cartwright, Jason (June 19, 2023). "Only Up is an insanely challenging, but rewarding game if you're up for the challenge". TechAU. https://techau.com.au/only-up-is-an-insanely-challenging-but-rewarding-game-if-youre-up-for-the-challenge/. Retrieved September 17, 2023. 
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Harrison, Christian (June 30, 2023). "Only Up! review – The journey of 10,000 steps". Try Hard Guides. https://tryhardguides.com/only-up-review/. Retrieved October 3, 2023. 
  30. Ganguly, Sharmila (June 23, 2023). "Fortnite Only Up map code: How to play the viral hit in Fortnite?". Dot eSports. https://dotesports.com/fortnite/news/fortnite-only-up-map-code-how-to-play-the-viral-hit-in-fortnite. Retrieved July 23, 2023. 
  31. Zwiezen, Zack (2023-07-07). "Fortnite's Only Up! User Map Is Now Way Bigger Than the Original Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-01.

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