Yollen
Yollen
Game
Game2026
Above the Snow
Developer Above the Desk
Join the shelter crew and create the best Alpine resort in this cozy narrative tycoon! Enjoy rich character stories, attract and rescue alpinists, manage your resort, and forge new trails. Grab your map, pour a warm cup of tea, and brace for the harshest winter of the 1960s! From the Steam store page
130 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
95 positive · 21 negative
95% range 74–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 95 | 21 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
102 of 123 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 90 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 111 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (350 of 453 positive).
Players praise the unique setting and cozy atmosphere of managing a mountain lodge. [1][2][3] Some find the game charming but note issues with micromanagement and unclear mechanics. [4][5][6] The art style and narrative depth are frequently highlighted as standout features. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
I wanted to like Above the Snow, and at first I did. The setting is appealing, the basic idea is strong, and building a mountain lodge with trails sounds exactly like my kind of management game. Unfortunately, after several hours, the game became more frustrating than fun. It does not feel like I am making interesting management decisions. It feels like I am constantly clicking through avoidable busywork. Pros Nice …
- [1]
[English version: see below] Above the Snow ist im Kern ein Management- bzw. Tycoon-Spiel, geht aber bewusst einen etwas anderen Weg als viele Genrevertreter. Wir betreiben eine Schutzhütte in den Alpen und kümmern uns nicht nur um klassische Aufgaben wie Verpflegung, Schlafplätze und Ausbau, sondern auch um alles, was außerhalb passiert: Wege sichern, Bergsteiger retten und die Infrastruktur am Laufen halten. …
- [3]
I'm not usually a management sim person. I saw the screenshots, loved the 1960s aesthetic, thought it would be a chill game where I just arrange furniture and serve coffee. The game is that. But it's also something else entirely. At first, it's cozy. You build, you decorate, you watch the snow fall. The art direction is stunning — the Kodachrome colors, the way light hits the wooden furniture, the contrast between …
- [10]
You Can Pet the Dog. 10/10. Review Over. ... Okay, fine, I'll say more. I went into this one not expecting much honestly. Survival management games can feel really samey and I've burned out on a few of them. But something about this one just... stuck. The moment I booted it up and saw the 2D and 3D art styles I fell in love. It has a genuinely strong visual identity and it commits to it fully. No mismatched assets …
- [2]
Alpine lodge management, quite fresh idea in the world of management games, and it definitely works to a point it can get rather addictive. Rare thing to see these days. Basic mechanics are good, but leave a bit to wish for, as they could be deeper in many ways. There are some annoyances, like red marked no build-areas inside shelter where it does not make any sense, blocking your creativity. But as a whole, still a …
Summarised from 34 of the 126 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Above the Snow sits at 82% positive across 116 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 130 · most liked firstI wanted to like Above the Snow, and at first I did. The setting is appealing, the basic idea is strong, and building a mountain lodge with trails sounds exactly like my kind of management game. Unfortunately, after several hours, the game became more frustrating than fun. It does not feel like I am making interesting management decisions. It feels like I am constantly clicking through avoidable busywork. Pros Nice concept and setting. Starts off enjoyable. The core idea of managing a remote…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like Above the Snow. You can tell a lot of care and passion went into it, and there’s a solid idea underneath. Unfortunately, it’s held back by some frustrating design choices. The micromanagement of employees quickly becomes tedious rather than engaging, and the difficulty curve feels off. As soon as you gain reputation, guest expectations spike with no real way to control it, forcing you into a grind just to keep up. Raising quality requires huge amounts of wood to the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alpine lodge management, quite fresh idea in the world of management games, and it definitely works to a point it can get rather addictive. Rare thing to see these days. Basic mechanics are good, but leave a bit to wish for, as they could be deeper in many ways. There are some annoyances, like red marked no build-areas inside shelter where it does not make any sense, blocking your creativity. But as a whole, still a gem you want to have in your library if you are in the genre.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played for about 1.5 hours and ran into the same thing others have said in the reviews. You end up spending so much time putting people into the woodshed, to just take them out, put them back in, take them out, put them back in. The whole vibe is great, I love the setting and how they make it feel cozy, but you spend so much time managing your workers it's not even worth thinking about decorating it nicely, or doing anything else. You just spam comfort items to raise comfort, you spam storage…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came here to just let you know how much i hate the management/sim games that treat player as a total idiot and make them do 2 hour "tutorial" of total braindead tasks and endless dialogues. I find myself howling in agony, i just want to play the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game and it forces me to click dialogue and tutorial windows. