Trapped Forever: The 8 Most Terrifying Horror Games Set in The Backrooms

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Summary

  • The Backrooms inspired indie horror games & web series, providing a wide range of experiences for fans of the phenomena.
  • Multiplayer Backrooms games offer challenging teamwork experiences, adding depth with puzzles & evolving monsters.
  • From relaxed exploratory games to eerie suspenseful experiences, Backrooms games offer various gameplay styles for different player preferences.

Originating from an online horror tale, the concept of The Backrooms evolved to depict a chilling scenario where certain locations could accidentally transport individuals beyond the normal reality, trapping them in an endless maze composed of identical yellow rooms and damp carpets. The creative community on the internet embraced this narrative, spawning numerous independent horror games and web series inspired by this fictitious occurrence.

In any situation where concepts expand significantly, numerous individuals attempt to develop their own interpretations, resulting in a diverse array of ideas for viewers. Some less successful attempts fell short in conveying the profound psychological terror inherent in such an experience, while others truly excelled, showcasing their creative prowess and skill in building suspense.

8. Transliminal: Beyond the Backrooms

A Rogue-Lite Experience Perfect for Challenge Seekers

  • Platforms: PC
  • Release Date: November 15th, 2022
  • Developers: Corey Jeffries
  • Genres: Horror, Rogue-Lite

Beyond the Backroom successfully blends these two aspects in a satisfying way.

In The Backrooms, the environment lends itself well to being randomly generated, resulting in unique layouts for each playthrough. This means that players are often lost in a different maze-like setting every time they play, encountering horrors along the way and trying to stay alive. What’s more appealing is the option for players to tailor their experience by disabling entities and survival mode, making it ideal for those looking for an exploration-focused adventure rather than a challenging one.

7. Inside the Backrooms

Survive with Friends

Even games based on the Backrooms concept weren’t excluded from developing a multiplayer version, resulting in the engaging title “Exploring the Backrooms“. It offers more than just navigating liminal areas while avoiding monsters and watching credits roll. The game includes elements of puzzles and stealth to help players escape encounters with whatever frightening entity they may encounter, making it an exciting experience in numerous ways.

Collaboration is crucial in this situation, since the monsters won’t hesitate to interfere while you’re trying to solve the next riddle. This usually means one person will need to serve as a decoy to protect their puzzle-solving companions. For those eager to explore the Backrooms with friends, it doesn’t get any more authentic than the game called “Inside the Backrooms“.

6. Pools

Focuses on a Particular Section of the Backrooms

Pools may seem ordinary and familiar, but they can become strangely disconcerting settings within Backrooms games. These watery spaces are tranquil, equipped with amenities one would expect, and sometimes even boasting exciting slides reminiscent of a popular water park. However, these pools maintain an uneasy balance between inviting exploration and an oppressive, eerie ambiance.

Similar to other Backrooms games, Pools eschews traditional sources of fear by not incorporating tangible threats or relying on clichéd jump scares and generic monster designs. Instead, it cultivates an unsettling atmosphere that taps into fears of becoming lost or trapped in a transitional space. The primary challenge for players lies in navigating through labyrinthine areas, though this aspect doesn’t consume the majority of gameplay time. Essentially, Pools offers a straightforward experience that allows players to fully immerse themselves within its eerie ambiance.

5. The Complex: Found Footage

The Eerie Ambiance Keeps Players Constantly on Edge

  • Platforms: PC
  • Release Date: August 18th, 2022
  • Developers: pgWave
  • Genres: Psychological Horror

Players will have an opportunity to traverse a lifelike and expansive interpretation of the Backrooms, as another individual has accidentally slipped into this otherworldly realm via reality’s seams. While many Backrooms games present physical perils, that is not the focus in The Complex: Found Footage. Instead, players may experience an unsettling sense of apprehension and risk, adding to the game’s eerie atmosphere.

The reason for this is that pgWave skillfully constructed and sustained an unsettling tension throughout its chilling landscapes, breathtaking graphics, and sound design, all harmoniously working together to give the impression of potential danger lurking nearby. Despite there being no actual monster appearance, the game remained terrifying due to the atmosphere they cultivated, leading to a compelling Backrooms-style experience that doesn’t rely on a traditional monster reveal for its horror effect.

4. Day 7

The Backrooms Get the Puppet Combo Treatment

  • Platforms: PC
  • Release Date: September 1st, 2019
  • Developers: Puppet Combo
  • Genres: Psychological Horror

I’ve always been captivated by Puppet Combo, a household name in the independent horror gaming world. Known for their knack of reviving classic horror films into retro-styled video games, they’ve mastered the art of delivering gut-wrenching, ear-piercing jump scares that leave you startled and exhilarated. Their games are notoriously challenging to conquer. In 2019, they dived headfirst into the Backrooms craze, developing a game titled Day 7, or more famously known as The Backrooms. This unique masterpiece could only be accessed through their Patreon.

Puppet Combo reimagines the concept, emphasizing survival as characters find themselves stuck inside the Backrooms, battling dehydration, starvation, and impending madness to stay alive. The protagonist, named Terrance, encounters several other individuals also trapped within this surreal setting, not all of whom are friendly. The game’s surprising conclusion is skillfully executed, offering a grittier take on what could transpire in such an outlandish situation.

3. Anemoiapolis

A More Relaxing Backrooms Experience

You might not think a game set in the Backrooms would provide a tranquil gaming experience, given that horror games typically aren’t serene. However, this is precisely what gamers find in Anemoiapolis. Instead of their sanity deteriorating as they traverse identical disquieting locales while being pursued by a beast, players are given the opportunity to leisurely appreciate the scenery and engage with the environment to advance.

For those seeking a less frightening journey through the mysterious Backrooms, the game “Anemoiapolis” could be just the ticket. Instead of intense horror, it offers intriguing puzzles and captivating exploration, providing an engaging and distinct Backrooms experience that may appeal to a broader audience.

2. Escape the Backrooms

Work Together to Escape

Intriguing settings to delve into, beasts to elude, and riddles to unravel make Backrooms games highly suitable for the multiplayer scene. Noticing this potential, developers like Fancy Games acted swiftly by launching their own multiplayer version titled “Escape the Backrooms“, which followed another attempt at a Backrooms multiplayer game by just a few months.

4 players can enter a perpetual labyrinth called the Backrooms, where they must maneuver to find the exit while being vigilant for any of the 12 potential entities. Success requires everyone to escape, but Escape the Backrooms won’t make it easy as there’s a strong possibility that players could become separated in various areas within the Backrooms. It’s both thrilling and terrifying, offering an excellent opportunity for friends to share in the chilling legend of this popular creepypasta.

1. The Backroom – Lost and Found

A Story-Rich and Surreal Experience

  • Platforms: PC
  • Release Date: July 25th, 2022
  • Developers: Lollin’ Pony
  • Genres: Psychological Horror

In essence, there are numerous games set within the Backrooms universe, yet many of them have sparse narratives, focusing mainly on a character being trapped in the Backrooms, yearning only to return home. These games often incorporate simple puzzle-solving elements, and may include a monster for added suspense and chase scenes.

The Enigmatic Realm – Found and Recovered

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2025-04-16 05:54