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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2908018265

As its title implies, this game is set in the Backrooms, an alternate dimension parallel to our own. People get there in various ways, but the most common one is ‘no-clipping’ through a solid object - a rare, but still possible occurrence that will get you stuck in this treacherous reality. That’s what happens to Josh in the first (and for now, only) available story, putting you in this unfortunate movie theater attendant’s shoes, as he’s now lost in the popular yellow-walled Level Zero.

If you aren’t familiar with the Backrooms, know that they’re composed of at least 999 levels, if not more. Each of them has its unique properties, oftentimes dangers, and unique, paranormal or otherwise unexplainable phenomena. During his journey, the (mostly) silent protagonist, Josh, will explore only a handful of them - some peaceful, others much less so. While the visual rendition and atmosphere of each layer are quite stunning, I can’t help but think that there could have been more interesting levels, or ways, to portray the full potential of this wonderful setting.

Both direct, in the form of notes or other visual aids, and indirect narration via environmental clues, are used to give players the means to draw their own interpretation of the events that transpired in each level - not only to them, but also to the numerous travelers that came before. Some of these will be pure exposure, while others instead will prove fundamental to progressing, as they may contain clues to solve a puzzle or about where to go next.

The writing level of documents is passable, the same goes for dialogues, none of them will impress you for its depth nor will they be a bag of cringe. If anything, the presence of some out of canon elements that have nothing to do with the Backrooms lore in some portions, detracts from the experience, and this is a puzzling choice I could not see the reason for. Overall it’s a satisfying narration, as far as this setting is concerned - a setting where clear information is canonically scarce at the best of times, or absent as a whole, that is.

Most of the time you’ll control Josh and simply walk (or run) around the current level in search of a way out. In the canon lore, to exit a level you may have to interact with random objects, noclip (pass through) a wall, or perform specific actions. This aspect wasn’t fully rendered here, as most of the time your connection to another level will be an enigmatic triangle-shaped elevator instead. While exploring, you’ll come across items that seem definitely out of place (as it should be), and notes or diaries of those who explored those levels before you.

Exception made for the first stage you’ll encounter, Level 0, all the others will be largely linear or anyway contained - a gameplay necessity, surely, but still somewhat in contrast to the thousand-miles-spanning (or even infinite) ones seen in the Backrooms lore most of the time. If not spanning miles, most levels are anyway labyrinthine in nature, but this may only be said about Zero here, while the others really aren’t, which is kind of disappointing as it detracts from the horror of being lost, which is rendered -so well- in the initial part of the game.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2908018610

Across the adventure there will be only one puzzle and a brief chase sequence featuring an Entity, meaning one of the countless anomalous creatures inhabiting this bizarre dimension - and oftentimes, not friendly at all. You’ll have to roam Level Zero and find notes in order to piece together a password for a certain machine, key to your escape. This search will have some vague hints, but it will feel like looking for needles in a haystack, and will certainly be the segment that takes up most of your time. Being the best level in terms of quality, it’s not a bad time though.

The chase sequence, without spoiling anything, will be all about running away and losing a pursuing Entity - using Level 0’s convoluted geometry, nooks and crannies to your advantage. The sense of urgency in this segment was well-emphasized, truly an anxiety-inducing part where you scramble and try to remember the way to the (supposed) exit.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2908018924

I cant help but describe this as a challenge (the first level) and then a reward (the rest of the game) because beating the first level is a "slenderman" find the six pages to complete a 6 digit code for a computer next to a generator. white graffiti leads you to said room and once you enter said code (I will leave the code at the end of this review for the lazy), the monster spawns outside of said generator room. I recommend leading said monster though one of the many repetitive structures as once they lose you in it, they can rarely get out. once the password is entered you must backtrack the path you took (you can follow the arrows backwards) to find the door to the poolrooms, now open. (look for the wet floor and mushrooms) After that first level, it is less of a horror game and more of a walking simulator in some great areas, with the pool rooms being my favorite. The only scares past the point of the first level are jump scares of the level of a pipe bursting or a slamming door. THE ONLY LEGITIMATE DANGER TO THE PLAYER RESIDES ON THE FIRST LEVEL ONLY (as of the posting of this review). I actually did the puzzle, ran around the beige hallways and found all the numbers for the password (while I FULLY AND COMPLETELY understand why someone wouldn't want to do such a thing because it sucks). The price of this game is the only reason I would recommend it. It is one of the better simulations of the backrooms, graphics and fidelity wise. If you ever imagined that walking through the upper floors of the backrooms would be a cool experience, i highly recommend. Also, if your computer can handle it, you can make it look pretty good as well. The password for anyone that wants to skip the easter egg hunt: 983765 you still have to deal with the monster :) enjoy

only real downside about this game is that it's to much straightforward, there's little to no possible exploration outside of the main road which kinda removes a bit of the ultimate backrooms experience this game can show us

and more content plz I finished the game and I can still refund it

---{ Graphics }---
☑ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☑ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☑ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

So, lets bring here SCP universe and The Smile Tapes. Yes, lets do it in the Backrooms world. Lets add bacteria from the Kane Pixels lore, as well as partyers from the official(?) backrooms fandom. This game should be called "Backrooms Secure Contain Tape". I like it

I enjoyed this game , however I got sick near the end... Finished the game but the anxiety is crazy. Have a Puke bucket ready if you are sensitive .

cool visuals but not a lot gameplay wise. the mannequins are pretty hot tho

Who the f**k is Josh??

There is not much you can say about the game itself, you walk, interact with notes, soak up the atmosphere of total loneliness, realizing the despair of the situation. It has this exact feeling I was getting while watching YouTube series made by Ken Pixels or A-Sync Research. No constant jumpscares, no obnoxious entities or any traces of modernized version of Backrooms (which I'm not fond of).

Unfortunately, so far the game is not even nearly complete. Store page promises 5 tapes in total, and only one is available at this moment.

For approximately 9 dollars US you are getting around 2-3 hours of concentrated liminal space exploration, game is well optimized, detailed and gives you exactly what you expect from The Backrooms.