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I like the mood and visuals, the concept itself. I'll be continuing and hopefully come back and tell you it was worth it. But for now, if you're at least average…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game has a nice premise, but it's fails to deliver something that feels fun. The genre is a resource-management, but the interface is built for a different genre of game - you have to get wood for your place, so you keep having to pause, assign workers, unpause... It's not fun, it's tedious and repetitive. The normal sequence of events for a day: 1. Find the keybind to go to the outside of the lodge. 2. Find the woodcutter's sheet. 3. Click it 4. Click the button for workers, which looks…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had higher hopes for this one and I wanted to like it but in the end I would not recommend it. Completing the game took only 11h but it felt like 50h. theres very little you actually do here except spam wood deliveries. everything costs so much wood and you only get it so little from the workshop and from the vendor so youll be constantly just sending people to the vendor over and over and over again. such a micro hell. you wanna keep them cutting it from the workshop? you get barely any and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Above the Snow is a unique title in a sea of management games in terms of its setting - you have to bring a decrepit old mountain hotel back in to use, attract climbers to stay with you and build them the trails they then go and climb in the mountains. The campaign takes about 11-12 hours on the normal difficulty, but doesn't present too many challenges once you've realised that you can just spam helicopter drops of supplies and that money is very rarely an issue. The fun is in building out…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't played that long today but it was fun. I love the cozy vibe combined with a little bit of rush from storyline. Characters are quite funny. Also... there is the WOOFER! Gotta love this fluffy beast
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spring is getting too hot and I need more snow! Above the Snow just release and they sent me a mini to paint. We're checking out the game now and maybe paint the dog on stream soon?! ❄️ ❄ twitch.tv/2dkiri
positive · AI labelView post →Very charming management game. The beginning can feel a little overwhelming as you don't have enough beds, don't have trails established to the areas people want to visit, and are low on resources, but once you realise it's OK to let the guests suffer a bit at the start, and in fact meeting all their demands actually can be detrimental as your star rating goes up and then their requirements increase even further. It's best to take things slow, have some unsatisfied guests, but overall a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Should have been Early Access. Really well done and good story but the Personnel / Task Management is severely underdone. Likewise the Build Trail system is super finicky and annoying. Once those two things are fixed this game will be ready for release.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Haven't been enjoying it as much as I thought I would. The previews really made it look good. One gripe I have is that after the prologue it feels like the game really pushes you to expand very quickly. Every group coming in wants a different trail, there's never enough beds, not enough workers, oh and not enough money to make things happen.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →as others said, it's really unique game with a strong setting, but I think you're better off treating this as a story game with some management sprinkled in than a management game with story. The micromanagement gets really tedious very fast, I think definately choose or change the difficulty to the lowest setting, because the resource management, repair, task assigment is not engaging.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Above the Snow does not have a fishing minigame :(( #abovethesnow #indiegame #gaming #videogames #fishing #fishingminigame
negative · AI labelView post →Worker management needs serious re work
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not usually a management sim person. I saw the screenshots, loved the 1960s aesthetic, thought it would be a chill game where I just arrange furniture and serve coffee. The game is that. But it's also something else entirely. At first, it's cozy. You build, you decorate, you watch the snow fall. The art direction is stunning — the Kodachrome colors, the way light hits the wooden furniture, the contrast between the cold blue outside and the warm orange inside. I took so many screenshots my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not that long ago, I spent my winters working at a remote mountain lodge, and ever since I left, I’ve missed that specific, quiet magic of the high altitudes. The feeling of brewing a hot pot of coffee for a weary traveler, hearing their stories of the climb, and keeping the fire roaring against the biting wind—it was a life that stayed with me. A friend recommended Above the Snow to me, thinking it might recapture that sense of sanctuary, and I am so moved to say that it has done exactly that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I barely ever write reviews but this game is amazing. The sound design, graphics, the story, its all great. The tutorial can be a little confusing as there is a lot going on around the hour mark but I am trying to get the hang of it. Above the desk great job with this release!