Welcome to our OOL. Notice how there's no "P"?
Seriously though, POOLS is a walking simulator (e.g: Gone Home) with emphasis on navigating a maze-like level similar to Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1, except this one isn't procedurally generated. Levels take about 15-20 minutes to get through, since they're assembled in a labyrinthine manner and often have you going through some pretty tight spaces that play on vibes.
Is it scary? Not really. Apparently the whole Backrooms/Liminal Spaces gives zoomies PTSD, but this is oddly relaxing, almost therapeutic. The random sounds are dread-inducing, and present themselves just enough to earn a "psychological horror" tag.
If you walk into total darkness, jump off into the "deep end", or wade into the spiral pit on Level 2, the game rewinds time prior to you doing such actions. The goal is to finish the level though, and this gentle nudge reminds you of your 'mortality' without further penalty.
Like the Backrooms games, POOLS' greatest strength is its atmosphere. The chromatic aberration, lens distortion, film grain, reflection, light diffusion, and ambient occlusion all work in tandem to fool you, if just for a moment, into thinking you're not playing a Unity game. However, like its ancient ancestor Gone Home, if walking simulators annoy you, this one may too.
Seriously though, POOLS is a walking simulator (e.g: Gone Home) with emphasis on navigating a maze-like level similar to Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1, except this one isn't procedurally generated. Levels take about 15-20 minutes to get through, since they're assembled in a labyrinthine manner and often have you going through some pretty tight spaces that play on vibes.
Is it scary? Not really. Apparently the whole Backrooms/Liminal Spaces gives zoomies PTSD, but this is oddly relaxing, almost therapeutic. The random sounds are dread-inducing, and present themselves just enough to earn a "psychological horror" tag.
If you walk into total darkness, jump off into the "deep end", or wade into the spiral pit on Level 2, the game rewinds time prior to you doing such actions. The goal is to finish the level though, and this gentle nudge reminds you of your 'mortality' without further penalty.
Like the Backrooms games, POOLS' greatest strength is its atmosphere. The chromatic aberration, lens distortion, film grain, reflection, light diffusion, and ambient occlusion all work in tandem to fool you, if just for a moment, into thinking you're not playing a Unity game. However, like its ancient ancestor Gone Home, if walking simulators annoy you, this one may too.