A meticulous on-going negotiation between space, architecture, self-doubt, and the rigidity of systems real and imagined.
Go buy and play it. Equip your horse blinders because the store page sours things a bit.
ここでは
左側通行
⬅
Perfect tectonic representation of Japanese underground passageways afforded by advances in games graphics. The hyperreal supplants the original to the extent that, as in reality, it becomes visual noise, consumed without deliberate thought. Without knowing what The Exit 8 delivers, its call to pay attention to surroundings becomes an act of questioning minutiae and the necessary bounds of the game space. In quietly becoming familiar with the space itself, differences should become apparent, but the mind effectively second-guesses itself amid a sea of static. Occasionally it is blatant, more often fleeting as a wandering eye spot, impossible to catch within one's focus and definitively claim it to be actual.
Of course, if it really was that subtle it wouldn't be a very rewarding experience, but the learning experience is reinforced by the dread of seeing 0, an affirmation that you missed something or, more terrifyingly, misremembered something. Were the posters always in that configuration? Did the passerby look like that? How grungy was it last time?
By not repeating itself until the bag of tricks runs empty, The Exit 8 refuses to even give the player the opportunity to enter routine, to become acquainted with the unfamiliar. Even the security of 8 not a perfect shield until the assurance of leaving it behind.
Go buy and play it. Equip your horse blinders because the store page sours things a bit.
ここでは
左側通行
⬅
Perfect tectonic representation of Japanese underground passageways afforded by advances in games graphics. The hyperreal supplants the original to the extent that, as in reality, it becomes visual noise, consumed without deliberate thought. Without knowing what The Exit 8 delivers, its call to pay attention to surroundings becomes an act of questioning minutiae and the necessary bounds of the game space. In quietly becoming familiar with the space itself, differences should become apparent, but the mind effectively second-guesses itself amid a sea of static. Occasionally it is blatant, more often fleeting as a wandering eye spot, impossible to catch within one's focus and definitively claim it to be actual.
Of course, if it really was that subtle it wouldn't be a very rewarding experience, but the learning experience is reinforced by the dread of seeing 0, an affirmation that you missed something or, more terrifyingly, misremembered something. Were the posters always in that configuration? Did the passerby look like that? How grungy was it last time?
By not repeating itself until the bag of tricks runs empty, The Exit 8 refuses to even give the player the opportunity to enter routine, to become acquainted with the unfamiliar. Even the security of 8 not a perfect shield until the assurance of leaving it behind.
The Exit 8 will take you only a couple minutes to beat, though you're encouraged to go back and see the other anomalies you missed on your first go at it. It's "Spot the difference" where if things look good, you go ahead. They don't? Turn around.
There's like 30 anomalies to see, some are creative and spooky, others are just lame. I got four of the best ones on my first playthrough, so going for more loops had me pretty disappointed.
Is it worth buying? I don't think so. There's a nine minute YouTube video that'll show you every anomaly including "dying" to them, so literally the entire game. Admittedly, it's less scary watching someone else go through it, but it's also free. Even at $4, I'd say this is just kind of neat but totally skippable.
I do not recommend The Exit 8.
There's like 30 anomalies to see, some are creative and spooky, others are just lame. I got four of the best ones on my first playthrough, so going for more loops had me pretty disappointed.
Is it worth buying? I don't think so. There's a nine minute YouTube video that'll show you every anomaly including "dying" to them, so literally the entire game. Admittedly, it's less scary watching someone else go through it, but it's also free. Even at $4, I'd say this is just kind of neat but totally skippable.
I do not recommend The Exit 8.
The Exit 8 isn't groundbreaking in any sense. Fortunately, what it does do is executed to near perfection in almost every facet. The game's fantastic visuals and audio help improve an already engrossing atmosphere, and the gameplay itself is about as good as it possibly could be given the type of game it is. I hesitate to go into specifics because the quality of the experience this game provides relies on the player knowing little to nothing going in. Because of that, I have to recommend the game to anyone reading. It's neither long nor difficult, and the experience is well worth the price. Please try to avoid any and all spoilers going in, as I wrote earlier, minimizing knowledge of the game before starting it is key, and that minimization includes even the game's store page, which reveals much more than it should. Go find your exit.
引き返せ引き返せ引き返せ引き返せ引き返せ引き返せ
The subway tunnel asset is so insanely spot on in terms of look, sound design, and vibe and I have been through many Tokyo subway tunnels in my days, but for the life of me I had an incredibly hard time enjoying this.