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pains me to give the thumbs down on this quaint game. I enjoy decorating the resort and the trail making is fun, but hard to recommend with many QOL things lacking... no possibility to set queues? At least a simple repair queue! Small buglike things like a worker being removed if selecting a vehicle for use, after having already selected the worker. Tasks only able to start from shelter (just had someone in a snowcat out marking a trail, rip right past an injured coworker on their way back, no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really well-thought-out and genuinely fun management game that nails the whole snow lodge and mountain trail vibe. You've got a dog as a companion, which instantly makes it a winner in my book. The introduction sequence is solid and eases you in without hand-holding, and there's plenty left to unlock and learn once you're past it. Best of all, the game gives you all the tools you need to figure things out on your own. If this review helped you out, give it a thumbs up so other players can…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Genuinely surprised by how much depth this has. It looks cozy, and it is cozy, but there's real strategy underneath. Best of both worlds.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In short I bought this game for an in depth hotel management game in the unforgiving frozen mountains. In the games current state management is basically non-existent order regular shipments of food to the kitchen and wood for the central heating. What the game does offer is a beautiful cosy shelter in the Swiss Alps that you can decorate and customise to your heart's content to bring in different groups of customers. The interesting management of the surrounding mountains laying trails…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like the concept of the game and setting out the hiking paths, but currently, it seems too frustrating. It feels like an Early-Access game, which I have no problem with, but it should be communicated. I'll see whether it is fun to pick up again in a year or so. Daily management of tasks seems fussy - like other reviews note, there is no task queue for some more infrequent tasks, but also no automation of tasks at all. The workers get tired and you have to manually release them from…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy winter hotel game. The main reason I'm giving this a thumbs up is due to my enjoyment of snow. Otherwise this is just a hotel management game. This game has that terrible reputation mechanic to where you can't buy a helicopter unless enough people have given you a positive review. I also think the game moves too fast, I'd like to see something where the hosts of the hotel have to build the furniture & buildings. I also wish there was a heat pipe system to where your heat placement has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting concept, and thought perhaps it may be fun/engaging/strategic, kind of like Against the Storm, so I gave it a shot; however, it didn't really feel good to play or meaningful, let alone it is not challenging. Like some others reviews mentioned, felt like lots of busywork/ purposeless micromanagement. Too many cutscenes/conversations and not very much engaging gameplay. I think the only thing I really liked was decorating the lodge. I think the stamina system needs reworked (and the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love, LOVE the idea, visuals. But good lord the game play. Click to put character in work slot, he gets tired click to get off. Thats it. Thats the main loop. If they add some automation to this so I do not have to constantly click back and forth that'd be great. Navigating the world takes a while to get used to. I wish There was a quick change view instead of trying to remember the unique hotkeys. I'm going to hold off on refunding the game in the hopes they add some QoL. If they do I for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Captivating 60s retro hand-drawn art style that's easy to get lost in. My only gripe is the radio tower unlock process; the lack of clear guidance is a bit frustrating. Otherwise, a perfect experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't played long but the general vibe I get is very good. It's unique from other games and it has a very clever way of telling a story. Also I get the feeling it will definitely be a cozy game I can play at my own pace and just enjoy the setting and whatever unfolds. The cold mountain vibes come with amazing graphics. Also the map seems interesting with many locations to explore. The characters are all great so far. Can't wait to see what happens and to just soak up all the blizzardy…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is ok. A little too repetitive and you time is sort of focused on the wrong things. The fun part of the game is planning and building trails and that is mostly great. But the UI for managing them and your guests is pretty meh, and the way the game works you spend most of your time placing the same items again and again, and having staff do the same tasks again and again. Instead of the gameplay focusing on the fun part so the