Why Apeirophobia is my favorite Horror Game
Honestly, my entire experience of this game was so good. I finished this years ago when Chapter 2 wasn’t released yet. I haven’t played Chapter 2. Earlier, I played the game briefly and I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll try to recall everything I experienced years ago:
I don’t want to spoil anyone, but the most terrifying part of this is Level >!8!< where it took me weeks before I finally found the courage to face it again. I’m not sure if it’s still the same level now or if it has changed, but basically it showed a very dark area and many lockers. There’s a monster roaming everywhere. This was so extremely terrifying. I literally had a nightmare over this.
In my nightmare, I entered a locker, and inside there’s a hidden hole in the wall that leads to a large bright area and a rectangular pool in the middle, and that’s it. I walked around it, then OUT COMES THE MONSTER FOLLOWING ME. It chased me and I ran in circles around the rectangular pool and in my dream I’m hoping against hope that it doesn’t catch me. I was contemplating making my run back in the wall and into the dark room, but I had to time it right first. I think I woke up because of too much fear in my heart. That was so exciting. So good. That, in my opinion, is how a horror game should be. So terrifying that it follows you even through your dreams.
When I played the game again and entered the same locker, I saw that there was actually no hole in the wall. It was just my dream.
I also have this tendency to play a horror game alone both in the room and in-game, and only at night with the lights turned off. This adds up to the fear very much.
Again, I don’t want to spoil, but I also liked excessively the puzzle levels. If you’ve played the game you know which levels they are. Spoiler: Levels >!4, 7, 11!<. I won’t reveal whether there are actually monsters/entities in these levels but just the thought that there are is enough to keep one in suspense. I like the parts that are so quiet, and you’d hear only the splash of water occasionally. You’re afraid to walk through a long hallway because something or someone might pop out. I remember taking hours here, walking back and forth, thinking deeply. Paranoid. I’m trying to map out the entire thing in my head, reasoning and talking with myself. Spoiler, I’m referring to level >!4!<. There was a point when I nearly gave up, believing there is no exit because of how long the maze is. I wondered if maybe the game developer did something funny and crazy like the actual exit being near the beginning by jumping into the pools. I’ve tried this and nothing happened.
Eventually, I found it, but it was difficult. When I did, I felt a mix of emotions. Relief. Pride. A sense of accomplishment. Validation of my own intelligence, and my patience. I liked especially that it was very puzzle-like, maze-like, and I had to use my imagination and reasoning. It’s a little hard to articulate it, but I’ll try. I remember thinking:
“If I imagine this entire area as a 2D map, then the entrance from which I came from is at the bottom right. The long hallway is from the right to the left. There also is another long hallway up a short staircase that leads from there to back to the entrance. This is first.
Secondly, from that long hallway first mentioned, upward to a straight vertical path leads another short staircase to the right. If I enter this, it’s an entirely large maze.
If I imagine this as a 2D Map, I am now at the top left. I began bottom right, then walked bottom farthermost left, then walked top farthermost left.”
And all this is just the beginning of my mapping and my visualization and my reasoning. I had a lot more inner monologue where I eventually walked into that glass room visible from the entrance. I never really mapped out the maze line for line. This is impossible in my head. I only reasoned to myself that I was trying to reach top right in my 2D map imagination. The only place I hadn’t explored yet, so that must be where the exit is. It worked, and I also reached bottom right where the entrance is. But so that I won’t spoil you, I won’t tell you if the exit is actually at the top right or not, just that I did reach that place.
And you know what? That is EXACTLY what makes a horror game fun. I’m a Chess player too and I enjoy the puzzle-solving/mind exercise aspect of it. Couple this with the fact that fear is one of my most favorite emotions. The negative, painful sensation in my chest, in my heart. The intellectual pride of solving puzzles and feeling fear at the same time. Being lost, feeling helpless and hopeless, the fear of a surprise monster, hours of patience. The relief in success. I like all of that.
I’m a fan of Backrooms even before I played this game, and when I played it and found that it was Backrooms-themed with many liminal spaces, I was so happy. Liminal spaces has its certain appeal to it, I can’t explain it exactly. It’s terrifying but also awe-inspiring, especially when you see its vastness. In a way it’s relaxing and humbling. Since it inspires awe it also inspires curiosity. You think of its game developer, and this may sound crazy, but in a way I feel like I’m communicating with that person, not even knowing who they are or their gender. But I feel they are communicating with me through their games. I would think “Hmm… is this really where the game developer wants me to go? Maybe they want me to do this instead… what is their idea? Is this it? etc.”
Not all horror games are fun. Some are not done well, make no sense, and the scary parts are only very few, then it ends. I like Apeirophobia because despite being a Roblox game it’s complete. It had hide and seek, high-stress chase moments, puzzle-solving/mazes, darkness, JUMPSCARES, obbys (obstacle levels where if you jump and fall you die), etc. I truly felt this was a creative work. You don’t necessarily need a high budget to make a good game but you do need to put your heart in it and really do great work.
There are many more levels I haven’t mentioned but going on it one by one will take too long for this post. What I do remember is that I am so excited to go through the next level once my time is free while at the same time wishing that the game won’t end immediately because I want to prolong the fun as much as possible. This is despite my fear of Level >!8!< and eventually Level >!13!< (which also took me weeks before I played it. Just seeing its intro caused me to delay the game for long in fear).
I’ve also played Doors before this and that was SO good also but that’s a topic for another discussion. I honestly haven’t played horror games for a long time. I haven’t played the update of Doors either, just the ending with the >!elevator!<.
I like Horror Games so much! I like fear!