Spoilers I guess below if you want to go into it blind.
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I beat it and found all the anomalies but I guess my personality just doesn't get a lot of enjoyment out of spot the difference puzzles. I respect how well some things were hidden but only a handful of the anomalies were unsettling. Maybe it's my fault for wanting to be scared coming into it. Frustration overtook dread for me in this one.
The subway tunnel asset is so insanely spot on in terms of look, sound design, and vibe and I have been through many Tokyo subway tunnels in my days, but for the life of me I had an incredibly hard time enjoying this.
Spoilers I guess below if you want to go into it blind.
v
v
v
v
I beat it and found all the anomalies but I guess my personality just doesn't get a lot of enjoyment out of spot the difference puzzles. I respect how well some things were hidden but only a handful of the anomalies were unsettling. Maybe it's my fault for wanting to be scared coming into it. Frustration overtook dread for me in this one.
P.T. started the trend of subtle horror games. No scary music, looping hallways and rooms, or needing to notice any changes to move on. Exit 8 is exactly this. A single white hallway in a subway tunnel has a couple of turns, and it loops endlessly unless you notice changes. There is no story, no background, and no character development. Just this single white hallway, and you need to get to exit 8.
Your only sign of progress is the yellow exit sign, which increases in number as you make your fourth turn. If that sign goes back to zero, you missed an anomaly. When you see it, you are supposed to turn around and go back the other way. Anomalies can be really obvious, like lights being turned off, open doors, or a single man walking towards you doing something different. Other subtle ones can be the floor tiles, a security camera light, or a poster changing. You might get really frustrated at first, but keep going. Memorization is the key to getting the job done. Once you know exactly where everything is supposed to be—how many doors, posters, etc.—you will finish in under an hour.
The horror elements are subtle and not forced. A moving object, no music, and just the hum of the lights and footstops. Maybe a creaking door might make you jump. You can stop, take your time, and check the main hallway for changes. Running full force all the way through will make you miss things. You have to turn around to see a few anomalies anyway. If there aren't any changes, you keep moving on, and sometimes this can really make you feel like quitting. You will think time after time that the hallway is fine, but then you will notice something new and just keep moving on. Don't let that sign resetting to zero keep discouraging you.
The graphics use Unreal Engine 5 and are nothing special, but the atmosphere of the sterile white hallway makes it creepy. A lack of music and most sound effects makes you feel on edge all the time. The single-footed man makes you very uneasy every time you pass him. All you want to do is get to exit 8, and the intensity might make you miss things as you become more and more anxious to get out. This single-looping hallway might drive some people nuts.
Overall, The Exit 8 is a fun game that lasts a couple of hours at the most. There are only two achievements, and once you see all the anomalies, there is nothing left to do except maybe do self-timed speed runs. Some may find this a simple tech demo, but I think more horror games need to go this route. It's only a few dollars, and possibly getting some friends around to help spot things can make this a fun party game as well.
Your only sign of progress is the yellow exit sign, which increases in number as you make your fourth turn. If that sign goes back to zero, you missed an anomaly. When you see it, you are supposed to turn around and go back the other way. Anomalies can be really obvious, like lights being turned off, open doors, or a single man walking towards you doing something different. Other subtle ones can be the floor tiles, a security camera light, or a poster changing. You might get really frustrated at first, but keep going. Memorization is the key to getting the job done. Once you know exactly where everything is supposed to be—how many doors, posters, etc.—you will finish in under an hour.
The horror elements are subtle and not forced. A moving object, no music, and just the hum of the lights and footstops. Maybe a creaking door might make you jump. You can stop, take your time, and check the main hallway for changes. Running full force all the way through will make you miss things. You have to turn around to see a few anomalies anyway. If there aren't any changes, you keep moving on, and sometimes this can really make you feel like quitting. You will think time after time that the hallway is fine, but then you will notice something new and just keep moving on. Don't let that sign resetting to zero keep discouraging you.
The graphics use Unreal Engine 5 and are nothing special, but the atmosphere of the sterile white hallway makes it creepy. A lack of music and most sound effects makes you feel on edge all the time. The single-footed man makes you very uneasy every time you pass him. All you want to do is get to exit 8, and the intensity might make you miss things as you become more and more anxious to get out. This single-looping hallway might drive some people nuts.
