Within the Backrooms

About

Within the Backrooms is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Shattered Display and was released on January 12, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Within the Backrooms" is a single-player Horror Adventure game set in a vast world of liminal spaces, reminiscent of the PS1 era. The game features four diverse main floors, each with unique sub-floors and mysteries to uncover. With light puzzle elements, a haunting atmosphere, and a good music score, players must rely on their wits and bravery to explore, question everything, and find out why they're there.

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Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 133 reviews

music12 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

Unique and creative take on the Backrooms concept, focusing on exploration and atmosphere rather than monsters.
Beautiful retro graphics and an immersive soundtrack that enhance the eerie, nostalgic vibe of the game.
Offers multiple endings and hidden secrets, encouraging replayability and exploration of its liminal spaces.

The game is relatively short, with playtime around 2-3 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
Players must restart the game to access different endings, which can feel repetitive and frustrating.
Some technical issues, such as minor bugs and a lack of a sensitivity slider, detract from the overall experience.

music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
57%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and emotional depth, enhancing the eerie and melancholic experience of exploration. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings of unease and nostalgia, with many noting its haunting quality that complements the retro graphics and unsettling environments. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, significantly contributing to the game's immersive and chilling atmosphere.
- “The music is incredible and very melancholy; I've never expected a backrooms game to have a soundtrack, let alone one that evokes emotion from an otherwise very stoic person.”
- “The music is amazingly atmospheric, the level design and puzzles are strange and eerie, invoking a feeling of dream logic, while also having a curious layout that urges the player forward.”
- “Absolute fever dream of a game with a stellar soundtrack, dipping between eerie and downright beautiful at times as your character trips between dimensions.”
- “I thought a lot about death and being alone while playing... the sombre music did not help.”
- “The constant 1-minute music loops are mainly at fault for this (simply our own footsteps and an occasional unnerving background noise would have done just fine).”
- “The soundtrack is some of the most unnerving stuff I have heard in a while.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
32%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong liminal qualities, evoking feelings of nostalgia and unease without relying on jump scares. Players appreciate the immersive sound design and eerie level layouts that encourage exploration, creating a surreal and dreamlike experience. Overall, the game is considered a standout example of atmospheric design in the backrooms genre, successfully blending tension and intrigue.
- “Manages to achieve a sublime liminal atmosphere, sometimes with a real sense of humor.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and aesthetic, unnerving without cheap jump scares or chases, and absolutely dripping with the forgotten nostalgia that made liminal spaces so intriguing!”
- “You know nothing should happen to you, but in the back of your mind, the music and the atmosphere make you think, 'what if?' That is what makes this game frightening yet beautiful.”
- “Very oppressive atmosphere and a soundtrack that makes everything ten times scarier.”
- “Unlike some other backrooms games that rely solely on jump scares, this game combines an eerie atmosphere with aesthetics.”
- “The best part of this game in my opinion is the atmosphere of horror it creates without the use of monsters or cheap jump scares.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
54%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic PS1 style that enhances the eerie atmosphere, effectively evoking feelings of unease while maintaining a cozy familiarity. Reviewers appreciate the low-poly, low-res visuals, which contribute to the game's unique take on the backrooms concept, creating an immersive experience reminiscent of early 2000s games. Overall, the retro aesthetic is praised for its ability to evoke nostalgia and complement the unsettling ambiance, despite not being technically impressive.
- “The visuals are surprisingly beautiful in their retro style, and the sound design really adds to the feeling of unease while still keeping it oddly cozy.”
- “Rather than like most other backrooms games that go for a 'super realistic camera view', this game uses old PS1 style graphics to really make the game feel old yet familiar.”
- “The low-poly, low-res graphics combined with the level layout makes this very much more akin to a Yume Nikki-type game, or like LSD Dream Emulator.”
