Previously, I saw an expert in this community recommend 'Chike Backrooms,' saying that its sound effects are very detailed. As a newbie who is both terrible at and loves watching horror games, I couldn't resist downloading it. First, thanks to that expert, otherwise I might really have missed it. 😭
I'm a complete newbie and usually very afraid of games where things suddenly jump at you or monsters chase you—I just can't handle it. I only dared to try this game 'Chike Backroom' because the description said there are no monster chases or jump scares, and it mainly relies on exploration, sound, light, and shadow puzzles. Playing it for real, it's indeed not about being startled by loud scary sounds, but rather that slow, creeping sense of pressure. At the start, in a wet corridor, the tiles reflect a cold light, there are the distant sounds of dripping water, and the light tubes occasionally go 'zzzt.' Even wearing headphones, I dared not walk too fast. 😨
The gameplay is basically about finding your way in an unfamiliar space. There are no clear arrows; you have to observe the marks on the walls, the water stains on the floor, the light coming through the door cracks, and the direction of sounds. For example, there was a part where I got stuck for a long time, and only later did I realize that I had to listen to the knocking rhythm coming from the pipes and then press the switches in sequence. Another time, it was only after turning off the lights that the patterns on the wall became visible, whereas turning the lights on made them disappear. This design is quite clever.