Overall, The Exit 8 is a fun game that lasts a couple of hours at the most. There are only two achievements, and once you see all the anomalies, there is nothing left to do except maybe do self-timed speed runs. Some may find this a simple tech demo, but I think more horror games need to go this route. It's only a few dollars, and possibly getting some friends around to help spot things can make this a fun party game as well.
So THIS is how schizophrenic-paranoids feel when they wake up
A fun little 'spot the difference' game. A lil spooky. A lil silly at times. It's not perfect though. I feel like there are some missed opportunities to add anomalies. And there are a couple that are way too subtle and more frustrating.
Muito curioso, porém curto, mas ótimo jogo pra lives, e jogar com amigos assistindo.
This is actually just what taking public transport in Japan is like as a foreigner
This review contains spoilers
OK, spent over an hour on this. Why?
Kept missing one particular anomaly due to misinterpretation of the guidance sign saying to not turn back. Thought it meant to not even look behind oneself unless an anomaly had been observed. Whoops! IYKYK. Was at my wits' end with how many times I saw that EXIT 0 sign.
Also wish I'd learnt how to run sooner! LOL
Kept missing one particular anomaly due to misinterpretation of the guidance sign saying to not turn back. Thought it meant to not even look behind oneself unless an anomaly had been observed. Whoops! IYKYK. Was at my wits' end with how many times I saw that EXIT 0 sign.
Also wish I'd learnt how to run sooner! LOL
i almost lost my mind
The Exit 8 is my first foray into a genre that I pray will become more aptly named than 'Spot the Difference’. Very short and fairly sweet, The Exit 8 gives you a binary choice. Forwards or backwards. Either everything is fine, or there is an anomaly. Horror feels like the natural next step for the genre, satisfying a-ha moments are swapped with eye-widening oh-nos as you realise something is off. The game is cheap and the spartan game design served it well. And now I’m finally interested in playing Papers Please.
Videogaming equivalent of a back-of-the-cereal-box "spot the difference" puzzle. It's not particularly deep, and it's very short, but I appreciate it as a creative snack of a game.
The subject of liminal spaces has exploded in popularity recently, having had a loyal following before, but pushed to the spotlight by the short movie The Backrooms released a few years ago. Similarly, the spatial loop became a trend following P.T.'s ever shifting hallway. Finding itself in the intersection of those two thoroughly abused trends, it's unlikely I'd have given The Exit 8 the time of day had I not seen it in action beforehand.
As one would expect from the $4 price tag, it's a simple game, based entirely on observation: the player is in a subway station and must get from exit 0 to exit 8. To do that, they must pass through a hallway with set characteristics: a set of posters, a row of doors, signage and so on. If everything about the hallway looks right, they press on to the next exit. If there's something fishy going on, they must turn back. Failure to observe these guidelines loops them back to exit 0.
When displaying an anomaly in the station, the game picks randomly from a few dozen possible anomalies, a set which ranges from subtle shifts to surreal occurrences that are immediately noticeable. Conditioning the player into paying close attention to small details then tossing in something clearly unnatural is a highly effective way to get a jump out of them, making The Exit 8 a great horror game for people who aren't great with the horror genre.
Its biggest success, however, is in the short and dense runtime. The Exit 8 is cheaply produced, as is made evident by the use of Unreal asset packs and the appalling performance for an experience that takes place entirely in a hallway. Had the game stretched itself thin and tried to pad runtime, its weaknesses would have begun to show, however, since it makes a point of not repeating events the player has already seen, it proves an enjoyable pastime.
As one would expect from the $4 price tag, it's a simple game, based entirely on observation: the player is in a subway station and must get from exit 0 to exit 8. To do that, they must pass through a hallway with set characteristics: a set of posters, a row of doors, signage and so on. If everything about the hallway looks right, they press on to the next exit. If there's something fishy going on, they must turn back. Failure to observe these guidelines loops them back to exit 0.
When displaying an anomaly in the station, the game picks randomly from a few dozen possible anomalies, a set which ranges from subtle shifts to surreal occurrences that are immediately noticeable. Conditioning the player into paying close attention to small details then tossing in something clearly unnatural is a highly effective way to get a jump out of them, making The Exit 8 a great horror game for people who aren't great with the horror genre.
Its biggest success, however, is in the short and dense runtime. The Exit 8 is cheaply produced, as is made evident by the use of Unreal asset packs and the appalling performance for an experience that takes place entirely in a hallway. Had the game stretched itself thin and tried to pad runtime, its weaknesses would have begun to show, however, since it makes a point of not repeating events the player has already seen, it proves an enjoyable pastime.
