Escape the Backrooms

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 51,622 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • humor
Escape the Backrooms Game Cover
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You've fallen into the backrooms and now need to find a way to escape. Traverse through eerie procedurally generated levels while avoiding entities and other danger.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 51,622 reviews
gameplay538 positive mentions
stability726 negative mentions
  • gameplay1,836 mentions

    The gameplay of "Escape the Backrooms" has received mixed reviews, with players praising its immersive atmosphere and unique mechanics, but criticizing its repetitive nature and clunky controls. Many found the puzzles engaging and the horror elements effective, especially in multiplayer settings, while others highlighted issues with bugs, frustrating mechanics, and a lack of clear direction. Overall, the game offers a blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival, but its execution varies significantly, leading to a somewhat uneven experience.

    • “This will give you and some friends at least 14 hours of awesome gameplay.”
    • “The combination of horror elements with puzzles makes for a compelling gameplay loop that keeps players engaged.”
    • “Each level has different challenges and puzzles, making the gameplay varied and interesting.”
    • “Every gameplay mechanic, which is a stretch of the phrase, is so extraordinarily primitive or reductive that it is actively frustrating.”
    • “We've played it with friends in multiplayer and even that didn't help it - the gameplay is a bland, badly designed horror slop that would be a standard as a free game back in the 2000s with non-existent AI, flipped assets, glitches, and unpolished ideas.”
    • “The gameplay itself was a tedious and frustrating ordeal.”
  • graphics1,582 mentions

    The graphics of "Escape the Backrooms" have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively convey the eerie essence of the backrooms. While some users noted issues with character models and animations, the overall aesthetic, including lighting and level detail, has been highlighted as a strong point, making it one of the best backrooms games available. However, there are also criticisms regarding performance and optimization, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the experience.

    • “The graphics are incredible and the amount of content well exceeds the price.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the realism is on point.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the levels have so much detail in them, and the game is getting new entities and levels every few months but one thing that shocked me was that this is made by one developer.”
    • “Where do I begin? This game is incredible; the graphics are so bad they look like an Atari game, and the frame rate... wow!!!”
    • “Instead of feeling immersed in a creepy environment, I found myself constantly distracted by the lackluster visuals, making it impossible to suspend disbelief and engage with the intended horror elements.”
    • “The graphics are not only an eyesore but also a blatant demonstration of the developer's utter disregard for putting any effort into crafting a visually appealing experience.”
  • humor1,360 mentions

    The humor in "Escape the Backrooms" is a standout feature, with players frequently noting that the game is significantly more enjoyable when played with friends. Many reviews highlight the combination of funny character animations, chaotic multiplayer interactions, and the absurdity of certain game mechanics, which lead to hilarious moments and laughter, often overshadowing the game's horror elements. Overall, the game successfully blends humor and scares, making it a memorable experience for groups looking to have fun together.

    • “It made me laugh so much with my friends that I will never forget.”
    • “It's so funny, after rage quitting he keeps going on about how no no that level was, very entertaining.”
    • “This game has an amazing blend of funny, goofy, and scary.”
    • “It's not funny.”
    • “The red flag comes from the gameplay that sums up to 'go here, take this, return it' but made unfunny.”
    • “Yet another garbage YouTube clickbait game by grifters capitalizing on brain-dead zoomers who are scared of wallpaper and unfunny meme faces.”
  • stability752 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. Many users noted that while the game can be fun, especially in multiplayer, the instability often leads to frustrating moments, such as getting stuck or encountering unresponsive AI. Overall, the game is considered very buggy and unpolished, with many recommending waiting for further updates before fully engaging with it.

    • “It was super fun and really well made with little to no glitches.”
    • “Very well made with no glitches whatsoever.”
    • “Honestly a very fun and for the most part well put together bug-free experience.”
    • “Not only that, but the game was buggy as hell, with a friend getting stuck with an enemy inside of his hiding spot which locked them both in place, and then they suddenly couldn't walk.”
    • “The game is buggy, it's not complete, and it's not very polished.”
    • “Overall this game is way too buggy and it completely ruins the game experience.”
  • story672 mentions

    The story in "Escape the Backrooms" is often described as minimal or lacking coherence, with many players noting that it primarily relies on environmental storytelling and subtle hints rather than a structured narrative. While some enjoy the atmospheric elements and the mystery of piecing together the lore, others find the absence of a compelling storyline disappointing, leading to a sense of detachment from the gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on puzzles and survival mechanics than on delivering a rich narrative experience.

