Some horror games rely on monsters. Others rely on jump scares. The Backrooms works differently. Its horror comes from empty spaces, endless hallways, flickering lights and the horrible feeling that something is very wrong, even when nothing appears to be happening at all.
Now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Puppet Combo brings its own take on the internet’s infamous liminal horror phenomenon to consoles with The Backrooms, a surreal first-person horror adventure following office worker Terrence after a very unfortunate journey home from work.
Turns out falling into an endless nightmare dimension really does ruin your evening plans.
At A Glance
- Game: The Backrooms
- Developer: Puppet Combo
- Publisher: Puppet Combo
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
- Price: £8.39
- Genre: Horror Adventure
Seven Days Trapped Inside The Unknown
The setup is simple enough. After finishing a normal day at the office, Terrence suddenly finds himself trapped inside The Backrooms – a strange, impossible space filled with endless corridors, unsettling environments and characters that probably should not exist.
The game unfolds across seven days as players explore deeper into the liminal maze, uncovering disturbing sights and attempting to understand exactly what this place is.
Like many Backrooms-inspired games, atmosphere appears to be the real focus. The emptiness, unnatural architecture and constant uncertainty are what create the tension, rather than endless combat or loud action sequences. Fluorescent lighting has never looked this threatening.
Horror Built Around Exploration
Puppet Combo describes The Backrooms as an exploration-focused horror experience, encouraging players to move through impossible spaces while interacting with strange figures hidden throughout the environment.
Fans of psychological and atmospheric horror will likely know exactly what kind of experience this aims to deliver. The Backrooms concept has steadily grown from niche internet horror into an entire subgenre, with players drawn to the unsettling combination of familiar spaces twisted into something deeply unnatural.
We have already seen several games attempt their own version of the formula too. In our review of The Backrooms 1998, we said: “The Backrooms 1998 is a great horror game… throughout a playthrough you’ll find some excellent sound and visual designs, as a real sense of menace plays out.”
Meanwhile, our thoughts on Backrooms Level X highlighted how the setting itself can carry an experience: “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.”
The Backrooms now joins that growing collection on Xbox.
The Internet’s Creepiest Hallway Comes To Console
There is a reason the Backrooms concept continues to resonate with horror fans. It taps into something oddly specific; the fear of empty places that feel almost familiar, yet completely wrong at the same time.
Whether it is abandoned office blocks, endless yellow corridors or rooms that seem to stretch on forever, the setting creates discomfort without needing to constantly throw enemies at the player. Puppet Combo’s version appears happy to embrace that slower, more unsettling style of horror.
If you enjoy atmospheric horror games built around exploration, tension and psychological unease, The Backrooms may be worth stepping into on Xbox, via the Xbox Store.
Just remember one thing: if you see an endless yellow corridor ahead of you, turning around probably will not help much either.