First & Blind Playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFpf-M0FhKE
The 'Spot The Difference' genre of indie horror gets a welcome rethink with a stylish Japanese subway aesthetic, and PT-esque location-looping putting players directly in the thick of the spooky anomalies. For me, it's a more engaging shift from the screen-watching of cult breakout I'm On Observation Duty, with spookiness ranging from the head smackingly subtle to the downright startling. All anomalies feel like they play fair, and there's extra fun in finding them all (with a convenient counter supplied), and entering into some of their fail states. Simple, but cheap fun. High on quality with potential to do more.
The 'Spot The Difference' genre of indie horror gets a welcome rethink with a stylish Japanese subway aesthetic, and PT-esque location-looping putting players directly in the thick of the spooky anomalies. For me, it's a more engaging shift from the screen-watching of cult breakout I'm On Observation Duty, with spookiness ranging from the head smackingly subtle to the downright startling. All anomalies feel like they play fair, and there's extra fun in finding them all (with a convenient counter supplied), and entering into some of their fail states. Simple, but cheap fun. High on quality with potential to do more.
This review contains spoilers
The fucking way my heart sank whenever I'd turn a corner to see a big fat Zero.
Don't want to handwring, because this is far too specific, but I think there's something to be said about the magic of a truly blind playthrough, and how a game's delivery process can be the be-all and end-all. When I first learned of The Exit 8, it was because I did my daily poorboy due diligence by browsing Skidrow for new games to pilfer from the back of an unmarked van. (I'd honestly recommend people to do the same, I've discovered so many games this way, but I'm a psychopath, so sink to my level if u dare.)
The Exit 8, unassumingly, only sells itself on the Skidrow listing with the description - "The Exit 8 is a short walking simulator inspired by Japanese underground…". Kinda boring pitch, doesn't jump out much - I didn't have any expectations or pretence because I had no way to create any. why I gravitated towards it instead of Trucks and Logistics Simulator is anyone's guess.
Frankly, I was only expecting one of those lusciously-rendered mundane locale tech demos, and the initial hump of The Exit 8 practically delivers that. I did a few runs on its recursive subway underpass thinking little more than how I was experiencing essentially a student's little Unreal Engine flex or something. The texture work, lighting, reflections, modelling - it's all on point, a still captured from any angle could be utterly convincing as a genuine photograph of a real-world location. Then I stopped sprinting around the map and finally took in the finer detail on offer - instructions! In English! Unwinding into (- and I hope you've played the game before reading this -) a game of non-Euclidian spot-the-difference. It doesn't feel like the floor falls out from under me very often these days, man. I kind of sunk into this and was enraptured, pouring over every loop's details in a desperate fervour to reach Exit 8 - gaslighting myself countless times and getting genuinely spooked at the prospect of unknowingly missing anomalies. Loved it all the way to the end, very cool lean little thing.
THEN I looked at the Steam page and how it fucking spelled the whole thing out. At some of my pals already having it in their wishlist, knowing for god-knows-how-long what the gimmick of The Exit 8 would actually be. The first screenshot on the Steam store page is the END of the game!! You should spend the whole playthrough wondering if it even has one!! I'm sure the coming few days will be plastered w/ thumbnails of gormless Youtuber faces, setting people up for The Exit 8 being something far more TERRIFYING than it really is. It's kind of crushing and I know that's a bit unfair but like. I think this is the kind of game you should just put in front of people to see what they make of it. Place it in an unlabelled USB stick and slide it across their desk or something. And stop calling everything 'liminal' ur gay.
Don't want to handwring, because this is far too specific, but I think there's something to be said about the magic of a truly blind playthrough, and how a game's delivery process can be the be-all and end-all. When I first learned of The Exit 8, it was because I did my daily poorboy due diligence by browsing Skidrow for new games to pilfer from the back of an unmarked van. (I'd honestly recommend people to do the same, I've discovered so many games this way, but I'm a psychopath, so sink to my level if u dare.)
The Exit 8, unassumingly, only sells itself on the Skidrow listing with the description - "The Exit 8 is a short walking simulator inspired by Japanese underground…". Kinda boring pitch, doesn't jump out much - I didn't have any expectations or pretence because I had no way to create any. why I gravitated towards it instead of Trucks and Logistics Simulator is anyone's guess.
