Restore the Abandoned Institute

The Lift, a genre-blending supernatural handyman simulator from developer Fantastic Signals, is set to launch on PlayStation 5 in 2027. Studio Director Ivan Slovtsov revealed details and a new trailer via the PlayStation Blog, offering the first in-depth look at the project four years in the making.

Players take on the role of a "Keeper" — a resourceful handyman tasked with restoring the Institute, a vast research facility abandoned following a mysterious catastrophic incident. As they repair and explore, they uncover a far-reaching conspiracy behind the facility's collapse.

Why It Matters

The Lift is more than a repair sim. Fantastic Signals is aiming to blend the addictive loop of first-person handyman games like House Flipper and PowerWash Simulator with the deep storytelling and interconnected systems of immersive sims like Prey.

The studio brings considerable pedigree: team members have previously worked on Pathologic 2 and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, lending strong narrative and world-building credentials to the project.

The Institute is divided into five major areas — a Post Office, Communication Center, Archive, Library, and Reactor — each requiring restoration. The game's namesake Lift (an elevator-turned-headquarters) serves as the player's mobile base for crafting, gear upgrades, and navigation, customizable with decorations found throughout the facility.

Tasks range from fixing furniture and vacuuming cosmic goo to awakening a sentient reactor and triangulating interdimensional signals. Progress unlocks new tools and introduces quirky characters who help unravel the mystery.

Soviet Sci-Fi Roots

The Lift draws deep inspiration from the Strugatsky brothers, prolific Soviet science fiction authors. While their novel Roadside Picnic has already influenced titles such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Pacific Drive, Death Stranding, Disco Elysium, and Control, Slovtsov clarified that The Lift looks to a different Strugatsky work — Monday Starts on Saturday.

This witty satire of Soviet bureaucracy celebrates human ingenuity and perseverance, themes central to The Lift's retrofuturistic world where the fantastical has become scientifically normalized. The Strugatsky brothers' legacy is widely credited as a cornerstone of the New Weird literary movement, and how that heritage translates into interactive form is one of the game's most compelling promises.

PS5 Features

At launch, The Lift will support DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, designed to heighten the tactile sensation of operating the game's diverse array of tools and equipment.