Elevator… to the Moon!

In ‘Elevator… to the Moon!’, players take on the role of a lunarnaut tasked with building a wildly unstable elevator to the moon for the eccentric President of the World, Doug-Slater Roccmeier. The game offers a blend of immersive VR puzzles, exploration, and comedic narrative, allowing players to either follow the president’s whimsical orders or cause chaotic mischief. With a fully voiced president reacting to your actions and a control scheme designed for maximum comfort, players can choose their own path to the moon in this unique adventure.

Elevator… to the Moon!: A Whimsical Ascent into VR Absurdity

Introduction

“Elevator… to the Moon!” is not just a game—it’s a slapstick odyssey into the absurd, blending sardonic humor with inventive VR puzzle-solving. Released in 2017 by Roccat Games Studio GmbH, this title asks players to embrace chaos as they construct a ludicrous lunar elevator for the megalomaniacal President of the World, Doug-Slater Roccmeier. While the game flew under the radar for many, its blend of interactive comedy, player agency, and VR innovation cements it as a cult gem in the indie VR landscape.

Development History & Context

Studio Vision & Technological Constraints
Roccat Games Studio GmbH, better known for hardware peripherals than game development, ventured into VR with a clear mandate: to create an accessible, vomit-free experience that capitalized on the nascent VR boom of the mid-2010s. Developed using Unity, Elevator… to the Moon! targeted early adopters of headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, while later ports to Oculus Go, Nintendo Switch, and Android expanded its reach. The studio’s focus on “Rad-Roomscale mode” and customizable control schemes reflected an attempt to democratize VR gameplay, accommodating players with limited physical space.

The 2017 Gaming Landscape
The game arrived during a wave of VR experimentation, alongside titles like Job Simulator and Superhot VR. However, it distinguished itself with a narrative-driven, comedic approach rather than purely mechanical innovation. Its timing was both a blessing (VR hype) and a curse (market saturation), ultimately limiting its commercial breakout.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot & Characters
Players assume the role of a nameless “lunarnaut” tasked with repairing a malfunctioning moon-bound elevator for President Roccmeier, a caricature of authoritarian buffoonery. The narrative unfolds through Roccmeier’s pompous directives, delivered via fully voiced, reactive dialogue. The game’s branching paths allow players to either obey orders (resulting in a comically unstable elevator), sabotage the mission (triggering chaotic outcomes), or carve their own middle path.

Themes & Satire
Beneath its zany exterior, the game critiques blind obedience to authority and the folly of grandiose technological projects. Roccmeier’s delusions of grandeur—echoing real-world figures—are juxtaposed with the player’s mundane repair work, creating a thematic tension between ambition and practicality. Hidden collectibles and environmental storytelling (e.g., secret documents mocking Roccmeier’s incompetence) deepen the satire, rewarding exploration.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop & Puzzles
The gameplay revolves around physics-based puzzles, requiring players to repair elevator systems while juggling Roccmeier’s absurd demands. Tasks range from welding unstable panels to defusing explosive chickens, all leveraging VR motion controls for tactile immersion. The “Rad-Roomscale” mode encourages physical movement, though smaller spaces can utilize snap-turning and stationary play.

Innovations & Flaws
The game’s adaptive control scheme was ahead of its time, offering flexibility for diverse VR setups. However, its puzzle design occasionally falters: some objectives lack clarity, and physics glitches can disrupt immersion. The “virtually vomit-free” promise mostly holds, thanks to smooth locomotion options, though rapid movements in “Endless Mode” test even hardy VR stomachs.

Replayability & Achievements
With multiple endings (including a rebellion-fueled “VIDA Ending”) and achievements like “Caveman Cooking” (grilling a steak for Roccmeier) and “U.F.O.” (foiling alien cookie theft), the game incentivizes experimentation. Community guides, like those for the elusive “Children… Wake Up” achievement, highlight its depth.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Visual Design
The game’s aesthetic is a retro-futuristic mishmash, combining gleaming sci-fi tech with slapstick props (e.g., explosive poultry). The elevator’s cluttered interior brims with hidden gags, such as Roccmeier’s vanity projects scrawled on whiteboards. While textures are simplistic—a concession to VR hardware limits—the art direction compensates with personality.

Sound Design
Roccmeier’s vainglorious voice acting anchors the experience, dripping with narcissism and punchline-delivery. Ambient sounds (clanking metal, hissing steam) ground the elevator’s rickety structure, while whimsical music punctuates the absurdity. The omission of subtitles in some languages, per Steam forum complaints, remains a notable oversight.

Reception & Legacy

Launch Reception
Critically, the game garnered niche acclaim. Steam reviews praise its humor and creativity (89/100 on Steambase), though the lack of Metacritic scores and MobyGames critic reviews underscores its under-the-radar status. Players championed its replayability but critiqued occasional jankiness.

Enduring Influence
While not a genre-defining hit, Elevator… to the Moon! demonstrated VR’s potential for narrative comedy. Its interplay of player choice and reactive humor echoes in later titles like Trover Saves the Universe. The 2019 Nintendo Switch port, while stripped of VR, introduced the game to new audiences, cementing its cult status.

Conclusion

Elevator… to the Moon! is a flawed yet fondly remembered experiment—a game unafraid to marry bureaucratic satire with VR whimsy. Its legacy lies not in polish, but in its audacity to ask, “What if building a moon elevator was as ridiculous as it sounds?” For VR enthusiasts and comedy fans alike, it remains a quirky ascent worth taking.