Frankly, I was only expecting one of those lusciously-rendered mundane locale tech demos, and the initial hump of The Exit 8 practically delivers that. I did a few runs on its recursive subway underpass thinking little more than how I was experiencing essentially a student's little Unreal Engine flex or something. The texture work, lighting, reflections, modelling - it's all on point, a still captured from any angle could be utterly convincing as a genuine photograph of a real-world location. Then I stopped sprinting around the map and finally took in the finer detail on offer - instructions! In English! Unwinding into (- and I hope you've played the game before reading this -) a game of non-Euclidian spot-the-difference. It doesn't feel like the floor falls out from under me very often these days, man. I kind of sunk into this and was enraptured, pouring over every loop's details in a desperate fervour to reach Exit 8 - gaslighting myself countless times and getting genuinely spooked at the prospect of unknowingly missing anomalies. Loved it all the way to the end, very cool lean little thing.
THEN I looked at the Steam page and how it fucking spelled the whole thing out. At some of my pals already having it in their wishlist, knowing for god-knows-how-long what the gimmick of The Exit 8 would actually be. The first screenshot on the Steam store page is the END of the game!! You should spend the whole playthrough wondering if it even has one!! I'm sure the coming few days will be plastered w/ thumbnails of gormless Youtuber faces, setting people up for The Exit 8 being something far more TERRIFYING than it really is. It's kind of crushing and I know that's a bit unfair but like. I think this is the kind of game you should just put in front of people to see what they make of it. Place it in an unlabelled USB stick and slide it across their desk or something. And stop calling everything 'liminal' ur gay.
i hated every second of this. Kotake is a dangerously talented developer and i'm glad this has been received so well on their behalf.
Underground Passageway man: Where have all my anomalies gone??
Me with a suspiciously anomaly shaped lump in my throat: I dunno man it wasn't me
Me with a suspiciously anomaly shaped lump in my throat: I dunno man it wasn't me
I'm not foreign to labyrinthine metro tunnels. Instead this is what I always imagined navigating American suburbia is all about
Smooth lil Spot The Difference type game thats well made but never quite spooky enough and never quite lives up to the japanese train station premise (because its not a station, its just a single hallway that could have been anywhere really)
average day as a japanese salaryman
I did not watch nor played this game, but @mikli, @Vincento, and @NutHut was playing or watching, idk, but I was playing fornite and I cannot believe that they removed the icy grappler and replaced with the normal one. It was only just one day.
The Exit 8 is perhaps the most interesting “Backrooms”-type game I’ve played in a while. Though barely longer than 30 minutes and a little barebones overall, its approach to liminality in both an aesthetic and literal context make it quite memorable, and surprisingly uncanny.
7/10
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This game is a great example of how to do a lot with very little. Other walking simulators often get called out for not really really living up to the potential of gaming. Rarely do they really play to the strengths of the medium. Instead, in an effort to minimise the process of play-optimisation, which is at the centre of discussion when it comes to the topic of “games as art”, developers in the genre often forgo the entire concept altogether, and opt for an experience that consists entirely of walking down a designated path for you to follow, with no other input necessary from your end - hence the name.
The Exit 8, unlike many of its peers, understands how to use these limitations to craft one of the most uniquely weird and uncanny gaming experiences I’ve had in a while - even all you do is walk down a Japanese metro passageway, looking for the eponymous Exit 8. The twist: The hallway repeats infinitely. Or does it?
Early on, after the first few times of walking down this infinite hallway, you’re met with the following message: “Don't overlook any anomalies. If you find anomalies, turn back immediately. If you don't find anomalies, do not turn back. To go out from Exit 8.”
And this is where the game becomes very interesting.
Minor spoiler warning from here on out!
Other horror games in the genre often let you get away with barely engaging with whatever it is you’re supposed to be scared of. Others make it the point, outright. Mostly this is done by having some invincible enemy chase you around the place, and while this can be scary sometimes, to me this is almost always just annoying. Here, the horror comes in making you look. What does that mean?
