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LIFTED

LIFTED

Adventure Works L.L.C. · released Jul 22, 2026

ActionAdventureIndie

Get LIFTED! Play as slacker Ari, the accidental wingman in his professor's manic, love-fueled time heist. Swing, climb, and puzzle through history to outsmart rival tomb raiders in a cinematic '80s blockbuster adventure!

83
VGC Score
·No trend datalow confidence

anchored at patch: “Minor Patch 1.2” (19d ago)

79%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
100%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)0
All-time Steam reviews96%9148
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)100%9712
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 13, 2026) · 12 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 3.9 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (12)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 83
    trust 77Jul 23, 2026

    Lifted is designed for all players, not just seasoned vets. It's welcoming to even the youngest of gamers, but the settings can be tinkered to make it more of a challenge. The game is created by Jeff Ashbrook, a former Disney Imagineer. With that experience, his goal to make a game that appeals to everyone and tells a riveting interactive story is fully realized. It's a solid choice for any gamer who loves a good adventure, is ideal for families, fans of story-driven platformers, or anyone craving a lighthearted adventure. It's not perfect, it's a little on the short side, has its share of camera glitches, and may be too easy for some, but it's still a fun experience. The game has heart, a lot of feel-good moments, and will keep you smiling from beginning to end.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 76Jul 22, 2026

    All in all, LIFTED is a charming, funny and, for the most part, laid-back platformer that will particularly appeal to families with children, casual gamers and fans of 1980s films. Whilst more experienced veterans of the genre will have no trouble completing it in a single afternoon, and may not find its mechanical simplicity entirely satisfying, it works reliably as an accessible little game.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 70Jul 21, 2026

    LIFTED is a short adventure, but it makes good use of its just over three hours. The game introduces new ideas, alternates between puzzles and precision platforming, and reaches its conclusion before its structure starts to become repetitive.

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  • 68
    trust 66Jul 22, 2026

    LIFTED is a good idea that needed more time to mature. Its short length, simplistic level design, uneven dialogue, and technical problems hold it back from real greatness, but the colorful presentation and accessible gameplay make it worth checking out for younger players or families looking for a short game to play together.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 64Aug 17, 2026

    Overall, LIFTED shows how you may pay tribute to a favorite work but still maintain your own individuality throughout. You can feel the influence of Back to the Future from the very beginning and throughout the entire adventure, but the game’s great sense of humor, various puzzles, slick platforming and playful art design allow it to retain a personality of its own. In this sense, it offers a good answer to the question asked at the beginning of this review.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 61Jul 22, 2026

    I want to keep this review short and sweet, just like the game. This isn’t the deepest game of all time. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. But it ran smoothly even on my potato laptop, and I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time, which doesn’t happen much. If you like platformers and a good, silly time, you’ll love this one for sure. The only thing holding me back from a perfect score is that it does play oh so very safely within the boundaries of the genre, so it’s hard to call it a “must play.” That said, this is a very, very fun game, and you are guaranteed a fun time!

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  • 75
    trust 60Jul 31, 2026

    This is a very promising debut for Adventure Works. It doesn’t break new ground within the genre, but it manages to create a charming, entertaining adventure with a very distinct identity, thanks to its setting, its humour and its constant journey through different historical periods

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 60Jul 21, 2026

    If the overuse of perfect didn’t give it away, I have to give LIFTED the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. This game really is just a nice break from other games that are coming out at the moment. After seeing how highly Stu rated the demo I was a little apprehensive, but I can fully agree that this game definitely deserves to be added to everyone’s Steam library.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 59Aug 5, 2026

    Lifted brings together the joy of watching your favorite movie with a simple platformer, and I had a blast playing it. There were a lot of cutscenes that gave the enjoyment of watching a movie, so they didn’t distract from the gameplay. The gameplay itself was simple, but well done for the most part and made the journey enjoyable. While I do wish the game was a little bit longer, I have found that going back for the collectibles feels worth it. While the puzzles weren’t challenging, finding the collectibles can be, and earning the new outfits feels like an achievement. Overall, Lifted focuses on bringing joy to the player. Nothing’s so hard as to cause frustration, and the wackiness of the story kept me smiling for the whole playthrough. If you’re looking for a fun, enjoyable couple of hours, I’d suggest Lifted.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 57Aug 4, 2026

    It’s a 2.5D platformer that…plays exactly how you’d expect a 2.5D platformer to play.

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  • 80
    trust 56Jul 22, 2026

    Lifted is a special little game that manages to effortlessly charm despite its imperfections. It’s a throwback to classic platforming I didn’t know I was needing, all the while being the Back to the Future sequel I know I have dreamed about for decades. I hope it’s not the last we see of Ari Buktu, and I’ll happily board his time-travelling elevator again, anytime.

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  • 60
    trust 56Jul 21, 2026

    As expected from the mind of a Disney Imagineer, Lifted is a retro inspired platformer that feels like a trip to Disney. It's an experience that channels your inner-child with charm, whimsy and fun, but it’s also full of frustrations like long lines, sweltering heat, high prices, rude people and crying kids. In the case of Lifted, it’s unrefined gameplay, minimal challenge, forgettable story, and extremely short runtime. How much you enjoy your adventure will depend on what part of the experience you focus on?

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Minor Patch 1.2
    Aug 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Minor Patch 1.1
    Jul 25, 2026