decision making, those are like occasional sprinkles you get…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm currently about 40 hours into the game, and I'm really enjoying it. There's clear love and polish that has been put into it. It's currently a bit rough around the edges in a few places, including a good deal bugs, but most of them I've encountered haven't been game breaking, just temporary setbacks that just need a little experimenting to work around. With that said, the devs are extremely responsive on discord to the bug reports, and I've seen them manually fixing save files for other…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I found the idea intriguing and wanted to like the game. I started the tutorial and right away I got annoyed. The storyline is just so forced, without any explanation it seems somehow a drug lord or cartel boss ventures into some kind of Swiss Resort business and is giving one of his "goons" (?) some second chance ? One has the feeling that the developers thought they had to spice it up a bit by introducing this into the game. Why I do not know. Maybe later in the game it becomes clear but at…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first ~2 hours really hooked me. I loved the art style, the characters, and the whole rescue + route planning loop. I kept thinking “just one more day” and suddenly it was way too late
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy, unique, and challenging. Most management / city building games tend to follow a formula, and as a result you end up feeling like you've played it before as soon as you get started. Not the case with this one. I've only just touched the surface of the game but I can tell there is a lot more to uncover. It has story elements which are compelling, and progresses you through the game. This also serves as a means to teach you as you go. There's a couple of extremely minor issues, like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy Alpine tycoon game Above The Snow launches April 23rd! Bundle up! The mountains are calling and so is the snowstorm of the century.. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWj... Official PR: us12.campaign-archive.com?e=[UNIQID]&u... #indiedev #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Good game, the gameplay loop can get a bit annoying, as you have to manually assign all the characters to task, and in the late game you need to buy a lot of resources to upgrade your cabin. I am excited for a DLC or a sequel, Good job devs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent resource and personnel management game with a superb storyline...hours of fun, suspense and action.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As of this review, the game would definetly benefit from some bugfixes and QoL updates but the developers seem to be adressing these. Anyway, I think it's a good timekiller and I liked seeing my lodge come together and look nice by the end of my playthrough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I gave this game a shot because the concept seemed really interesting, and it actually turned out to be a pretty enjoyable experience. Right from the start, it throws you into a unique situation, which makes it feel different and keeps things intriguing. The gameplay has a nice loop once you get into it, and even though there’s a lot going on at first, it becomes satisfying as you start to understand everything. The atmosphere is also a strong point—the setting and overall vibe make it easy to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You Can Pet the Dog. 10/10. Review Over. ... Okay, fine, I'll say more. I went into this one not expecting much honestly. Survival management games can feel really samey and I've burned out on a few of them. But something about this one just... stuck. The moment I booted it up and saw the 2D and 3D art styles I fell in love. It has a genuinely strong visual identity and it commits to it fully. No mismatched assets that feel like they were pulled from different games. The visual effects are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well game was going fine until at chapter 3 Francis got bugged into Forest and doing nothing. Game is fun first but then there is huge grind which is a little repetitive. Items for inside of the shelter kinda lack variety. For me it is a fun game but looks like an early acces but not a full one. My gameplay got bugged out which ended all fun for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a good idea game but lot of bugs. Hopefully Dev, will fix all critical bugs soon. The tiny bug or some small bug is ok. But the critical one make you unable to progress the game further and it mean you will have to start all over again unless you send the save file to Dev to help you which kind of annoying. I suggest wait for a while and then you get this game later on.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am thoroughly impressed with Above The Snow. I just want to say that it's genre-bending. I loved those hotel games in mobile, it seems that they have a good story but you have to wait actual days/weeks to progress due to in-app purchases blocks/puzzles in the way of the story. But this one gave STORY. It was actually heartwarming? There were actual stakes throughout! I have to say this gave me genres along the heights of TYCOON, MANAGEMENT and yes, RPG!!! Wow, the way your party expands,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its fun but shallow. But that being said, it is only $25
