John Paul Jones (Game Watcher) reviewed Skyhill:

SKYHILL PC Review

It’s difficult not to be attracted to the premise of Skyhill. Developed by Russian code-house Mandragora Games, Skyhill whisks players to the top floor of a hotel skyscraper following the aftermath of World War III, where with flesh-eating mutants now roaming about the place, they are forced to survive a one-hundred floor descent to the exit. Self-described as a ‘click and survive game’, Skyhill combines two-dimensional procedural generated levels, combat and crafting to create an experience which while might appear unique and fresh, sadly fails to fulfil its potential.

Undoubtedly the biggest problem lies in the variety, or rather, the lack of it. Despite embracing a procedurally generated content model, Skyhill’s searchable interiors all feel far too similar to one another. A big reason for this grating as much as it does is that the level layouts themselves are horrendously simplistic, with a main lobby and a single room on either side being the de-facto layout repeated throughout the game’s hundred or so floors.

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SKYHILL VERDICT

Ultimately, Skyhill brings to mind 11-bit Studios seminal survivalist opus This War of Mine, though in doing so it invites comparisons it can’t possibly survive as the former feels much more reduced in scope and flair than the latter. While entertaining for the most part then, Skyhill’s ease of play and encouragingly gentle roguelike mechanics are not quite enough to allow the game to reach the ambitious heights of the structure that it takes as its namesake.

TOP GAME MOMENT

Getting a close call by eeking out a kill with just a few HP left.

Our score:

6.5 - Average

Good vs. Bad

+ Easy to pick up and play with a neat hunger/health dynamic.
+ Roguelike gameplay empowers rather than punishes with each new attempt.

- Level layouts are extremely basic.
- Combat is unsatisfying and devoid of flair.

It’s difficult not to be attracted to the premise of Skyhill. Developed by Russian code-house Mandragora Games, Skyhill whisks players to the top floor of a hotel skyscraper following the aftermath of World War III, where with flesh-eating mutants now roaming about the place, they are forced to survive a one-hundred floor descent to the exit. Self-described as a ‘click and survive game’, Skyhill combines two-dimensional procedural generated levels, combat and crafting to create an experience which while might appear unique and fresh, sadly fails to fulfil its potential.

Undoubtedly the biggest problem lies in the variety, or rather, the lack of it. Despite embracing a procedurally generated content model, Skyhill’s searchable interiors all feel far too similar to one another. A big reason for this grating as much as it does is that the level layouts themselves are horrendously simplistic, with a main lobby and a single room on either side being the de-facto layout repeated throughout the game’s hundred or so floors.

- See more at: http://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/skyhill-review/12353#sthash.gOjLmdUM.dpuf

Here are a bunch of reviews for the recently released Skyhill.

Modive, 84%

I like to say i’ve attempted every kind of roguelike game at least once, but this is not like any text-based or arena roguelike that i’ve played so far.

I don’t think that it’s a game I would play for a long period of time, but being able to start a run then save and quit and come back to it makes SKYHILL the perfect 10-minute break game to spend your time on.

Gaming Cypher, 4/5

As you begin to get to level 50 and below of the building, the enemies seem to triple so you will begin to lose points a lot faster. Once your health and hunger points are depleted, you have lost.

Our only complaint about this super fun game, is that once you die, you cannot save your progress, but will have to start all over again. But this also made us craftier and smarter about making better hunger/health choices the more that we played.

Hooked Gamers, 8

If you want a punishing but fun experience, you may yet consider booking your suite at Skyhill. If you can push on through all the frustrations, all the randomly generated 'F-You' moments you'll have to endure, and every inevitable death just to get a little further each time, then Skyhill is your game. If you can't, well, then you probably aren't a roguelike fan anyway.

Gamers Honest Truth, 7.2

Roguelites are repetitive games. In Skyhill you explore and battle your way down 100 floors of carnage and whether you die or succeed, your next goal is to do it again. So I would be lying to say it isn’t repetitive. But Mandragora has succeeded in making a game where jumping right back in again is fun. Whether to brave the floors of the Skyhill again because you died and want revenge or to try and chase down one of the game’s other endings(of which there appears to be three), there’s a satisfying feeling to starting another journey downstairs. While the game is far from perfect, it’s a good example of what roguelites need to do to stand out from the crowd. Now I think it’s about time that I check back in to the Hotel Skyhill.

Cybershack, 4.5/5

Skyhill is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Its deep crafting system, fun exploration, rewarding progression, and interesting setting all make for yet another wonderful jaunt through the post apocalypse. Managing resources provides a measure of difficulty to the game, and random generation means each run feel fresh. If you’re a fan of rogue-lites or post-apocalyptic RPGs, Skyhill is worth your time.

Gamereactor UK, 8

We weren't sure what to expect of Skyhill, but we must admit that the game surprised us, and we kept going back for more. So to answer to our original question regarding whether it does enough to stand out from the crowd: it most certainly does. Skyhill isn't scared of being unique or different. It doesn't boast an open world, hundreds of quests, or over-the-top cutscenes. It dares to be uncomplicated and it stays true to its nature all the way through - for better and for worse

PC Invasion, 6

Its comic book-styled art looks lovely and it’s got a lot of much-appreciated little features, like the ability to speed up all of the animations… but it’s also a game with some heavy fundamental flaws and a lack of content which makes me reticent to recommend it too highly at its £11.99 price point. None of the problems are insurmountable: there’s enough of merit here that I’d love to take a look at it again after a few patches, some DLC, or a sequel, because I reckon developers Mandragora are onto something here. It just needs refinement.

Destructoid reviewed the rogue-like survival RPG Skyhill:

'We're on an express elevator to hell!'

