POOLS

Walking simulator. Explore, admire and listen. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. No monsters chasing you or jumping towards at your screen, but can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and liminal space architecture. Inspired by backrooms.

POOLS is a psychological horror, walking simulator and atmospheric game developed by Tensori and published by Tensori and UNIKAT Label.
Released on April 26th 2024 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux.

It has received 3,942 reviews of which 3,754 were positive and 188 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.2 out of 10. 😍

The game is currently priced at 7.80€ on Steam and has a 20% discount.

The Steam community has classified POOLS into these genres:

Psychological Horror Walking Simulator Atmospheric Realistic Exploration First-Person Singleplayer Immersive Surreal Relaxing Nonlinear Adventure Minimalist 3D Indie Underwater Dark Escape Room Mystery Investigation

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at POOLS through various videos and screenshots.

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Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 from around 2016 or later
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 or newer
Storage: 5 GB available space
Additional Notes: Lower resolution for additional performance. Laptops can work too. Tested on 2021 Lenovo thinkpad, works smoothly with low settings and lower resolution setting. NOTE: You can always try the Demo to see how game runs.

MacOS

Processor: Apple M1 or Intel
Additional Notes: Lower resolution for additional performance. Tested on 2020 13" M1 MacBook Pro, works smoothly with low settings and lower resolution setting. NOTE: You can always try the Demo to see how game runs.

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Sept. 2024

I'll cut to the chase on this review. While there are no entities in the game per say, the game makes it very clear that you are not alone. There are no cheap jump scares, ASMR screams in the distance or any of that nonsense. Instead there are subtle and not-so-subtle occurrences that are clearly the result of someone or something being nearby - a door closes, a ladder gets pulled up in an organic, non mechanical fashion. Combined with level design that is a master class in tension building and the experience is creepy from start to finish. Several times a chill went down my spine when I saw something odd, and the sense of desperation to just "get out" is constant. If you're looking for the jump or chase scares of "Escape the Backrooms" then this isn't that game. But if you can think "what if this were real?" you'll find a great anxiety inducing title that is visually stunning and sticks with you. And on a related note, another reviewer said the game was 2 hours long, and my play through was exactly 117 minutes after a good amount of exploring. It's just another tribute to the great level design that it somehow pushes you to the finish line without being obvious about it.

Sept. 2024

A really immersive piece of art. It's not your classic "backrooms" slop, this is 100x more than that. There's a constant eerie feeling that looms over you. You feel watched, observed, and even hunted by some invisible entity that tracks your every step. There are no puzzles, rather, it's one big interconnected maze, but every path leads to unique secrets and sights. There are no jumpscares, per se, but there are unnerving and sudden noises that bring you chills. Rather than beeline towards what you think is the exit, I suggest exploring every corner and minuscule room, you never know what you'll find. Play this game blind, don't look up any guides or walk-throughs, I promise you this game is an experience unlike any other.

June 2024

The game is mostly exactly what it says it is and what it looks like: its a short-ish walking simulator inspired by the Poolrooms and the Backrooms. It is GORGEOUS. I took a ton of screenshots just appreciating the architecture and the lighting. I also appreciate that there are no monsters, as I personally find monsters in liminal settings very unnecessary. However, this still manages to be a horror game - in the earlier levels the ambient noises are enough to be unsettling, and in the later levels that gets paired with some Strange visuals. It's not super scary, but I definitely had several "Wow, don't like That" moments. Overall, I would recommend it at least once if you have ever wondered what it would be like to walk around in the poolrooms. My only true issue with it (and this is a more Me thing), is that I was hoping it would be more relaxing, LOL, but no, it is not relaxing at all. Once the more offputting noises start appearing partway through chapter 1 it was impossible for me to relax for the rest of the game. I find the original images of the poolrooms very soothing, so I would have loved a mode specifically for relaxing in. A "Chilling at the Pool(rooms)" mode, if you will. No strange noises, nothing else trying to be weird or scary, just the sounds of bare feet, water lapping, and maybe like a very light smooth jazz or a vaporwavey music track going.

April 2024

At first I thought: "with graphics this good and no monsters, I can explore a surreal liminal space in peace without fear." I could not.

April 2024

Amazing. I hate the idea of adding hostile creatures to liminal spaces. This makes the space itself secondary and lose focus. People no longer pay attention to the space itself but have to watch out for jumpscares. This game is truly liminal spaces, and I want to see more.

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Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates

Steam data	01 December 2024 01:02
SteamSpy data	19 January 2025 10:47
Steam price	22 January 2025 20:17
Steam reviews	22 January 2025 08:07

-20% 9.75€ 7.80€

9.2

3,754

188

Developer

Tensori

Publisher

Tensori, UNIKAT Label

Release 26 Apr 2024

Platforms