Navigating the Liminal Nightmare
There are certain phrases in the modern world that you hear and accept, even if you don’t entirely know what they mean or how they came to be. “The Backrooms” is one of those for me. It is a prime example of the liminal space aesthetic; a large expanse of empty rooms or corridors that seem to exist beyond human comprehension. Sometimes these rooms are endlessly vacant, while other times they are filled with strange, out-of-reality objects or completely ordinary items that simply have no place being there. And sometimes, there are monsters.
Backrooms Level X is a short survival horror game set within this fascinating arena. But will you make it out alive?
The Narrative Setup
I suspect the developers behind this one are trying to draw in the Stranger Things crowd, as the game features similar themes and heavy 80s VHS vibes. I even feel like they borrowed the show’s font for the main menu.
Adding to that Stranger Things atmosphere, the game starts with you inside a secret underground facility. All around you, scientists are hard at work – whom you can chat with – alongside a highly suspicious-looking man in a black suit. You quickly discover that they have opened a portal to another world or dimension, and you are the one about to step through.
That is essentially all there is to the story and setup. Once you step through the portal, you find yourself trapped in a strange maze of weirdness, and it is up to you to find a way out. I really liked the world and the initial setup. I loved the sheer strangeness of the game and the challenge of trying to decipher what on earth was going on. I do think there could have been a bit more explanation regarding what has happened and exactly who you are playing as. However, having played a few titles in this genre, I feel it offers more narrative context than many others that sit alongside it.
Corridors and Creaks
The gameplay itself is quite straightforward, as games of this type tend to be. You begin in a sort of maze comprised of corridors lined with drab wallpaper, featuring some doors that open and others that don’t. Your overarching mission is to reach the end of the maze and pass through a door that hopefully leads to the next area or the exit back home. But things are never quite that easy in liminal worlds; sometimes up is down, and left is right. You don’t have much in your toolbox either, and in fact, your only options are to walk, run, and interact with specific items.
What makes this game fun is the strange locations and the surprises it places around you. As you walk past a door, you might hear a cough coming from the other side, even though there is no one there and no way to open it. In another area, this eerie trick is repeated with the sound of crying. Suddenly, you might fall through a trapdoor in the floor, finding yourself in a massive room with doors that look like they are miles away. A monster can be heard weeping and breathing heavily; then it spots you, and you simply have to run. These moments are fantastic and genuinely send shivers down your spine.
Rubber Ducks and Exit Doors
There are specific moments in certain levels where you must complete a task to open the way forward. For example, there is one section where a doorway requires two rubber ducks before it will open. So, you have to scour different parts of the level to collect the ducks and carry them back to the door. At other times, you simply have to get from A to B without dying, or without getting lost for hours, which admittedly happened to me a few times. Overall, the mechanics are simple but highly effective for an experience like this.
Backrooms Level X also delivers some visual surprises. You spend most of your time in drab corridors or maze-like structures with repetitive wallpaper. However, I think this makes it all the more effective when you finally spot something odd within spaces you have grown entirely accustomed to. I won’t spoil too much, but there are some excellent treats in store.
That said, I am not a fan of the constant VHS flickering effect across the screen, as it genuinely makes me feel a bit nauseous.
Alongside all that, the sound effects are incredibly creepy, perfectly capturing the unsettling nature of a sudden cough or a weeping monster. The music is good as well, especially during the more dramatic moments.
A Short, Sharp Shock in a Mind-Bending Maze
I enjoy a short horror game, and you can finish this one in around an hour, perhaps a bit longer if you get lost. However, there is little reason to go back after you have rolled the credits, unless you are determined to unlock all the achievements. That said, Backrooms Level X is reasonably priced for its length, I enjoyed its simple mechanics, and it is capable of delivering some very good surprises.
So, if you are looking for a little scare inside a mind-bending maze, then Backrooms Level X might just be the perfect fright night for you.
Important Links
The Backrooms Expand With Level X On Console – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-backrooms-expand-with-level-x-on-console/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Backrooms-Level-X/9MVD2BFBF541
