POOLS

About the game

POOLS is a single-player adventure whose main activity is looking around and listening to the surroundings rather than solving puzzles. Tasks are very few, essentially a few mazes, and now and then the game tests navigation skills. Nothing pursues the player or attacks without warning, yet the setting can feel oppressive, leaning on the fear of getting lost, darkness and confined rooms. There is no interface, dialogue or background music; sound and echo instead depend on the particular room, and moving through water is slower. No story or characters are present, but the environment shifts as exploration continues, and each of the six chapters lasts 10 to 30 minutes. The creators cite online phenomena such as liminal spaces, found footage and the Backrooms, especially Poolrooms, along with work by Jared Pike, Matt Studios, Mortain Colors, Andrew Quist and Kane Pixels.

Description from PS Store

One could say POOLS is like an art gallery where you look around and listen to the sounds. There are very few things to solve, practically a few mazes. Sometimes the game can challenge your navigation skills. But mostly you're just... there. Note: There are no monsters chasing you or jumping suddenly towards you, but the game can feel oppressive. POOLS plays on fears of getting lost, the dark, and tight spaces. The game has no user-interface and no dialogue. No background music. Instead, the game uses sounds to make you feel like you're really there. The sounds and echo change depending on the room you're in. Walking in water is slower. All of these things makes the game feel more real and creates a tense atmosphere. There's no typical story, no characters to meet, and you won't find any notes in game. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you. Rooms look and feel different. Each chapter has something unique. Constantly you're exploring new places, each with its own kind of mystery. POOLS has six unique chapters, each taking 10 to 30 minutes to play. POOLS is inspired by a internet phenomenons "Liminal spaces", "Found footage" and "Backrooms" - specifically "Backrooms Pools" or "Poolrooms". One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is Jared Pike. Other inspirations include Matt Studios Poolrooms videos from 2022, Mortain Colors, Anemoiapolis by Andrew Quist and Kane Pixels: The Backrooms.