The actual “game” of The Exit 8 is basically just a “find the difference” puzzle. Alluded to in the aforementioned message, the goal is to find the exit by continuing to go through the passageway and correctly recognising whenever something’s… off. Sometimes the changes will be quite obvious, but other times these changes can be very subtle. Sometimes these changes aren’t even really weird or scary, but those times when they are, noticing them can be quite unsettling. And the worst is, that you HAVE to look carefully. It’s tempting to not check out the little opening in the door that wasn’t there before, but you HAVE TO. Now, I’m not gonna pretend that this is the scariest thing in the world, but again, for only taking 30 minutes to complete, this game does have some potential in here to be quite unsettling and creepy. The fact that the game draws no attention to these anomalies what so ever, and that it’s almost on you to even notice them makes them even creepier in my opinion.The whole thing with the repeating hallway and having to check that hallway for minute details kinda reminded me of PT, which is probably why I was unusually tense while playing this game. While there’s nothing anywhere near as terrifying as Lisa in The Exit 8, that weird sense of being trapped and possibly not entirely alone was always there. That comparison is, of course, some of the highest praise I can give it.
The Japanese subway station aesthetic is done marvellously. It really does give off that hyper-sterilised but equally forlorn vibe that you get from those “Liminal spaces” meme pages and Twitter accounts. Some of the anomalies are pretty creepy, in my opinion at least. The creepiest one comes in the form of a door that’s just ever so slightly open, and there’s something that stares back at you, should you decide to check it out more closely. Another time was when the lights just suddenly shut off without warning. There are some that are a bit silly though, like when the man who keeps walking down the station suddenly walks towards you, but his movement speed is increased. It just looks really goofy.
I think the game could’ve definitely done with some more involved sound design, and the fact that kill screens (yes, there are kill screens) don’t really do anything other than to set you back to the start is a bit underwhelming. I also think that some of the anomalies are a little too obtuse for my liking. I also completed the game by accident for the first time, because I just kept walking forward to see what would happen, and eventually just stumbled upon the stairs. Not sure if that’s intentional or not, because the game treated it like a death screen. In general the game feels a bit unpolished, as I did notice some visual glitches here and there, and certain things not having any sounds associated with them.
There also isn’t a whole lot in terms of replayability. While there are about 20-30 anomalies to find, there’s a good chance you’ll see almost all of them on your first playthrough. I did two just to make sure, and did indeed find all of them. This game is just kind of barebones in general. Not a whole lot to it outside of the central gimmick, which is fine. Not every game needs to have multiple hours worth of content, but this game would’ve definitely benefitted from being about twice as long.
In conclusion:
Neat little horror walking simulator you can get really cheap and play through over the course of a lunch break. Also, finally a review that didn’t take me hours to write lmao
7 / 10
7/10
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This game is a great example of how to do a lot with very little. Other walking simulators often get called out for not really really living up to the potential of gaming. Rarely do they really play to the strengths of the medium. Instead, in an effort to minimise the process of play-optimisation, which is at the centre of discussion when it comes to the topic of “games as art”, developers in the genre often forgo the entire concept altogether, and opt for an experience that consists entirely of walking down a designated path for you to follow, with no other input necessary from your end - hence the name.
The Exit 8, unlike many of its peers, understands how to use these limitations to craft one of the most uniquely weird and uncanny gaming experiences I’ve had in a while - even all you do is walk down a Japanese metro passageway, looking for the eponymous Exit 8. The twist: The hallway repeats infinitely. Or does it?
Early on, after the first few times of walking down this infinite hallway, you’re met with the following message: “Don't overlook any anomalies. If you find anomalies, turn back immediately. If you don't find anomalies, do not turn back. To go out from Exit 8.”
And this is where the game becomes very interesting.
Minor spoiler warning from here on out!
Other horror games in the genre often let you get away with barely engaging with whatever it is you’re supposed to be scared of. Others make it the point, outright. Mostly this is done by having some invincible enemy chase you around the place, and while this can be scary sometimes, to me this is almost always just annoying. Here, the horror comes in making you look. What does that mean?
The actual “game” of The Exit 8 is basically just a “find the difference” puzzle. Alluded to in the aforementioned message, the goal is to find the exit by continuing to go through the passageway and correctly recognising whenever something’s… off. Sometimes the changes will be quite obvious, but other times these changes can be very subtle. Sometimes these changes aren’t even really weird or scary, but those times when they are, noticing them can be quite unsettling. And the worst is, that you HAVE to look carefully. It’s tempting to not check out the little opening in the door that wasn’t there before, but you HAVE TO. Now, I’m not gonna pretend that this is the scariest thing in the world, but again, for only taking 30 minutes to complete, this game does have some potential in here to be quite unsettling and creepy. The fact that the game draws no attention to these anomalies what so ever, and that it’s almost on you to even notice them makes them even creepier in my opinion.The whole thing with the repeating hallway and having to check that hallway for minute details kinda reminded me of PT, which is probably why I was unusually tense while playing this game. While there’s nothing anywhere near as terrifying as Lisa in The Exit 8, that weird sense of being trapped and possibly not entirely alone was always there. That comparison is, of course, some of the highest praise I can give it.
