Developer of Only Up! Removes the Game From Steam Permanently Due to “Too Much Stress”

A janky but brutal platformer, Only Up! blew up this May after becoming a sensational hit with Twitch viewers. It’s one of 2023’s most viral Steam games to date. However, in a shocking and abrupt decision, the developer has removed the game from Steam, with no plans for it to return to the platform. In a post, the solo developer behind Only Up! stated that this was their first foray into making a game, and now they want to say goodbye to it.

Only Up, one of the biggest games of 2023 and a massive success with YouTubers and Twitch streamers, has been removed from Steam due to the developer's "stress."

Only Up is no longer available on Steam, and the developer will be working on a new game called Kith.#OnlyUp pic.twitter.com/dtJHoPpvKX — GameRiv (@GamerivGames) September 8, 2023

Only Up! launched in May 2023, offering a third-person platforming experience akin to the title Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy. The game’s popularity didn’t peak until well after its launch, as the indie heavily relied on word of mouth to reach its audience.

Thanks to its challenging nature, Only Up! got its big break when Twitch streamers like IShowSpeed, known for playing high-difficulty games started noticing it, ultimately leading to a viral sales period. The parkour game hit over 90,000 viewers on Twitch and 10,000 concurrency players in June. However, Only Up’s popularity declined significantly following its peak in July.

Only Up! had a ‘Mostly Positive’ review score after getting 12,000 user reviews, with some players praising its capricious 3D platforming. Still, a considerable chunk of negative reviews critiqued its glitchy physics and hasty designs. Considering that Only Up! was removed from Steam for allegedly stealing assets from other games previously, the title also gained notoriety for being a game that seemed like it was put together by slapping already-existing assets together. Let’s not forget that it advertised NFTs, too, with images of Goblintown tokens appearing on certain levels.

Indiesolodev, the brains behind Only Up!, wrote in the game’s Steam community that the title has kept him under a lot of stress for the past few months since Only Up! was released, and now they want to put the game behind them. He also stated that what he needs now is “pealing of mind and healing,” and he plans to take a pause to further his education on game design.

With new knowledge and experiences, Indiesolodev is prioritizing his sophomore project, “Kith.” He describes it as a completely different game from Only Up!, highlighting cinematography. We’re not entirely sure what that means until we see more footage. Still, Indiesolodev wants it to be created by a small team rather than being a solo thing again to prevent the stress of running as a solo operator.

Despite Its Sudden Disappearance, Only Up! Raked In Millions

Players are already mourning the loss of the game’s unexpected disappearance. Currently, Only Up! has already been delisted from Steam, but its user reviews remain. Despite its controversy, though, Only Up! was a massive success. It was priced at $6, and during its relatively short time on the biggest gaming storefront for PC platforms, it raked in around $2.6 million in gross revenue alone.

Will You Lose the Game If You Own It?

For those that have bought Only Up! Before the Steam listing has been torn down, there’s no need to fret—you won’t lose your purchase of it since there’s no indication of Steam ownership being rescinded. Only Up! will only be unavailable for those who don’t have or want to buy the game right now. Players will old purchases of Only Up! and will continue to have it in their libraries, available to play and download anytime.