History Main / DescendingCeiling

** The infamous [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil "Jill Sandwich"]] moment. Notable in that it really was inescapable from within the room once it triggered. Either you had to replace the shotgun (whose absence on a wall rack triggered the trap) with a rusted one... or hope you were playing Jill for a [[BigDamnHeroes conveniently timely rescue by Barry]].
*** The Remake changed things a little bit: Jill still gets trapped in the room if she doesn't replace the shotgun with the broken shotgun, but if Chris doesn't place the broken shotgun, he can go back to the room and replace the shotgun itself - the door doesn't lock behind him.

* ''Film/EscapeRoom:TournamentofChampions'' During Ben's nightmare, Zoey goes to use the restroom at the hotel while Ben lays down. He gets up and checks the window when all of a sudden he hears Zoey start panicking because the bathroom door gets mysteriously locked. When the camera pans over to the bathroom door, you can see the ceiling descending.

* ''Film/EscapeRoom:TournamentOfChampions'' During Ben's nightmare, Zoey goes to use the restroom at the hotel while Ben lays down. He gets up and checks the window when all of a sudden he hears Zoey start panicking because the bathroom door gets mysteriously locked. When the camera pans over to the bathroom door, you can see the ceiling descending.

* ''Film/EscapeRoom2TournamentOfChampions'' During Ben's nightmare, Zoey goes to use the restroom at the hotel while Ben lays down. He gets up and checks the window when all of a sudden he hears Zoey start panicking because the bathroom door gets mysteriously locked. When the camera pans over to the bathroom door, you can see the ceiling descending.

* "Film/EscapeRoom2TournamentOfChampions" During Ben's nightmare, Zoey goes to use the restroom at the hotel while Ben lays down. He gets up and checks the window when all of a sudden he hears Zoey start panicking because the bathroom door gets mysteriously locked. When the camera pans over to the bathroom door, you can see the ceiling descending.

* A popular variant seen in both ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Infinity'' and ''ShadowWarrior'' is one where there is a InsurmountableWaistHeightFence that you can't fit through but ''can'' shoot through, and a tiny, non-notable-looking switch in the distance you have to hit with a high explosive weapon to get the barrier out of the way before you're flattened.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Done in the ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon, complete with spikes. Unlike most examples, Mega was bound to the floor, unable to move as the ceiling descended. Luckily, the handcuffs weren't of the strongest material, which was made sillier by the fact that ''Wily left Mega Man in his base unattended''.

* ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' has a level with this and ascending ground.
* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series:

* A few levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX2umKtcuvk&feature=PlayList&p=782D142D502CE2F9&index=38 Ludwig's Castle]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDMs-19b3A&feature=PlayList&p=782D142D502CE2F9&index=84 Valley of Bowser 2]], and corridor #5 in Bowser's Castle (with SpikesOfDoom and Thwomps).

** In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'', there are a number of ceiling traps that have to be ''set'' by winding them up and then freezing the gears with his Frost Ax. In one setpiece, you also have to fight some Draugr without your ax, as it is holding up the ceiling. But while Kratos can jump across gaps, draugr can't. So if you run from them, and retrieve your ax, the ceiling will slowly descend towards them, and then crush them, making the fight much easier. Atreus thinks it's hilarious.

* ''Anime/DoraemonGreatAdventureInTheAntarcticKachiKochi'' have the ruthless shapeshifter robot, Yamitem, having captured Doraemon alive, rendezvous with Nobita and gang and leading them to an ascending platform with a spiked ceiling on top, trying to have everyone killed as it escapes. The ''real'' Doraemon managed to escape and catch up, leading to a SpotTheImposter moment before Yamitem gets defeated and Doraemon quickly stops the trap.

* Some dungeons in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' contain an interesting [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] (As well as an [[IncrediblyLamePun inversion]]); instead of the ceiling coming ''down'', the floor rockets ''upwards''. Towards a spiky ceiling.

* A few are found in the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise. including:
** ''VideoGame/MegaManX3'' has a ceiling trap, and you have to get past a miniboss before you can escape. One reason to be careful with Zero during the game is that he'll [[LoadBearingHero hold up the ceiling]] here if you haven't broken him.

** Lan has to escape one of these traps in the castle in ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 2''.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'' has this in a boss fight, but it's an interesting variation - Zero and Aztec Falcon are fighting ''on top'' of the ceiling, and Zero's trying to prevent it from crushing a Reploid beneath it.

* The trailer for the video game ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' shows a crushing ceiling (with spikes no less!) coming down to crush the character (while there are ''flames'' coming out of the pit next to you). In the video, the player simply fires a portal across the room, and one into the wall, and walks through it. [[NeverTrustATrailer The interesting thing about it]] is that there are no fires anywhere in the game except near the end, and there are no crushing ceilings -- and none with spikes -- anywhere in ''Portal''.\\ However, custom maps and mods that re-create cut content restore this.
** The ''VideoGame/PortalTheFlashVersion Map Pack'' and ''VideoGame/Portal2'' Co-Op do have this, however.

* The original ''[[VideoGame/Rayman1995 Rayman]]'' game features a level with an unusual variation on this trope, combining it with an inverse RiseToTheChallenge. In it, the eponymous hero is trapped in a vertical tunnel, with two attached weights dragging down the ceiling above, and descending water below. The water is draining at a slightly slower rate than the ceiling's descent, so you need to have Rayman cut the weights from the ceiling to stop it from dragging him down into the water.

* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'', Kratos must hold one up and slowly inch his way to the exit while being attacked by dogs. Hilariously, if you stick around after escaping, you'll see the dogs get crushed.