Ski lifts, those contraptions that take you to great skiing and snowboarding experiences. They are also contraptions that you constantly pray do not fail while you are on them, so you will not fall to your doom. When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is an interesting puzzle game based around these devices and it surprisingly has a lot of depth.
I admit I wasn’t expecting the game to be anything more than a lemmings clone at first, but the game is so much more than that. A closer comparison is the Bridge Constructor series, but there is a slight difference. The difference is that Bridge Constructor seems to click right away, while When Ski Lifts Go Wrong takes a while to do so. Its not that its a bad game, but rather that the game just doesn’t hook you right away. When it does click though, it gets really good.
As you slowly ease your way in, you will find yourself building new ways for skiers and snowboarders to get from start to finish without dying. To get this done right, you will need to learn what works and what doesn’t. This is a lot easier said than done though, because different structures have their own strengths and weaknesses and each need to be addressed. Then there is the fact that you must factor in cost of what you can afford in game. Just because something makes for a good structure, doesn’t mean you can get it right away. You will need to work your way up and deal with amusing gruesome deaths.
Wait, did I say amusing? My goodness yes I did, as the game has the skiers and snowboarders die in hilarious ways when the ski lifts do indeed go wrong. It’s the highlight of the game for me, but there is still enough of a pull to do better than you do not just dwell on it. The only real issue I had with the game is the levels that shift to control the snowboarders and skiers more directly. They are a bit jarring and do not fit well at all.
Overall, I liked When Ski Lifts Go Wrong. It takes a while to get used to and isn’t perfect, but when its good, it is very good. I recommend checking it out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.