Exit 8-like horror walking sim has you trapped in the liminal space of a shopping center
Japanese indie developer Toyasky announced on February 8 that they are currently developing an Exit 8-like game called B1. It will be available on PC (Steam), release data TBA. The game will be playable in English and Japanese.
B1 is a horror walking sim inspired by The Exit 8, but this time you are in an eerie underground shopping center. The player has gone there with the intention of having lunch, but has found themselves trapped in the mysterious liminal space. Like The Exit 8, you must find anomalies and use these to help you make your escape.
The dimly lit underground area has a circular layout that you can walk around, with various eateries such as a pizza place, a ramen restaurant and a dining bar. If you see something strange you must turn back and hit the elevator button. If everything looks fine, you can continue around the loop and press the elevator button.
The elevator is on the 7th floor at the start of the game. If the player is correct in their assessment of whether anomalies are present, the elevator will move down one floor when you press the button. It is not clear what will happen if you are wrong- maybe the elevator will return to the 7th floor, or perhaps something scary will occur.
The game promises a wide range of anomalies, ranging from references to famous games and manga to those with a strong horror feel. Some of the anomalies can be collected as items, and these will affect NPCs that you stumble across in the corridors. For example, there is a strange person with a ghostly white sheet over their head whose appearance may change if you have a certain item.
The developer Toyasky also made another Exit 8 inspired game called Escalator, which was released in January 2024. Escalator is about finding anomalies while riding an escalator in an underground passage. The previously mentioned character wearing a white sheet also appeared in this game. Escalator received criticism for its slow speed and repetitive setting among other things. However, according to the developer, they have considered these issues when developing B1.
I have improved the issues that were often pointed out with Escalator, such as the tempo and setting, to make this simpler Exit 8 style horror game.
B1 is in development for PC (Steam). The release date has yet to be announced.
Written by. Verity Townsend based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2024-02-08 16:21 JST)
Taijiro Yamanaka
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