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →not always easy to figure tasks out but a fun game, well worth the money.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautifully atmospheric tycoon experience. Above the Snow does a great job of creating a cold, cozy, and immersive world where every decision feels meaningful. The snowy environments are visually striking, the mood is calm but tense, and the gameplay has a satisfying sense of progression. If you enjoy exploration, tycoon mechanics, and quiet, wintery worlds, this is definitely worth checking out.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yet another game that starts out fun and takes a turn. Honestly, I'd LOVE to recommend this game, it has a lot of fun/unique characteristics. But, here's what trips me up. Once you get past the "hey, we're building trails and this is fun", you'll have to manage things like "comfort". So, I was like "cool, I get to build some cool rooms for my guests". Unfortunately, that's really not how it works. I found myself wanting to build fun rooms, but all the game want's is for you to raise the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hesitated getting this due to the negative reviews, but I was craving a cozy hotel management similar to Bear and Breakfast, and so decided to take my chances. In my opinion, this is worth it and a must have if you can get it during a deal. There's lots of love put into this game and you can feel it. Props to the innovation and adding new ideas to the genre, such as the mountain trails setup. Sure, as other people mention there is micromanagement, but it's not really a deal breaker, if you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very cozy and quite fun game! Overall it was a pretty great time, I enjoyed the story, some of the challenges, the idea of building a mountain resort was quite fun and it did all of that without being overly complicated. There were some general issues with the game, none of which were game breaking or would stop me from buying it, but it would benefit from some solid QoL upgrades: - If you try to setup a task with a vehicle that isn't quite ready it just closes the task with no explanation…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Definitely a nice management game, though it does have some irksome points like the trail setup being rather convoluted and task managing being a bit tedious. Devs are actively working on these points, so I'll definitely be back in a while for a second playthrough. Worth the money if you like management games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely loved my time with Above the Snow. The cozy Alpine atmosphere mixed with the management gameplay creates something genuinely relaxing and addictive. Building up the resort, rescuing stranded alpinists, managing guests, and slowly turning your shelter into the best mountain getaway feels incredibly rewarding. What really surprised me was how much personality the characters have. The story moments and interactions make the world feel alive instead of just another tycoon game. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't get very far before I realized this game wasn't for me due to how you navigate the environment. That said, it is a very pretty and well made game from what I could see so it still gets a positive review.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy at early game. Very busy starting story chapter II because of constant snow and wind and Karens keep hurting themselves. 1. Need some changes on the comfortable and storage star requirement. Stacking whole room beds and wardrobes doesn't feel like a shelter but a storage unit. 2. Due to constant snow and wind, infrastructure break down way too fast. 3. Need a searching function on trails. 4. Need a shortcut to the woodshed, front desk and the dog. It is getting tired to look for them real…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Only a few hours in but so far this is a pretty great game, a little more voice acting would be appreciated and there are tiny gripes to be had with some elements of the controls and build areas but overall very solid so far!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought it for the art style, stayed for the complete experience. The full game is exactly what I hoped for. The Kodachrome color grading, the way snow falls at different speeds depending on wind, the interior lighting that changes as you add furniture—it’s all still there, and even more polished than the demo. I’ve taken over 300 screenshots. Worth every cent.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tried the Above the Snow demo ❄️ A cozy, narrative lodge management game where you balance staff, guests & risky alpine expeditions. Less about optimization, more about people & story — with calm vibes and light strategic pressure 💙 #cozygames #indiegames store.steampowered.com/app/2423760/...
positive · AI labelView post →Love the narrative addition and gentle exploration. A cozy hiking game with just enough management elements to keep you on your toes without being overwhelming.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great flow. Great story. Easy to get the hang of and jump right in.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gameplay: Good Graphics: Good Story: Lovely Here I will leave the cat, friends who pass by can pet it and give it a thumbs up ／＞ フ | l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿ヽ)__)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy. Makes me want to sit by the fireplace.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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