Shifting To The Backrooms
Experience Will's complicated story, find a way out of the nightmare of liminal spaces by solving challenging puzzles and avoiding dangerous entities — all this awaits you in "Shifting To The Backrooms".
Does this feel indie?
Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
18 itemsAbout the Game
STTB is a light horror game with a minimal amount of jump scares, focusing on story, the atmosphere of liminal spaces and puzzles.
Unlike most Backrooms co-op adventures, our game focuses on a single-player story campaign.
We understand that multiplayer is fun. but we aim to deliver something fresh:
A deep plot with actual characters.
No clichéd "yellow corridors" — we’ve reimagined Backrooms.
Explore various atmospheric liminal spaces: from comfortable to eerie and find your way out of the nightmare.
Game Description
"Shifting To The Backrooms" is a mix of psychological horror and drama game where the protagonist, Will, grappling with family tragedies, discovers the method of "shifting" enabling him to enter dream liminal worlds and escape from his grim reality. However, the dream turns into a nightmare from which Will cannot wake up.
The game will feature:
More than 15 liminal spaces
Unique and abstract levels never seen before in Backrooms games
Complex puzzles, Non-Euclidean spaces
An intriguing story about shifting and parallel universes
Gameplay
A walking simulator with exploration of liminal spaces and puzzle-solving:
Travel through non-Euclidean spaces
Solve abstract and engaging puzzles
Find your way out — avoid and hide from entity monsters
Story
The core of the game is Will’s personal journey, not the "spaces." Liminality and Backrooms are just the stage.
Will, a 15-year-old, battles family turmoil tied to his father, mother, sister, and mother's new friend (all revealed in-game). He seeks peace by "shifting" to safe levels, but dreams morph into an inescapable nightmare. Your task: guide Will to wakefulness. Through dreams, you’ll uncover ways to alter reality and secrets that reshape his family’s fate.
Explore the story, collect notes and learn different shifting methods (do not try at home)
Themes explored:
Shifting, astral projections, transcendental travel
Oneirokinesis (Can thought influence reality through dreams?)
Fear of being trapped in the astral plane, a dream, or an alternate reality
The thin line between sleep and reality
