Few internet-born horror concepts have endured quite like the Backrooms. The endless hum of fluorescent lights. The monotony of yellow wallpaper. The creeping dread of spaces that feel familiar but wrong. With Backrooms: Poolrooms, developed by Mascot Bro Studio and published by Ratalaika Games, the spotlight shifts to one of the most visually striking and quietly unsettling corners of that mythos: Level 37 — the Poolrooms.
Released across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 in mid-February 2026 (with a PC version arriving shortly), this £9.99 psychological horror title narrows its focus to a single, waterlogged nightmare.
White tiles.
Turquoise pools.
Endless reflections.
And something moving just beneath the surface.
Not Just Another Walking Sim
Before diving in, it’s important to clarify what this is — and what it isn’t.
While comparisons to the 2024 atmospheric exploration game POOLS are inevitable, Backrooms: Poolrooms is not a passive walking simulator. There are active threats. There is failure. There are invisible entities hunting you.
This is survival horror stripped down to its essentials.
You are investigating mysterious deaths within the Poolrooms. Bodies have been found floating in dimly lit corridors. Something is stalking the water.
And you cannot see it.
The Invisible Threat
The game’s defining mechanic is its use of invisible enemies.
Unlike many Backrooms-inspired horror titles that rely on grotesque creatures or jump scares, Poolrooms denies you visual confirmation. The entities cannot be seen directly.
Instead, you track them through:
- Ripples in the water
- Sudden splashes
- Echoing footsteps
- Subtle sound shifts
It’s a bold design choice.
Without a visible monster to anchor your fear, your imagination fills the void. Every ripple becomes suspicious. Every splash feels like a countdown.
When something is clearly charging toward you — indicated only by accelerating water movement — panic sets in quickly.
It’s minimalistic horror done effectively.
Sound as Survival
If visuals set the mood, sound design carries the tension.
Footsteps echo loudly against tiled walls. Water drips from unseen pipes. Distant splashes reverberate unnaturally long through flooded corridors.
The game amplifies environmental audio to an almost oppressive degree.
Headphones aren’t just recommended — they’re essential.
You navigate largely by ear. Turning a corner without listening first can be fatal. The space feels alive, but never comforting.
This emphasis on audio awareness makes Poolrooms feel distinct from more visually driven horror games.
Silence is rare.
And when it comes, it’s worse.
The Fish Problem
An unexpected wrinkle comes from the fish inhabiting the pools.
They are not your primary enemy.
But they are dangerous.
Their movements create ripples that can alert invisible entities to your position. Sprint through a shallow pool and you risk stirring up activity. Move too recklessly and the water becomes your enemy.
This secondary system adds subtle strategy. Sometimes standing still is safer. Sometimes detouring around deeper water is necessary.
It’s a clever mechanic that reinforces the importance of patience.
Environmental Design: Endless and Eerie
The Poolrooms aesthetic is deceptively simple.
White tile walls.
Pale blue water.
Dim lighting.
But Mascot Bro Studio uses this repetition effectively. The endlessness creates disorientation. Reflections distort depth perception. Corners look identical.
Navigation becomes a psychological exercise.
At times, the repetition works beautifully. The space feels infinite and lonely.
However, visual variety is limited. After extended play, environments begin to blur together — not just atmospherically, but mechanically.
Some players may crave more environmental storytelling or structural differentiation.
Investigation Mechanics
Beyond survival, you are tasked with investigating the mysterious deaths.
This involves locating scattered items and piecing together fragments of what happened.
The investigative elements are light. There’s no complex deduction system. Instead, exploration drives progression.
While it adds context, the mystery never fully deepens into something narratively rich. The horror remains environmental rather than character-driven.
For some, that ambiguity enhances the experience.
For others, it may feel underdeveloped.
Performance Across Platforms
On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, performance is stable and smooth, even during moments of heavy audio layering.
Switch and Switch 2 versions run competently, though minor texture softness is noticeable compared to current-gen consoles.
Load times are reasonable. Frame rates hold steady.
Given the modest scope, technical expectations are met comfortably.
Where It Falls Short
Backrooms: Poolrooms succeeds at atmosphere but struggles with longevity.
Enemy behavior patterns eventually become readable. Once you understand how entities react to splashes, the fear factor diminishes.
There are limited gameplay variations beyond movement and listening. No combat. No complex puzzle systems. No branching narrative.
It is focused.
Perhaps too focused.
At around 3–4 hours for a complete run, it delivers a tight experience — but one unlikely to inspire multiple replays.
The Price Factor
At £9.99 (with occasional launch discounts), the price feels fair for the scope.
It doesn’t attempt to compete with large-scale horror franchises.
Instead, it offers a concentrated slice of psychological tension built around one strong idea.
And that idea works.
Who Is It For?
- Fans of Backrooms lore
- Players who prefer atmospheric over jump-scare horror
- Gamers who enjoy sound-driven mechanics
- Those seeking a short, focused survival experience
If you crave combat or narrative depth, this may not satisfy.
If you want to feel uneasy in a quiet, echoing maze of water and tile, it delivers.
Final Verdict
Backrooms: Poolrooms takes a singular concept — invisible entities in an endless aquatic labyrinth — and builds a tense, audio-driven survival experience around it.
Its sound design is excellent. Its central mechanic is effective. Its atmosphere lingers long after you quit.
However, limited variety and shallow investigative depth prevent it from reaching greater heights.
It’s a focused psychological horror experiment.
And for a few hours, it’s deeply unsettling.
Just don’t trust the water.
