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NEVER LOOK BACK

Descend the infinite office staircase. The Darkness follows you. Squeeze the rubber duck to not be afraid. And never look back. Psychological horror in a dreamcore aesthetic

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About the Game

NEVER LOOK BACK is a psychological rule-based horror where you descend the infinite office staircase, follow the Architect's rules, and try not to let the Darkness overtake you.

The staircase will test you: changing items' places, breaking the space, and releasing the ones you don't want to meet. You'll need to spot the anomaly and go further. Every mistake draws the Darkness closer.

You have a rubber duck in your hands. Squeeze it when you're afraid: it will help you relax and continue descending.

While descending, you'll have to:

■ Listen to the Architect and remember the rules

■ Think about how to pass each anomaly

■ Hold your fear back with a rubber duck

■ Don't look back, even if there's something behind you

DREAM ATMPOSPHERE

Our world, in a dreamcore aesthetic, seems familiar, beautiful, and scary at the same time. You don't want to leave it, just like a pleasant dream. But beauty is just an illusion. Sometimes the quietest place becomes a trap.

EVERY ANOMALY HAS ITS OWN RULES

The staircase doesn't repeat itself. Anomalies can smash you, push you back, provoke the Darkness, or begin following you because of a wrong glance. Some of them pretend to be a usual part of the staircase until you make a mistake.

The Architect will explain the rules. But you'll have to go through the dangers by yourself.

DUCK IS YOUR ANTISTRESS

When you start to feel fear, squeeze your rubber duck: it will help you relax and continue descending. But its squeaks attract the Darkness.

The lower you descend, the harder it is to decide when to squeeze the duck and when you should be patient.

FEATURES

■ Rule-based psychological horror

■ Liminal office staircase and dreamcore aesthetic locations

■ The threat behind your back gets closer with every mistake

■ An antistress duck as a way to hold your fear back

■ More than 30 anomalies with different survival rules

■ The Architect - a voice that leads you through the procedure

■ The main rule: never look back