High Above
Preview
Simply Building
by Quinn Levandoski
previewed on PC
A Game That's It's Own Reward
High Above is less like a traditional video game and more like a really pretty set of LEGO bricks. Like the game or not, you can't say that Alex - the sole developer - isn't incredibly straightforward about what this game is. There's no resource management or "skills" to test or improve. There's no end goal. No, more than a game, High Above is a sandbox that allows the user to play and, as the developer notes, hopefully leave their problems behind. I like that.
Instead of traditional levels or challenges, High Above does a phenomenal job building atmosphere and encouraging players to unwind and disappear into its charming world for as long as they'd like. I was given the opportunity to play an early demo of this relaxing tower builder, and while options were minimal here, there was already a lot to like.
The elevator pitch for High Above is straightforward. Players choose one of several settings and aesthetics and use a cornucopia of pieces and customization options to put together the building of their dreams. Well, not quite a whole building; High Above, as the name implies, limits its scope to rooftops above the clouds. But there's a lot you can do with that. Each rooftop starts with a simple monolith, which can be sized, moved, added to, and customized. The risk with these types of sandbox games is that the pure experience needs to carry the entire burden of the game's quality - there aren't any carrots to dangle in front of players to make them want to keep playing. The reward is the journey. So, in High Above, is the virtual set of blocks enough? Well, it's too early to tell.
A Small Slice
While some preview builds are nearly complete, a letter that appears on-screen at the start of the preview makes it clear from the get-go that this is very much a small sample of what's to come in terms of content and polish. I appreciate a developer releasing part of their product and truly opening up to feedback to improve the game, but it does make it hard to publish this preview. A game like High Above will ultimately live or die based on how interesting and expansive the final selection of items and customization items is, and I wasn't able to get a great idea of where that content total will land on full release.
The first choice that players make asks them to select a setting, which affects the rooftop's background, the look of the building itself, and, presumably, some of the customization options (though the specifics are unclear). The options are quite unique, which is exciting; the menu previews the ability to select from Europe, Japan, Modern, and Futuristic. In this preview build, only Europe was available, so that's what I was able to mess around with.
Customization & Room For Growth
From there, as I mentioned, each build starts with an empty space, the screen filled only with some clouds and rocky, mountainous pillars in the distance. I dropped in my first building, and then I was left to my own devices to create. I chose a railing design, then I added a door. I popped up another spire of building connected to the first to create a lower level accessible by stairs and a walkway that connected to a third platform. I designated a garden space and added several plants and a greenhouse, made a cozy reading space with comfortable seating, and designed a little bar area with some fun signage. I could customize the materials for a few surfaces, and sliders control weathering and light cosmetic damage for walls and floors.
It's fun, but, as mentioned, choices right now are limited. There are plenty of prop options for the categories that are there - like plants, seating, lighting, etc - but High Above definitely needs a much deeper catalogue of categories to customize spaces. Fortunately, that's surely coming. It's also worth noting that there are some fun customization options besides the buildings themselves. The building screen naturally progresses through a day and night cycle, but that cycle can be sped up or slowed down. The fog/cloud and mountain heights can be adjusted. Players can even tweak how many birds fly around and change between clear skies and rain. There's no specific point to these settings - they don't interact with the building in any way - but, like everything else here, they're about building atmosphere. Sometimes you want to spend time making a lively rooftop hangout spot, and sometimes the vibe is cozy, rainy isolation.
While it's too early to pass any meaningful judgment on High Above, it's fair to say that it's worth keeping an eye on for those who enjoy sandbox games and titles with no grander ambitions than building atmosphere. How much more will be added and how long the formula can stay fresh have yet to be seen, but I'll be back to find out myself once High Above launches in full.
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