THE SPIRIT LIFT

Card Game· Roguelike· Roguelike Deckbuilder· Roguelite

Released Jan 2026

A retro horror deckbuilder roguelike set in a haunted hotel in the 1990s. Choose your teens, explore and fight! If you die rewind the night!

87% positive · 187 reviews

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $19.99

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Evaluation

The Spirit Lift launched on January 27, 2026 as a fully released game from prettysmart games. Since launch, the developer has maintained an active update cadence. The most substantial post-launch addition was the Lift Level Update on March 6, 2026, which introduced a 13-tier difficulty progression system, 13 new Steam achievements, and an infinitely scaling difficulty mode — a meaningful expansion of endgame content delivered free. Further patches followed: a quality-of-life update on February 10, 2026 added Steam Deck "Playable" status and bug fixes, another on April 14, 2026 addressed library content discovery and added accessibility/content notes to the store page. In that April 14 post, the developer explicitly said they are continuing work on "one last special feature in the game and controller support" — confirming that meaningful development work is still underway as of that date. The developer's post-launch communication also mentioned controller support, better Steam Deck controls, and localization as items on their roadmap (with localization described as a stretch goal depending on budget). Both items in the DLC list are soundtracks, both released. No unreleased DLC is listed. The last developer communication was April 14, 2026, and today's date is August 19, 2026 — that is approximately four months of silence, which is approaching but not yet clearly past the pattern established by this studio's roughly monthly post-launch updates. Given the developer's explicit statement about ongoing work on a "special feature" and controller support as recently as April 14, 2026, the game is still receiving active development attention.

Evidence

Developer explicitly states they are continuing work on 'one last special feature in the game and controller support,' confirming ongoing development.

news post · Apr 14, 2026 source development ongoing

high

Lift Level Update shipped: 13-tier difficulty progression system, 13 new achievements, and an infinite scaling difficulty mode added as a free post-launch update.

news post · Mar 6, 2026 source content shipped

high

Content

2 of 2 released · no outstanding content

Released

THE SPIRIT LIFT - Original Soundtrack

Jan 2026

Released

THE SPIRIT LIFT: Demo Soundtrack

Jun 2024

Media

Details

Developer

prettysmart games

Publisher

prettysmart games

Achievements

Platform

Windows

Controller

—

Steam Deck

Playable

Players

Single-player

Roguelike Deckbuilder Card Game Roguelike Roguelite Card Battler Strategy Horror Deckbuilding Turn-Based Combat Adventure 2D Procedural Generation 3D Psychological Horror Mystery

About this game

WELCOME TO THE VEXINGTON HOTEL

It's graduation night in Lucid Falls, and eight teenagers have wandered from the party only to discover THE SPIRIT LIFT, a magical elevator that transports them through 13 floors of monsters and mayhem!

This ever-changing 3D hotel changes depending on the boss which awaits them in the penthouse. Gather cards, gold, and gear while navigating the eerie corridors on the way to the top. Beware of unpredictable events and creepy enemies lurking in the shadows!

EACH TEAM CHANGES STRATEGY AND STORY

Familiar deck-building gameplay with a survival horror twist! Use your equipment deck to fight the creatures prowling the hotel. Upgrade cards as you gain experience, balancing your deck by blending four deck focuses any way you prefer. Decades of history have filled the halls with items from many eras, including plenty of '90s nostalgia. Even that one squiggly doodle cup everyone used to have.

Your trio of teenagers determines your start deck and so much more. Watch their relationships unfold as they answer riddles, discover their own backstories and use their individual strengths to bypass risky dilemmas.

BE KIND, REWIND, AND SEEK THE TRUTH LOST BEHIND

Death is encouraged in this deranged experiment! Unlock new characters, bosses, and events by playing multiple times and exploring different strategies. Learn how to collect more cards and gear by perusing the Library.

Win or lose, earn Spirit points to spend on customizing your next trip through the hotel. Discover hidden evidence, unexpected secrets and the lift's true purpose.

Accessibility and Content Information

Accessibility Features

Separate Volume Controls for Main (all audio), Music and SFX
All dialogue is readable on screen
Windowed or Fullscreen modes, resolution controls, brightness slider
Toggles for disabling flashing lights and screen shake
Toggle for outlining searchable objects to reduce pixel hunting
Toggles for hold to walk and hold to rotate
Movement controllable by on screen arrows or WASD
Walk and Rotate speed sliders
Mouse only controls

Let us know if there are other accessibility controls you would like:

Content Notes

Cartoon violence against non-human creatures, mention of alcohol and drugs, mild crude humor, mild cursing, spider-themed creatures, mild jump scares (creatures moving towards player to trigger a battle), depictions of guns and blades.