Whilst it may appear to be a walking simulator, Liminalcore does a surprisingly good job of making you feel uncomfortable.
I’m not entirely up on all the lore related to the Backrooms, but as I understand it, the Poolrooms is some sort of spin-off or alternate form of the neverending and confusing maze of corridors. Recently, I took a look at POOLS, a game that had you wandering around whilst lost in endless hallways and swimming pools. Liminalcore is incredibly similar, but somehow has a creepier atmosphere and a couple of different areas to mix things up a little.
There isn’t a story as such, although there is a conclusion of sorts once you reach the end of the fourth chapter. As it stands, you find yourself surfacing from beneath deep water in a mysterious swimming pool. You’ll find tiled corridors, more pools, and geometrically perplexing waterslides nearby as you try to ascertain your purpose here. Regardless of the why, your goal appears to be to escape by travelling deeper into this maze.
Much like POOLS, Liminalcore is absolutely aimed at a niche audience. If you aren’t someone who can find enjoyment in getting lost in a confusing maze only to stumble on the correct route, then this isn’t a game for you. Those that can appreciate the lonely, almost aimless wandering in a mind-bending world filled with bizarre and creepy sights, then you’ll probably find something to like here.
Creepy is a good adjective to apply here too, as aside from the loneliness and impressive ambient sound, there are some unsettling things to see as you go. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for those who want to give this a go, but entering a gargantuan room filled with stone heads that absolutely dwarf you made me feel very uncomfortable. Especially when one of those heads vanishes when you look away.
The sense of loneliness is enhanced thanks to the soundscape. The sound of your footsteps alters depending on the scale of the room you’re in and is punctuated by drips and splashes if you enter water. There’s a neat mechanic where the game listens to your microphone, so any sounds you make in the real world echo through the hallways. It’s a small detail but one that caught me off guard the first time I coughed and adds to the ambience very well.
The visuals are interesting and more varied than you’d expect thanks to some of the places you’ll go to – again, no spoilers. I liked the film grain effect that made everything feel slightly off-kilter, but I appreciated the ability to scale that back to make viewing more comfortable even more. I was less keen on the bloom lighting that pervades every area. It’s nice thanks to some of the reflections, but that alongside the physics items in chapter three absolutely tanked my framerate. My computer isn’t the most modern, but it can run Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 on high setting at a constant 90 frames per second. Liminalcore dropped to sub-20 at times which is pretty poor.
Still, I found this to be an interesting experience. It’s absolutely not for everyone, but people who enjoy that unsettling liminal space feeling and can put up with being utterly lost will probably like this one. It’s not the longest game, clocking in at around two hours, but the price being under £6 means it’s not a huge investment. There’s even a demo available to give it a go if you aren’t sure. If you like the liminal space movement, this is one for you to get lost in.
Liminalcore is available now on PC.