- “The graphical style of the game is not incredible, but not bad either - but the level designs are devoid of anything interesting.”
- “When it isn't creeping the player out or making them feel uneasy, it brings forth the nagging pull of bygone nostalgia that pairs perfectly with its simplistic early PlayStation style graphics.”
- “The low-poly, low-res graphics combined with the level layout make this very much more akin to a Yume Nikki-type game, or like LSD Dream Emulator.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay is characterized as simple and not particularly tense, focusing more on atmosphere than complex mechanics, with a playtime of 2-3 hours. While it includes some puzzles and offers 11 different endings through tape collection, the overall experience is more about exploring the eerie, nostalgic vibe rather than engaging gameplay. Many reviewers suggest that the game is best purchased on sale due to its limited gameplay depth.
- “Neat little atmospheric experience packaged into 2-3 hours of gameplay; I really enjoyed the droning ambience of the soundtrack too.”
- “The game boasts 11 different endings, which require finding corresponding tapes throughout the gameplay to unlock.”
- “Most modern backroom games tend to sacrifice atmosphere for game mechanics involving monsters and resource management.”
- “It's not particularly tense or gameplay-heavy, but it nails that eerie, nostalgic vibe the backrooms are known for.”
- “Most modern backroom games tend to sacrifice atmosphere for game-y mechanics involving monsters and resource management.”
- “An over usage of entities and subpar gameplay.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game eschews traditional storytelling elements, opting instead for an atmosphere of unease and anxiety without overt threats or convoluted plots. It effectively utilizes easter eggs, multiple endings, and a compelling soundtrack to create an engaging experience that keeps players on edge. Overall, the story is intriguing and enhances the game's ominous tone.
- “The easter eggs, the multiple endings, the soundtrack, and even the story you follow is interesting, and all of this is done in such a way where I can't help but feel afraid and uneasy.”
- “No story.”
- “Unlike other popular backrooms media, this game does not try to shove uninspired ravenous monsters or silly plot points in your face; instead, it's a masterclass in how to make a game feel ominous and anxiety-inducing without any real present threat.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers decent replayability due to its multiple endings, allowing players to experience different outcomes in relatively short playthroughs.
- “Not too long to finish one playthrough, but 'Wtb' has more than one ending, so it offers great replay value!”
- “The multiple endings and choices make each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “I love how every decision impacts the story, encouraging me to replay and explore different outcomes.”
- “Not too long to finish one playthrough, but the game has more than one ending, so it can offer some replay value!”
- “The lack of significant changes in subsequent playthroughs makes it feel repetitive.”
- “Once you've seen all the endings, there's little incentive to play again.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have found "Within the Backrooms" to be emotionally impactful, often citing its ability to evoke strong feelings despite its flaws. The game's emotional resonance seems to vary based on individual player experiences and their current mindset while playing.
- “I do not know if this had to do with my headspace while playing, but I found 'Within the Backrooms' to be really effective on me emotionally.”
- “Even with its flaws, I still liked 'Within the Backrooms' because it made me feel something interesting.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, requiring significant time investment, and some describe it as needing a "second life" to manage effectively. While the controls can be cumbersome, they do not demand extreme precision, allowing for a more accessible experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The controls were a bit tedious, but you don't need to do god-tier parkour using the WASD keys (or ZQSD depending on the keyboard).”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game successfully creates a sublime atmosphere that is enhanced by its clever and genuine sense of humor, adding depth to the overall experience.
- “Manages to achieve a sublime liminal atmosphere, sometimes with a real sense of humor.”

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3h Median play time

3h Average play time

3-3h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Within the Backrooms is a action game with horror theme.

Within the Backrooms is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Within the Backrooms.

Within the Backrooms was released on January 12, 2023.

Within the Backrooms was developed by Shattered Display.

Within the Backrooms has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

Within the Backrooms is a single player game.

Similar games include POOLS, The Complex: Found Footage, Interior Worlds, The Complex: Expedition, DREAM LOGIC and others.

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