Kletka is a survival horror game where players must feed a hungry elevator. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of the demo, and more.

Everything We Know About KLETKA

KLETKA Plot

Players take on the roles of convicted criminals sentenced to navigate the depths of the Gigastructure, an endlessly expanding facility filled with traps and anomalies. Your survival hinges on maintaining the living elevator, Kletka, which serves as both your lifeline and greatest threat. To keep it operational and to avoid becoming its next meal, you must constantly feed it fuel or flesh, whether from the Gigastructure itself or from your own friends.

KLETKA Gameplay

KLETKA is a survival horror game where players must progress through a massive facility filled with monsters and traps. To do so, they must continuously feed the elevator with fuel or anything else that may seem edible. The elevator itself is alive and must be fed to prevent it from considering its passengers as dinner. However, the only way to obtain food for the elevator is to scavenge the Gigastructure’s halls and rooms. Players must, therefore, venture into the darkness to survive, relying on their wits and teamwork until they reach the end of their journey.

KLETKA Release Date

KLETKA was released on December 13, 2024, on Steam. It will remain in Early Access for approximately 12 months, according to its Steam Store page, after which it will launch with additional enemies, greater area variety, mini-bosses, and more.

KLETKA Review (Early Access)

It's Like Having a Pet—Fun

Ever tried jumping in an elevator while it’s going down? You know, just to feel gravity loosen its hold on your body for a moment. Of course, I’m not talking about when it’s free-falling to your possible doom—that’s both dangerous and, obviously, not something you can repeat. I’ve done it plenty of times, and depending on how fast the elevator descends, the experience ranges from exhilarating to bitterly disappointing.

Not that you should try it. You might end up triggering the elevator’s load sensor. This is especially true if you’re inside Kletka, the game’s living elevator, whose gaping maw stretches across its entire ceiling. After all, losing your head to a lift that doesn’t even bother to brush its teeth doesn’t sound like a thrilling time.

So, what exactly is Kletka, and what’s the point of the game named after our big, ravenous, and undeniably handsome friend?

The Premise Makes a Lot of Sense

Kletka is a man-eating elevator embedded in the heart of a terrifying, endlessly-expanding facility known as the Gigastructure. Prisoners are thrown into Kletka and sent to the Gigastructure, possibly as some twisted form of entertainment for those still living above. While staying inside Kletka may feel intimidating, it’s actually much safer beneath its jaws than anywhere else within the Gigastructure.

That’s because the Gigastructure itself is teeming with traps, anomalies, and actual monsters that won’t hesitate to feast on your intestines. Kletka, on the other hand, is perfectly content as long as it’s fed, leaving you with the relatively straightforward task of scavenging its food from the Gigastructure’s halls. In that sense, Kletka might seem like a circumstantial ally—intimidating but reliable.

This perspective makes scavenging for Kletka’s snacks oddly satisfying, as your efforts feel purposeful rather than questionable. Unlike, say, earning money to identify what kind of ghost is haunting a school. Shouldn’t that job come with the exorcism instead?

Adding to the immersion are the amusing convictions that landed you in the Gigastructure in the first place. Stealing two cans of beer from the 69th floor of a store? Torturing a cellmate with a wrench? These backstories aren’t just flavor text, either. They directly impact gameplay by providing specialties, such as buffs that increase the speed at which you disarm traps.

Horror Is Secondary to Enjoyment

The game is designed to be played with friends. Sure, you can play solo, but there’s a lot of dying involved. And if your HP drops to zero without anyone to bribe the Gigastructure’s vending machines with beer, that’s it—it’s over. Unfortunately, playing with friends introduces an entirely different problem: the game simply stops being scary once you do.

For some reason, most co-op survival horror games lose much of their horror appeal as soon as you factor in multiple players working together. Maybe it’s just the natural result of playing video games with friends? Then again, that doesn’t explain why Phasmophobia remains terrifying even with a full lobby.

Regardless, what Kletka nails is engaging gameplay that works well whether you’re solo or playing with others. The gameplay loop is simple: scavenge for fuel to keep your pet elevator fed, avoid the monsters, and progress through the floors. This simplicity provides room for the game to include quirky and entertaining features, like playable guitars or the ability to feed your dead teammate to the elevator.

Kletka must feed, and feed it shall.

Dying Isn’t a Lot of Fun, Though

Unfortunately, while dying does provide Kletka with enough snacks to keep it satiated for a while, it leaves you unable to participate in the game until you are revived. Unlike games such as Sons of the Forest, where you can pick up downed teammates before they bleed out, or Apex Legends, where teammates can respawn, KLETKA employs a different revival mechanic.

To revive, you’ll need around thirty bottles, which are scattered across each level. These bottles are used to bribe—err, pay—the “Live Beer” vending machines to bring a teammate back to life.

Yes, you heard that right: one teammate. If two friends are spectating from the sidelines, only one will be revived, and you can’t even choose who. The game randomly selects who to bring back, which might end up being the person currently distracted by gacha games on the toilet. (Totally not me.)

Compounding the challenge is the scarcity of bottles. While you can find a few here and there, gathering thirty is a tall order, especially in the deeper levels of the Gigastructure, where danger is significantly more prevalent.

Even so, the game remains an entertaining experience with friends. Playing solo? Not as much. But for just $9.99, KLETKA offers plenty of content in its early access state, making it worth checking out with your crew.

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KLETKA Product Information

Title	KLETKA
Release Date	December 13, 2024
Developer	ln404, Callback
Publisher	ln404, Callback
Supported Platforms	PC
Genre	Survival, Horror
Number of Players	1-6
ESRB Rating	TBD
Official Website	Developer Website

Alfonso Majarucon

Writer of things from game, anime and manga reviews to news and webnovels. Hopelessly addicted to story-driven games, especially cross-platform ones. Favorite games include Punishing Gray Raven, Arknights, Limbus Company, Elden Ring, Touhou, Soul Nomad and the Disgaea series (except 3 and 6). Avid..