    • “The story unfolds through environmental storytelling, subtle hints, and the player's interactions within the game.”
    • “What truly sets Escape the Backrooms apart, however, is its storytelling.”
    • “The game's creators have done an excellent job of weaving together a compelling story that draws players in and keeps them engaged from start to finish.”
    • “Finally, the story—if you can even call it that—is nearly nonexistent.”
    • “The lack of a coherent plot left me disinterested and detached from the supposed horror unfolding in the backrooms, rendering the entire experience more tedious than terrifying.”
    • “The developers missed a golden opportunity to create a captivating backstory for the backrooms, leaving players without any sense of purpose or direction.”
  • atmosphere646 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Escape the Backrooms" is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively capturing the eerie essence of liminal spaces. Players appreciate the game's haunting sound design, dimly lit environments, and the tension created through ambient noises, which contribute to a genuinely creepy experience. However, some critiques highlight inconsistencies in atmosphere across levels and a lack of engaging gameplay elements that could enhance the overall experience.

    • “From the moment I entered this eerie labyrinth, I was instantly engulfed in an atmosphere that is as unsettling as it is immersive.”
    • “Escape the backrooms captures the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the internet urban legend with a masterful touch, offering players an immersive first-person survival horror experience.”
    • “The dimly lit and decaying environments, coupled with haunting sound effects, create an immersive and unnerving atmosphere that had my heart racing throughout the game.”
    • “Literally nothing is happening for hours - you run through empty levels without any atmosphere and creativity, and when a monster finally shows up, it's just some gimmicky monster with ugly design and texture that are less scary than my brown shat on ass cheeks on a Monday morning.”
    • “The developers attempted to create an eerie atmosphere within the confined spaces of the backrooms, but the result was a pixelated mess that failed to evoke any genuine sense of fear or tension.”
    • “The biggest problem is that the game has almost no atmosphere which is crucial in a game like this; I never had a feeling of dread and uneasiness, it just felt like walking through random horror maps.”
  • grinding360 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Escape the Backrooms" is widely criticized, with many players finding the gameplay tedious and repetitive, particularly in certain levels that feel overly long or confusing. While some moments can be enjoyable, the overall experience often devolves into a frustrating grind, exacerbated by bugs and a lack of coherent design, making it less engaging and more of a chore to progress. Despite its potential for fun in multiplayer settings, the game frequently requires excessive effort to navigate through its tedious mechanics.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grindy (60 - 100 hours).”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Overall, Escape the Backrooms is a tedious, broken game that lacks polish, creativity, and any sense of fun.”
    • “The gameplay itself was a tedious and frustrating ordeal.”
    • “It's just really annoying, tedious, and not even fun at all.”
  • music302 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others find certain tracks, particularly in the "fun" level, to be repetitive and irritating. Many players noted that the soundtrack is memorable and contributes significantly to the game's eerie ambiance, although some expressed frustration with specific songs getting stuck in their heads or becoming grating after extended play. Overall, the sound design is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, with a few standout tracks that players enjoy.

    • “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing 🤌🤌”
    • “The music adds to the liminal feeling that the backrooms stands for.”
    • “The atmospheric design, accompanied by hauntingly beautiful visuals and an ambient soundtrack, succeeds in creating an environment that is simultaneously unsettling and captivating.”
    • “This game is actual trash, I'm sorry. The puzzles are annoying, the game isn't scary besides a few jump scares, and the music in the fun rooms was irritating as hell.”
    • “The level itself was very boring from start to finish, and any enjoyment we got was utterly destroyed by the worst sounding 'children's song made creepy' song ever.”
    • “And the music in the fun area is so annoying I want to rip my ears out.”
  • replayability208 mentions

    The replayability of "Escape the Backrooms" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its procedural generation and engaging puzzles that encourage multiple playthroughs, especially in co-op mode. However, some reviews highlight a lack of significant replay value once levels are completed, with calls for more content and updates to enhance the experience. Overall, while the game offers substantial replay potential, particularly with friends, it currently falls short for solo players and those seeking varied gameplay.

