Thank you Konstantin Pilipaka for sending us this game to review!

Up and Down is aptly named for a game that only requires two keys/buttons to play. You can either use the up and down arrow keys or the W and S keys. There are two arrow buttons on the screen that can be clicked on or tapped if you have a touch screen. The rest of the movement is handled by what area your avatar lands on.

The map consists of spaces with directional arrows that will send your avatar to the right or the left. There are also blocks in place that will give your avatar a much needed stopping point. You'll also find hazards like spinning blades that need to be avoided at all costs. You only have one life per level so choose your up and down movements carefully!

Your goal is to collect all of the jewels on the map.  However, just because you’ve collected all of the jewels doesn’t mean you’ll beat the level.  Many of the maps have jewels with multiple colors and you have to collect all of the same color before moving onto the next.  If you mix and match colors, the number of points needed to clear the level will not be met.  

There are one hundred and one predefined levels and you have to unlock them one by one. It doesn’t take long for the difficulty to ramp up on this deceptively simple game.

Only consider buying this title if you have a lot of patience and don’t mind dying a lot. Although your avatar meets its demise, it is done so in a non-violent way. This game lends itself well to mobile ports but as far as I know, it’s only available on PC.

The graphics and menu interface are not high resolution or very detailed, but they get the job done. With the jewels on top of the directional arrows it’s not clearly visible which way the arrows are pointing. You have to really pay attention to notice.

Despite the controls being simple, I found that they are aggravating at times. Granted, I will take ownership of the majority of my deaths, but the inconsistencies are frustrating. On some turns I’m able to move several times at once and other turns I’m only able to move a couple of times. If there was a set/predictable amount of moves that would make this game a bit more enjoyable.

The sound effects and background music are decent, but nothing to write home about. If you don’t like either of them, you can disable them in the options menu.

In the end, Up and Down is a decent game. The asking price of $5.99 is reasonable and it’s bound to challenge and entertain people for a while. If you get easily frustrated, you may want to pass on this title though.