A new difficult meme game is making the rounds in the streaming world, and a ton of content creators are struggling to speedrun it.
The game I’m referring to is called Only Up, and it was developed by a solo team called SCKR Games. Even though he is a one-man team, the creator of Only Up has achieved a ton of publicity for the game, most of it through Twitch streamers. More and more big-time YouTubers and streamers have started playing the game while also challenging their friends to try and finish it. An entire audience has started appearing around speed runs for the game, which is the core of what the game stands for.
What is Only Up the game about?
In the vein of games like Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy or Jump King, the main focus of the game is simple. You start in point A (ground level) and have to get to point B (up high in the sky). To get there you will have to make precise 3D platforming jumps on various types of objects and obstacles. While this might sound simple, just like in the games I mentioned, there is a catch: any mistake might lead you back to square one.
The entire level is built in such a way that any fall might lead you back all the way to the starting line. With a bit of luck, you can just land on a lower part of the level, but certain parts of the game are scripted to take you all the way to the start. Scattered throughout the level are mattresses that can be used to perform a super jump that can help you bypass certain parts of the level. But make no mistake, these can be a curse as much as a blessing. Making a good jump off of them is quite difficult, requiring a lot of practice. And if you mess up, the lower parts of the world await you.
Why are streamers so enamored with it?
Plenty of huge gamers from the streaming world are playing Only Up, including xQc, HasanAbi, Mizkif, and Dr. Disrespect, just to name a few. While most of them eventually gave up on the game and the difficulty spikes found throughout, some did finish it after multiple hours of struggle. xQc was the first of them, proving that his pro-gaming roots still matter.
But for streamers, finishing the game isn’t just about proving they have some mastery over 3D platformers. It’s more about a bit of friendly competition among the streaming community. And while they get to showboat about finishing the game to their friends, the small indie team over at SCKR Games is slowly raking it in from the popularity this is giving their game. This leads to show that sometimes marketing is best done with more modern techniques like betting on the competitive spirit of fellow gamers.
Only Up world records
As far as world records go, there are two categories for Only Up. One that is unrestricted, meaning players can use any glitches to their advantage, and a glitchless category. Currently, the glitchless category has a world record of 15 minutes and 44 seconds by QEIYO, while the unrestricted category has a world record of 4 seconds and 232 milliseconds. Below you can see the current glitchless world record.
