POOLS

This is by far the best quality liminal game I have played. It feels the most immersive and realistic compared to others in the genre. I know its a small thing but all the tiles matched up to every edge perfectly where it possibly could making it feel like a real structure built instead of a tile wallpaper slapped on like some. Its that level of detail making it hyper realistic. My favorite thing about this game is being able to sit in chairs and have the ambience increase. I dont know why this is the only game ive found that lets you do that but I love it. the sounds feel very real and you get options like barefoot instead of shoes which is very nice. It also lets you submerge under the water if you crouch in deep enough water and the under water sounds is perfect. This game has many unique features like those that I wish were in them all. My only complaint is that there isnt more from this Developer in the liminal space genre. Its the best by far and i would loooooove to see more levels or even a POOLS 2.

I've enjoyed this one, and now I'd like to visit some abandoned mall.

Really great game, don't get me wrong and I can see how it's overwhelmingly positive but this game is just buggy to ♥♥♥♥ as I kept clipping through stuff and couldn't move and ever glitched out of the map somehow??? Because of all this, it made me constantly restart over and over and over countless of times to the point I got sick and tired of it, I'm done. Relaxing as hell but too buggy too damn buggy play, so I can't recommend this to anyone sadly

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I'd compare POOLS with the two "The Complex" games here on Steam. All three are Backrooms exploration games with no real danger and a preference over letting the player scare themselves with paranoia as opposed to making a big spooky monster roar and charge at them. There are no puzzles, no find-the-object hunts, no enemies. It's just a fairly simple maze/walking simulator. Wander around a while and you'll find the exit before long. With no real jumpscares or screaming entities, this is my kind of Backrooms. Others may find it boring, but I liked it. While I felt a heavy sense of fear and dread while playing The Complex and The Complex: Expedition, POOLS was less scary to me. For most of its' playtime I actually felt quite at ease. I wouldn't mind exploring a place similar to this in real life, as long as I could leave when I was done. A few segments do get unnerving though, especially a couple near the end. The water effects and sound design are great. I felt like I was really there, even though I didn't play with VR. Make sure to go into the options and tone down the head bobbing for a less disorienting experience.

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