Inside the Backrooms stands out as a co-op horror adventure game that draws heavily from the backrooms creepypasta, placing players in endless, eerie rooms filled with puzzles and lurking dangers. Available on PC as an Early Access title, this indie game supports up to four players working together to navigate through levels, avoid entities, and solve challenges to escape. With its focus on tension, exploration, and cooperative mechanics, it appeals to those who enjoy multiplayer horror experiences grounded in internet lore.
Gameplay
At its core, Inside the Backrooms revolves around exploration and survival in a labyrinth of identical, dimly lit rooms with yellow walls and buzzing lights. Players must search for items like almond water to restore health, pills to reduce anxiety, flashlights for dark areas, and protective suits to shield against radiation. The inventory system limits what you can carry, forcing careful management. Stamina plays a key role during chases, as running from entities drains it quickly. Anxiety builds when spotting threats, blurring vision and heightening fear, which adds to the horror atmosphere. Puzzles vary from straightforward to intricate, with solutions that randomize each playthrough, encouraging replayability whether solo or in a group. Proximity voice chat lets teammates communicate, but it risks alerting nearby entities, blending realism with peril.
Game Modes
The game centers on cooperative multiplayer as its primary mode, where up to four players join forces to tackle levels together. There is no competitive element; instead, the emphasis is on teamwork to solve puzzles, share items, and evade dangers. While it can be played solo, the design shines in co-op, with features like radios for distant communication and a respawn system allowing up to three revivals per player through a dynamic method. This setup fosters coordination, making it ideal for groups seeking shared horror thrills.
Levels and Entities
Inside the Backrooms features five main levels, each larger and more challenging than the last, incorporating unique mechanics and puzzles. Two secret mini-levels offer paths to an alternate ending, rewarding thorough exploration. Six distinct entities, inspired by creepypasta lore, patrol these spaces, each with specific behaviors and attack patterns. Learning how to identify and dodge them is crucial, especially since encountering multiple at once heightens the risk. Recent updates have refined level elements, such as improved lighting in the lobby and new interactive features like manual elevator buttons.
Is It Worth Playing?
For fans of co-op horror games that mix puzzle-solving with stealth and survival, Inside the Backrooms delivers a solid experience, particularly if you appreciate backrooms-themed lore. It holds a Very Positive rating on Steam from over 38,000 reviews, though recent feedback sits at Mixed with 52% positive. Ongoing Early Access updates, including a January 2026 patch for lighting and ambient improvements, show continued support toward full release. If you prefer intense, lore-driven multiplayer sessions with friends, it's a strong pick, but solo players or those sensitive to horror might find it less engaging due to its cooperative focus.
