The Backrooms is a widely recognized and evolving internet-based horror concept that blends psychological tension, surreal environments, and the fear of isolation. Originally stemming from a single image and short creepypasta, it has since grown into a sprawling universe of stories, games, and digital media. The Backrooms embodies a distinct subgenre of horror known as “liminal horror,” which relies on unsettling environments that feel both familiar and disturbingly off. The concept taps into existential dread, spatial confusion, and the uncanny, creating a uniquely haunting experience for those who encounter it.
The origin of The Backrooms dates back to 2019, when a user on the imageboard 4chan posted a low-resolution photograph of a yellow-tinted, empty office-like space with stained carpet, buzzing fluorescent lights, and no windows. Accompanying the image was a caption warning people not to “noclip” out of reality, as doing so might land them in a place known as “the Backrooms.” This idea immediately caught the imagination of internet users, inspiring an expansive mythology around what The Backrooms are, how one might end up there, and whether it is possible to escape.
The basic premise is that The Backrooms are an endless, alternate dimension made up of countless Backrooms levels—each resembling mundane human spaces that have been distorted into something uncanny and terrifying. The first level, often referred to as Level 0, is the most iconic: endless yellow rooms with musty carpeting and constant humming lights. The environment is oppressively monotonous and seemingly infinite. Later levels in fan lore include decaying industrial corridors, flooded office basements, or abandoned shopping centers, each with its own hazards and mysterious rules.
What makes The Backrooms especially compelling is its foundation in the concept of liminality. A liminal space is a transitional or in-between location, such as a hallway, parking garage, or empty airport terminal. These places are typically intended for temporary use, and when experienced out of context or devoid of people, they evoke feelings of discomfort and unease. The Backrooms takes this sensation and amplifies it to an extreme, placing the player or character in a space that looks real but behaves in unreal, nightmarish ways.
The mythology surrounding The Backrooms has grown significantly through online communities. Wikis, forums, and video platforms have contributed to an increasingly complex lore, including hundreds of levels, entities, survival guides, and theories. Each level is described in detail, complete with environmental features, dangers, and sometimes cryptic clues about how to escape or progress deeper. Some stories focus on exploration and mystery, while others emphasize horror and survival.
In addition to written lore, The Backrooms has become a popular theme for indie horror games. These games often place the player in a first-person perspective, tasking them with escaping procedurally generated mazes while avoiding monsters or managing their sanity. The minimalistic design and ambient soundscapes in these games contribute to an intense atmosphere that mirrors the unease of the original concept. A notable example includes the YouTube series by Kane Parsons, known as Kane Pixels, which presents a found-footage style narrative exploring the discovery and horrors of The Backrooms. His work has been so impactful that it is currently being adapted into a feature film by A24.
