Sky the Scraper is a roguelike action adventure that combines window cleaning with the main character’s personal narrative. I woke up as Sky, a young adult who recently moved out of their childhood home and is starting to learn the challenges of adulthood. Sky’s perilous job as a window cleaner demanded immense effort and energy. I had to carefully manage energy levels, both on and off the job, to ensure I could earn enough rent within a tight deadline.
The game’s tutorial introduces the core mechanics: swinging, scraping, and managing stamina to avoid falling. After reading a few texts from my landlord and family with updates of my life, it was time to start my new job for real. I scraped those walls and windows quickly to try to earn enough money for my rent. It was a mad dash to clean as much as I could before the time ran out. The controls were intuitive and allowed me to enjoy the game without stressing about what button to press next. A delightful surprise was encountering balloons, which temporarily disregarded stamina, allowing for uninterrupted scraping.
After the first job, I was back at my apartment and was given the option to sleep or do a relaxing activity. Both options used up precious time that I had to earn money, but not giving Sky time to recoup meant I had less stamina when on the job. These activities, however, offer benefits such as increased skills that can be selected from a skill tree. I enjoyed having to think critically and be strategic about how I spent my time.
Sky the Scraper exceeded my expectations with its narrative focus. The constant theme of work-life balance resonated deeply with me, making the game feel particularly relatable. Between the hustle and bustle of city life and swinging high on the towering skyscrapers, the game’s picturesque art style immersed me in Sky’s world. The high stakes window cleaning adventures felt both challenging and rewarding to see Sky’s success each day. Sky’s ambition, personal relationships, and financial struggles added depth to the narrative making me invested in Sky’s life. I’m looking forward to scraping up this game, in late Q4, to see how Sky’s character develops and their interactions evolve.
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