HELLEVATOR
1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)
2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)
3 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)
4 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)
5 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-5-still.webp)1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)3 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)4 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)5 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-5-still.webp)What it is
HELLEVATOR is a fast-paced action game about descending into the abyss aboard the titular elevator to find the source of "strange tremors plaguing your home". The store page promises procedurally generated levels "different every time you play", three biomes, 24 ancient relics to discover, four weapons to unlock, nine potions to brew and characters to meet along the way. It uses the A and B buttons, the D-pad and the crank, and "precise button input is required".
It's by DRD, the developer behind the Catalog game ICY DUNGEON. The soundtrack is by Not Jam. DRD said on Bluesky when Season Three was announced that the game would arrive sometime in the season's four weeks.
HELLEVATOR hasn't unlocked yet. Season Three runs two games every Thursday from 8 to 29 October 2026, and it will be part of the $39 Season Three bundle. Its content note mentions "cartoonish depictions of violence against fantasy characters".
Who made it
What others are saying
Not released yet, so there are no reviews. Announcement coverage:
- Engadget (Jessica Conditt, 9 Sep 2026): lists HELLEVATOR in the Season Three lineup as the new game from ICY DUNGEON developer DRD. https://www.engadget.com/2254393/playdate-season-3-kicks-off-on-october-8/
- DRD, developer (Bluesky, 9 Sep 2026): credits the soundtrack to Not Jam and says the game lands during Season Three's four weeks. https://bsky.app/profile/drd.dev
Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed HELLEVATOR yet. It hasn't been released yet; this page sums up what has been officially announced.
Sources
Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Official Catalog page (description, credits, size, dates, content/AI/accessibility notes). https://play.date/games/hellevator/
- Season Three page. https://play.date/games/seasons/three/
- Engadget, Jessica Conditt, 9 Sep 2026. https://www.engadget.com/2254393/playdate-season-3-kicks-off-on-october-8/
- DRD on Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/drd.dev
- Panic press release, Season Three announcement, 9 Sep 2026. https://www.gamespress.com/PLAYDATE-SEASON-3-BEGINS-OCTOBER-8-PRE-ORDERS-AVAILABLE-NOW
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
Ride the HELLEVATOR down through procedurally generated caverns, gathering relics, brewing potions and fighting your way to the source of the tremors.