The Japanese subway station aesthetic is done marvellously. It really does give off that hyper-sterilised but equally forlorn vibe that you get from those “Liminal spaces” meme pages and Twitter accounts. Some of the anomalies are pretty creepy, in my opinion at least. The creepiest one comes in the form of a door that’s just ever so slightly open, and there’s something that stares back at you, should you decide to check it out more closely. Another time was when the lights just suddenly shut off without warning. There are some that are a bit silly though, like when the man who keeps walking down the station suddenly walks towards you, but his movement speed is increased. It just looks really goofy.
I think the game could’ve definitely done with some more involved sound design, and the fact that kill screens (yes, there are kill screens) don’t really do anything other than to set you back to the start is a bit underwhelming. I also think that some of the anomalies are a little too obtuse for my liking. I also completed the game by accident for the first time, because I just kept walking forward to see what would happen, and eventually just stumbled upon the stairs. Not sure if that’s intentional or not, because the game treated it like a death screen. In general the game feels a bit unpolished, as I did notice some visual glitches here and there, and certain things not having any sounds associated with them.
There also isn’t a whole lot in terms of replayability. While there are about 20-30 anomalies to find, there’s a good chance you’ll see almost all of them on your first playthrough. I did two just to make sure, and did indeed find all of them. This game is just kind of barebones in general. Not a whole lot to it outside of the central gimmick, which is fine. Not every game needs to have multiple hours worth of content, but this game would’ve definitely benefitted from being about twice as long.
In conclusion:
Neat little horror walking simulator you can get really cheap and play through over the course of a lunch break. Also, finally a review that didn’t take me hours to write lmao
7 / 10
Was kinda lucky on my first try.
But its a fun little observation game. Went back to see all differences.
Took me 7min for my first ending and 36min for completition.
It can get a bit creepy.
But its a fun little observation game. Went back to see all differences.
Took me 7min for my first ending and 36min for completition.
It can get a bit creepy.
This is what it feels like when you go into Ikea to buy a 10-quid shoe rack and discover you've become embroiled in an endless odyssey of looping white corridors that you're praying will eventually somehow lead you to a checkout.
this sort of game (and online horror in general) is extremely hit or miss to me, leaning toward miss most of the time. i am happy to say, however, that this was basically all hit. everything it has to show you is extremely effective at building an uncomfortable atmosphere and it is very, very freaky sometimes! it only has one moment that i think is really lame and typical of a modern horror game and you are unlikely to see it.
to me, this is a great utilization of the strong liminal/anomaly concept that so many writers and devs lean on to make lazy and uninspired art.
to me, this is a great utilization of the strong liminal/anomaly concept that so many writers and devs lean on to make lazy and uninspired art.
La jefa estudia mucho a lo largo del día como para tener que también usar el cerebro en los streams, un juego ¿interesante? Hay que tenerle mucha paciencia y yo nací sin esa habilidad. Me gustaría volverlo a jugar y pasármelo porque soy muy cabezona. 🤣
reminds me of my daily commute
Love how tight the concept and scope of this is. I had a pretty funny experience getting stuck on this while streaming to some friends and losing my mind while trying to get through the last few rounds but I was absolutely fixated on completing it in one go.
This review contains spoilers
For what is essentially a spot the difference puzzle, it has no right being this unnerving.
I will admit to initially just doing laps thinking I was gonnae get jumpscared and then have credits roll, but I never thought it would come in the form of me noticing that the number on a sign had suddenly changed. I stopped dead in my tracks and felt a cold tingle down my back. A fucking number on a sign.
As the amount of remaining anomalies went down to the single digits, I found myself sweating at the idea of my friend not coming round that corner.
I will admit to initially just doing laps thinking I was gonnae get jumpscared and then have credits roll, but I never thought it would come in the form of me noticing that the number on a sign had suddenly changed. I stopped dead in my tracks and felt a cold tingle down my back. A fucking number on a sign.
As the amount of remaining anomalies went down to the single digits, I found myself sweating at the idea of my friend not coming round that corner.