THE SPIRIT LIFT has officially checked in on PC via Steam, inviting players into a retro-styled horror deckbuilder set inside a haunted hotel straight out of the ’90s. Developed by prettysmart games, this eerie roguelike blends strategic card combat, party-based progression, and supernatural mystery into a replayable nightmare that’s designed to keep pulling you back in.
Each run begins by assembling a team of three teen paranormal investigators from a roster of eight characters. Your choices matter immediately—every character tweaks your starting deck, alters combat strategies, and even unlocks different story beats and lore revelations. From there, it’s time to explore a long-abandoned hotel spanning 13 floors, each packed with secrets, gear, upgrades, and escalating threats. Clear a floor, hop in the elevator, and brace yourself for whatever horrors await above.
The hotel’s halls are crawling with hostile spectres, possessed objects, and aggressive poltergeists determined to end your run early. Strategic card-based battles are the key to survival as you fight your way upward toward the penthouse suite, where a powerful and charismatic final boss awaits. Along the way, players can unlock new starting cards for each party member and fine-tune their loadout to better handle the challenges ahead.
Items and weapons play a huge role in shaping each run. You’ll scavenge everything from firefighter axes and night-vision goggles to rollerblades, all of which feed into THE SPIRIT LIFT’s deep deckbuilding systems. Between encounters, you can visit the hotel’s oddly charming shopkeeper—who just so happens to be a wolf—to add new abilities and cards to your evolving deck. Defeating enemies grants experience, letting you choose upgrades that enhance a select set of powerful cards rather than bloating your deck.
Experimentation is heavily encouraged. Spirit Points earned through play can be spent on long-term customization, rewarding both success and failure. Even death is part of the progression loop, making each run feel worthwhile. Players can also dig into the game’s hidden lore through the Library, take on custom challenges, and face multiple bosses scattered throughout the hotel.
“Our deck of 200+ cards features peculiar, retro items that offer a ton of advantages,” said Miko Charbonneau, Creative Director and Studio Lead at prettysmart games. “You can dish out damage with a tennis racket, stun enemies with a disposable camera, or heal the team with a literal adrenaline shot. You can also equip over 90 pieces of gear including mood rings and slap bracelets. We’re even more excited to see players uncover all the secrets we packed into the game, from horror references and evidence files to hidden story paths that reveal why these teens are doomed to relive graduation night over and over.”
THE SPIRIT LIFT is available now on PC via Steam for $19.99 USD, with a limited-time 10% launch discount. If you’re craving a stylish horror roguelike that respects your time while rewarding curiosity and experimentation, this haunted hotel might be worth checking into.