Above the Snow brings forth a somewhat unique premise, tasking players with building and managing a mountain climber’s lodge in a harsh alpine environment. The concept stands out immediately, blending hospitality management with business expansion with a bit of story thrown in.
As the session progressed, the game revealed additional layers — including some unexpected narrative tones and mechanics that introduced a subtle, and at times odd, criminal or mafia-like undertone to the experience. We had to constantly worry over getting wood, or ordering it to be delivered, to do most of the building inside and around the lodge. Constantly assigning and reassigning our three workers to the same jobs.
While the core idea remains interesting, the execution struggles to fully support it. Some of the systems as mentioned above felt on the rough side, and the experience would benefit significantly from quality-of-life improvements.
Across approximately five hours of gameplay, moments of enjoyment were present, but they were offset by friction within the mechanics and overall flow.
Above the Snow ultimately does not sustain its climb.
An eye will be kept for help signals and if it needs to be resurrected down the line it will be.
Pronouncement: Dead.