    • “In conclusion, 'Escape the Backrooms' stands out as a well-crafted game due to its immersive atmosphere, engaging puzzles, strong community, creative storytelling, and high replay value.”
    • “The game has high replay value, as you can try different strategies and approaches for each level.”
    • “Escape the Backrooms offers substantial replay value, making it a game that players can return to time and time again.”
    • “Not much replayability.”
    • “The main detriment here being that once you complete a level, there is no replay value.”
    • “There is no replay value because the maps are all identical.”
  • optimization158 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, performance issues, and crashes, particularly during specific effects or in certain levels. While some users noted that it runs smoothly on lower-end hardware and praised its graphics, others highlighted that the game still requires substantial improvements to achieve consistent performance, especially in multiplayer scenarios. Overall, while there are moments of good optimization, the game remains plagued by technical issues that detract from the experience.

    • “The minimalist approach also allows the game to run smoothly, even on lower-end hardware, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
    • “This game is amazing, it becomes more and more complete with time, big updates drop from time to time adding many new levels. This game is pretty well optimized, giving you the choice of very low graphics or very high ones.”
    • “Although I have a mid-range PC, it managed to run the game perfectly with the graphics set to 'high' and with low temperatures, no crashes encountered (this is what I call a nice job in terms of optimization).”
    • “This is a poorly optimized and badly designed mess of likely store-bought assets using basic Unreal settings to create an experience I can't even enjoy ironically.”
    • “The game's performance was another issue, with frequent glitches, crashes, and laggy gameplay.”
    • “The game performance also leaves a lot to be desired, while the graphics do look nice, the framerate this game runs at is horrendous.”
  • emotional50 mentions

    Players report a wide range of emotional experiences while engaging with the game, from intense fear and moments of crying to feelings of warmth and nostalgia. The multiplayer aspect enhances these emotions, creating a mix of wholesome fun and terrifying encounters that leave a lasting impact. Overall, the game effectively immerses players in a thrilling emotional journey, whether played alone or with friends.

    • “This leads to a heightened emotional experience that enhances the thrill of exploration.”
    • “Super fun, made me cry the first 5 minutes in.”
    • “This game is really wholesome, it warmed my heart because of how beautiful it is.”
  • monetization46 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing frustration over its reliance on microtransactions and perceived lack of genuine content. Players feel that the game is poorly designed and primarily created to capitalize on trends rather than provide a meaningful experience, leading to disappointment and a sense of exploitation. While a few users noted positive updates and care from the developers, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over quality.

    • “It's not just a disappointment; it's a blatant cash grab that preys on unsuspecting gamers who deserve far better for their investment.”
    • “This game only exists for streamer bait; it was solely made as a cash grab to ride the hype of the backrooms trend.”
    • “0/10, shitty asset flip cash grab with zero thought into level design; even with friends, it's a slog to play through.”
  • character development22 mentions

    Character development in the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers highlighting poor character design and a lack of a compelling narrative. While some appreciate the graphics, the overall consensus is that the characters are poorly executed and fail to contribute meaningfully to the story, leaving players wanting more depth and coherence. Future updates are anticipated to address some of the design glitches, but the fundamental issues with character development remain a significant drawback.

    • “Great graphics and character design.”
    • “Additionally, the game's narrative, while intriguing, could benefit from more fleshed-out character development and a deeper exploration of the backrooms' lore.”
    • “Character design is cool in all honesty, and watching the YouTube video of the game's creation, I thought it would be a really cool concept.”
    • “Escape the Backrooms failed to deliver a compelling storyline or any semblance of character development.”
    • “Let's dive headfirst into the cesspool of ineptitude that is the character design, an affront to creativity that epitomizes the developer's audacious attempt to profit from their own disregard for quality.”
    • “The character design fails not only in terms of aesthetics but also in contributing to any coherent narrative.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
4-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 156 analyzed playthroughs

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