100 floors up, countless mutants on the way down, and only one way out of town. No, this isn’t your average council estate in Swansea.

This is Skyhill.
One man’s late-night extravagance ends up being his good fortune as Perry Jason’s penthouse suite shields him from a biological attack. Every guest and staff worker is transformed into a bloodthirsty mutant, leaving him the only human seemingly left alive. But without supplies and a wife lost to the city, he has no choice but to venture down 100 floors to escape this hotel-turned-house of horrors. Sounds easy, right? If only he wasn't already starving to death and in need of some makeshift weapons.

Skyhill has the look of a horror game, but it’s a light RPG/roguelike/survival game at heart. You scavenge for food and items, combine ingredients for better supplies, all the while keeping an eye on your increasing hunger pains. It's not a scary game, especially with the comic book horror presentation, but it does an excellent job of handing the tension over to the player and their decisions. Every new floor is a gamble, every consumable carries short-term and long-term effects, and every push downward has to be thought out in advance. Essentially, Skyhill is about knowing when to hold and when to fold.

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Still, Skyhill manages to be a decent stab at survivalist horror; rightfully using certain mechanics to avoid an even lesser game. It’s hard to imagine the combat working in real time due to the tiny spaces, or that if every room were visually more complex, it would lead to some tiresome pixel hunting. In a way, Skyhill is economical in what it does, even if it means being the old double-edged sword.

That said, when you get right down to the core of it, see how the elements work in your favour or conspire against you, Skyhill admirably creates this tense game of hubris and courage, one that never lets up until you escape or, far more likely, die.

Score: 7/10

Trailer:

-> Steam

Gareth Cartwright (WeGotThisCovered) has reviewed the rogue-like survival RPG Skyhill:

When I got the chance to preview Skyhill earlier this year, I went into it wondering just what would really be on offer. On the surface, it had pretty much everything I get excited about in a game; post-apocalyptic setting, RPG-inspired crafting and experience mechanics and even the gut-wrenching task of securing survival at all costs. All of the ingredients for a pretty great game, wouldn’t you say? Given the modest set-up, however, you’d be forgiven for fearing that the sum of its parts wouldn’t quite add up to hit the heights.

Fortunately, Skyhill does not disappoint. Developer Mandragora has put together an immensely satisfying experience that can keep its players entertained for either a few moments or even a few hours depending on their skill, endurance and even how well lady luck may be smiling on them.

So, what’s it all about? Well, in short, there’s been a fairly catastrophic nuclear event and the world has turned to all hell. Your character, an average Joe who’d been staying in the titular hotel’s executive, 100th floor suite soon finds the disastrous events have had an effect in the hotel itself, too, and it seems escape is the only chance for survival. Having been holed up in his room for some time, he finds the courage to leave his suite and start the hundred floor descent through the dark and dangerous building.

A quick dash down the floors to safety? How hard could that be? Well, given that the power has shut down almost entirely, most of the supplies are exhausted AND the majority of the other inhabitants have either mutated or turned into murderous psychotics, it turns out it can be very hard indeed. At its core, this is simply a game about survival and the only way to secure this is to make it from the top floor to the ground floor exit. There are no lives or do-overs in Skyhill, though, and so if you succumb to one of the many threats in the hotel, then you’re right back to square one.

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Score: 4.5/5 - Fantastic

Skyhill's set-up is a harrowing reality, while the challenge it offers players is both terrifically fun and nightmarishly difficult. It is a true test of your gaming endurance.

Adam Smith (Rock, Paper, Shotgun) can't stop playing the rogue-like RPG Skyhill:

Even as Skyhill’s [official site] protagonist books into the eponymous hotel, it’s clear that all is not well with the world. The penthouse suite, he’s told, comes with the best in biological protection, which doesn’t mean a gratuity pack of condoms concealed in the fruit bowl and champagne welcoming gift. World War III is happening, y’see, and there are all sorts of nasty weapons primed to launch. And that’s just what happens – a biological weapon hits the city and the chap you control is the sole survivor. Time for a turn-based trek through one hundred floors of hell.

I’ve been playing the demo of Skyhill today and every time I die, I shut it off and wonder if I’ll ever bother to go back. Half an hour later, I try again.

It’s a slot machine, essentially. Each floor of the hotel has three rooms – the elevator entrance and two suites, one at each side. The contents are randomised and you’ll be hunting for bits and pieces to combine so that you can make weapons, healthcare, tools and meals. You don’t have to figure out ‘recipes’, the crafting menu tells you what you need to make every unlocked item, and along with your inventory there are only two essential stats to keep track of: health and hunger. The latter drains as you move and can be converted into health by returning to the penthouse (either using the stairs or the elevator, which is only available on certain floors, where the doors are intact) and sleeping. [...]

Thanks Eye!

The rogue-like Skyhill will be released on October 6.
Some gameplay footage from Rob Cram:

World War III has come and gone and, as one of the few survivors, you opted to hide out in your fancy-ass penthouse at the Skyhill Hotel while things settled down. Life was good until you noticed your supplies were running low. When you headed downstairs, you discovered that mutants had filled the building, and the only way to fight them off was to craft weapons while you solve puzzles to get out.

Making your way through Skyhill is dangerous. Everything is out to kill you, and your stamina is weak. It’s clear that your character did not spend those three months in blissful relaxation working out. But there is no time to waste any more…

 

Key Features

• Roguelike RPG gameplay in an apocalyptic-zombie setting
• Randomly generated map for each new session
• Level up, craft weapons and search for useful things and food to survive
• Face an army of bizarre creatures and enemies on your way down
• Turn-based risk vs. reward combat system
• Hit them in the head or body – your choice
• Fix the elevator for speed traveling
• Upgrade your bed (honestly)

-> Steam