The indie puzzle game "How To Ride Elevators Like A Human" challenges players to navigate the universally awkward social situation of facing another person in a confined elevator space. Players take on the role of an alien using a tractor beam from a UFO to rearrange human passengers, ensuring no one makes direct eye contact. The game is described as a sokoban-style puzzle, but with an extraterrestrial twist.
The puzzles in "How To Ride Elevators Like A Human" escalate in complexity. Early levels involve simple rearrangements of a few passengers. As players progress, they encounter challenges such as immovable luggage that obstructs movement, and the introduction of children who create a two-tiered eyeline problem. Adults can see over children, and children can look up at adults, necessitating strategic placement to avoid any uncomfortable gazes.
The game, currently available as a Steam demo, features ten short levels. Its premise gained particular attention due to a humorous comparison drawn by an editor who linked the game's core mechanic to the perceived social behavior of a particular CEO. The comparison was made in response to a Forbes profile detailing the executive's approach to leadership, which was characterized by being "unafraid to create tensions." This, in turn, led to a playful suggestion that such individuals might be the type to avoid turning to face elevator doors, instead making eye contact with everyone.
This connection highlights the game's unique premise, which taps into relatable, albeit uncomfortable, social interactions. The developer, Nevele11, has created a compact and engaging experience that uses a simple mechanic to explore a peculiar aspect of human behavior, framed by an imaginative alien intervention.
