Pools

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• Recommended Posted March 27, 2026 on Steam This, in my opinion, is a perfect Liminal Space horror game, for one reason... It doesn't try too hard to be scary. When I play a Liminal horror game, I don't want to KNOW that I'm not alone, I want to FEEL that I'm not alone, and this game does it perfectly. One of my biggest gripes with liminal horror games is when they have monsters that hunt and chase the player. To me, that just ruins it. I want to be able to take in my surroundings without fear of being chased by a monster, but I also want that feeling of dread that something else might be with me. This game delivers that feeling perfectly. Even though I knew I was alone while walking through the endless pool rooms, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something else was with me. Beautiful graphics, amazing environments, and a perfect psychological effect. Please play this game.
• Recommended Posted July 2, 2025 on Steam played for half an hour, got spooked, discovered i didn't like being spooked, refunded. game did nothing wrong, i'm just a huge coward. highly recommend if you like being spooked though
• Recommended Posted July 9, 2025 on Steam This game sucked me in like no other, mesmerized from start to finish. No pressure just pleasure. 10/10
• Recommended Posted June 20, 2025 on Steam Oh I hate it. I mean I love it, but I hate it. No other game spooks me the way this one does. I can't play it for longer than a few minutes before the shivers in my spine say turn it off. Genuinely do not understand how they managed to make a game so horrifying when literally nothing happens. There are no enemies, no jumpscares, nothing that can harm you. Yet the oppressive environment just gets right under my skin. Fantastic. Horrible.
• Recommended Posted November 3, 2025 on Steam Alright. [i]POOLS[/i] is done and dusted. This is my kind of liminal spaces game. No creatures chasing you. Just a distorted reality that you attempt to puzzle your way out of. This one, as the name implies, features pools and a lot of water in general. Which was pretty cool. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3595892697 There isn't really much of a story, such as things go. There are however implications. That things within these liminal spaces look into our world and try to replicate what they see, but without a functional knowledge of how our world's physics work, why certain things exist, and how life interacts with the world. Which is fairly compelling in concept. Because, while there is nothing chasing you per se, there are things living in these liminal spaces. Also, the special level does suggest that perhaps creatures such as [b]It[/b] originate in these liminal spaces. The main thing in this game is the combination of stunning graphics mixed with puzzles that mostly follow the (mostly) subconscious rules of exploration. Which are that when lost or exploring, always choose the same direction unless presented with an undeniable option. For example, always turn left. That way, you can also always find your way back out or back to where you started again. Only here, rather than having a need to backtrack out of a cave system or what have you, you are simply trying to find exits. Still, the basic rules of exploration do mostly hold true in each level. At least, that's how I approached things. As mentioned, the graphics are fairly stunning. At times, they just outright look amazing. At other times, where they are trying to present a mimicry of real-life things not fully understood by their creators, they take on a bit of an almost alien appearance, represented by simplified graphics. Such as some houses and streets you will find later in the game. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3596500384 Physics are also important, and there was a lot of detail in simple things like moving through water, walking in dry spaces while still wet, and so on. The attention paid to the little things in this game was pretty impressive. The sound of water splashing, you slowing down while traversing pools, and so on really serve to provide quite a bit of atmosphere to a somewhat sterile environment. The puzzle design itself, while as mentioned before, mostly adhering to certain principles, isn't afraid to shake things up just when you're getting comfortable, and paying attention to seemingly minor details will definitely pay dividends as you navigate the various levels. There are also a number of secrets available to the intrepid explorer that will take you off the beaten path a little bit. The addition of a straight-up MC Escher level and the IT (clown) level really serve to define where the developer's mind was at while thinking through the creation of these exploration puzzles. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3596018098 I thought it was a clever game that drives home the feeling of isolation that is part and parcel with liminal spaces games while finding a way to keep you engaged without relying on chasing you around the levels with liminal spaces creatures. And both endings will leave you with some questions that you will need to answer for yourself. I thought it was a cool way to handle things and enjoyed my time in this game. I bought this on sale during the 2025 Halloween sale, but it definitely earns its asking price, especially if you're gonna play it more than once to find all the secrets. Although it's worth noting that there is a level select, so the cheevo hunters out there can be more selective in how they go about chasing that 100%. Definitely worth a look. [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/]Robilar's Reviews[/url], it would be appreciated. Cheers.[/code] [code]Also follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more reviews like this one.[/code]
• Recommended Posted February 27, 2026 on Steam Pools: The Backrooms is one of the most unsettlingly peaceful horror experiences I’ve ever played. There are no jump scares screaming in your face, no monsters chasing you every five seconds, just endless liminal spaces, echoing water, and the kind of silence that makes your brain start playing tricks on you. The atmosphere is absolutely insane. The lighting, the reflections on the water, the distant hums and echoes… it feels real in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s not about surviving something, it’s about surviving your own thoughts while wandering through these massive, empty pool rooms. If you love psychological horror, liminal spaces, or just games that make you feel weird in the best way, this is it. It’s slow, immersive, and deeply unsettling without ever trying too hard. 10/10 for vibes alone. I will never look at an indoor pool the same again.