ONE IN THE BACK

About

ONE IN THE BACK is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Mr. Jingo and was released on October 14, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

ONE IN THE BACK is a psychological horror puzzle game set inside a car, where players solve challenging escape room-style puzzles to uncover the story. Featuring a text-less narrative, it reveals mysterious characters and past events through photos and atmospheric 2D visuals. The eerie soundtrack and shifting perspectives heighten the sense of suspense and unease throughout.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 45 reviews

story7 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a unique art style that enhances the overall atmosphere.
Puzzles are well-balanced, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult, and hints are available to assist players.
The storytelling through visual elements and character perspectives creates an intriguing and immersive experience.

The story is convoluted and often unclear, making it difficult for players to grasp the overall narrative.
Some puzzles are vaguely designed, leading to confusion about what the game expects from players.
The lack of a save system can be frustrating, as interruptions require players to restart the game from the beginning.

story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
The game's story is characterized as cryptic and convoluted, often conveyed through non-verbal cues and environmental storytelling rather than explicit exposition. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised for their quality, many players find the narrative unclear and difficult to follow, leaving them with more questions than answers about the characters and plot. Overall, the intriguing yet perplexing story adds to the game's unique charm, despite its lack of clarity.
- “Surprisingly good puzzle game, with an unusual progression, a cryptic and twisted story, and beautiful graphics in a comic style.”
- “Pretty enjoyable with a dark story that isn't explicitly stated but shown through non-spoken scenes and polaroids.”
- “The atmosphere is top notch and the visual storytelling really makes you want to know who these characters are and what is going on in the world.”
- “Escape room style logic bites inside a weird half-story about a group of magical (or something) non-protagonists.”
- “However, the story, if there actually is any and it's not just a collection of random ideas, is very convoluted, and I couldn't make heads or tails of it; just a very rough estimate from barely scraping little snippets it tried to convey.”
- “Most of them either barely have any role in the story, or if they actually do, you still can't make sense of how.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
30%
10%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, comic-style art and unique visual presentation, which effectively complement the intriguing story and puzzles. Despite being a short, free game, the visuals are noted for their quality and ability to engage players, although some minor inconsistencies, like the main menu design, were mentioned. Overall, the art style contributes significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere, making it a standout feature.
- “Surprisingly good puzzle game, with an unusual progression, a cryptic and twisted story, and beautiful graphics in a comics style.”
- “Really short puzzle game, but it has a great art style and drawing, along with interesting characters.”
- “The graphics, style, and vibe are excellent and, despite the understandably short nature of a free game, manage to conjure an intriguing story of sorts.”
- “My one (very minor) critique would be that the main menu graphic style seems a bit at odds with the rest of the game.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is generally considered acceptable, featuring a single main track that quickly becomes repetitive, despite its epic and engaging qualities. While some players appreciate the blend of themes, others note that the music is easily overlooked amidst the game's beautiful art and challenging puzzles.
- “It's a mix of epic battles, ancient mythology, and cool music that really rocks.”
- “The art and music are great, and the puzzles are very clever and intriguing.”
- “Music is acceptable, but there’s only a single main track, and it becomes repetitive quickly.”
- “Decent music, but only one track.”
- “Beautiful art, quite hard puzzles (especially the dice one), music... there was music?”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stylish visuals and engaging storytelling, which effectively draw players into the world and its characters. Users appreciate the combination of intriguing puzzles and a captivating ambiance that enhances the overall experience, even if the narrative remains somewhat unclear.
- “The atmosphere is top notch and the visual storytelling really makes you want to know who these characters are and what is going on in the world.”
- “Very stylish, great atmosphere and the puzzles are interesting and well-balanced.”
- “A free puzzle game with a cool atmosphere and art.”
- “I'm still not sure what it all means nor what the goal even was, but the atmosphere and various photographs you collect are enough to have a small grasp.”
- “The game tries to create a haunting atmosphere, but it often feels empty and lacking in depth.”
- “While the visuals are striking, the overall atmosphere feels disjointed and fails to immerse you in the experience.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The gameplay features well-designed mechanics for traveling between "rooms" and offers a variety of puzzles that are enjoyable, though not particularly innovative. Overall, it is a solid and concise riddle game with engaging elements.
- “The main mechanic to travel between 'rooms' and how it's introduced is good game design.”
- “The puzzles are varied and mildly fun, though not especially innovative.”
- “A very good and short riddle game with nice mechanics.”
- “The gameplay features varied and mildly fun puzzles, though they are not especially innovative.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the review highlights the impressive character design, it does not provide specific insights into character development, leaving that aspect unaddressed.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game impactful, particularly when engaging with the photographs and connecting them to the characters in the car, which enhances the overall experience and evokes feelings of nostalgia and reflection.
- “For a free game, this is a pretty good experience. You even get a little emotional when you look at the photographs and then look at the people in the car while slowly putting together the puzzle in your head.”