Escape the “backrooms” of a Japanese subway station in upcoming UE5 indie game 

Japanese indie game studio KOTAKE CREATE announced their upcoming liminal space-inspired walking simulator The Exit 8. The game is scheduled to release in November and will be available in English. 

In The Exit 8, you get trapped in the seemingly endless underground passageway of a subway station. As you try to escape from it, the same view seems to repeat itself over and over. You need to analyze the environment carefully and find a way to break free. 

It seems that as you move along the passageway, “anomalies” will turn up. If you notice an anomaly, you are to turn back immediately. On the other hand, if there is no anomaly present, you are to continue walking without turning back. It looks like players will have to keep their eyes peeled for anything that seems off in their surroundings. 

The in-game underground passageway is modeled after the passageways that connect subway stations in Japan, with the white tiled flooring and walls, neon lights and signboards all being very typical of what you would actually see in a Japanese subway. The game is also inspired by “The Backrooms” creepypasta and liminal spaces. Although the game is officially listed as a walking simulator, the backroom elements and the rather disquieting atmosphere of the trailer show hints of some horror elements as well. 

KOTAKU CREATE is a Japanese indie game development studio that uses Unreal Engine 5. They had previously announced the title Strange Shadows, an adventure game in which you run and hide from giant scary creatures, but it seems that The Exit 8 will be releasing first. 

The Exit 8 is planned for release in November for the PC (Steam).

Written by. Amber V based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-11-04 08:13 JST)