Puppet Combo’s ‘The Backrooms’ Exudes Atmosphere, But Ultimately Feels Lacking [Review]

May 18, 2026 - 21:59

Much like Slender Man, the Backrooms is a creepypasta concept that started as a simple post and evolved into a horror phenomenon. Through collective storytelling all over the internet, its lore has expanded organically, telling the horrifying story of a strange liminal space you enter by no clipping out of reality. Also like Slender Man, it has now inspired a video game adaptation. Puppet Combo, known for their retro-style horror titles, took a crack at it with "The Backrooms." The result is a game that nails the atmosphere but stumbles in execution.

From the moment you start, the game does an excellent job capturing that uneasy, lonely feeling of being trapped in an endless maze of beige carpet and fluorescent lights. The sound design is a standout. The constant hum of buzzing bulbs, the distant echo of something moving, and the occasional flicker of darkness all work together to keep you on edge. The visual style, which mimics old VHS tapes and grainy footage, adds to the sense of dread. It feels like you are watching a lost tape rather than playing a modern game.

However, the experience starts to fall apart once you get past the initial shock. The gameplay loop is repetitive. You wander through nearly identical hallways, collect items, and avoid the occasional monster. There is little variety in the threats, and the puzzles are either too simple or frustratingly vague. The game relies heavily on jump scares, which lose their impact after the first few times. What starts as a tense exploration quickly becomes a chore. The Backrooms concept is built on the idea of infinite, unsettling space, but the game feels cramped and limited. It captures the look of the Backrooms but misses the deeper, psychological horror that makes the original concept so compelling. For fans of Puppet Combo, this might be worth a play for the atmosphere alone, but most players will find it lacking.