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The Backrooms 1998 - Found Footage Survival Horror Game similar games & best alternatives

The Backrooms 1998 - Found Footage Survival Horror Game

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2025

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Quick resume

The Backrooms: 1998 is a first-person found footage psychological horror survival game where it tells the story of a young teen after accidentally falling into the depths of The Backrooms in 1998. Roam freely, mark, explore and try unravel the story - however you are not alone. Don't scream.

Global score

85/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulator

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    Pros

    • Strong horror atmosphere and tension
    • Effective jump scares and sound design
    • Unique microphone noise mechanic
    • Engaging story with plot twist
    • Well-crafted found footage visual style

    Cons

    • Frequent and repetitive jump scares can be annoying
    • Short game length with limited content
    • Some bugs affecting saves and item pickups
    • Limited replay value and exploration variety
    • Occasional control and performance issues

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

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      "Players have control over navigation and item usage in a maze, with some freedom in strategy and exploration."

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    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      2

      "Game involves some skill in stealth, timing, and sound-based detection, but overall gameplay is simple and not highly challenging."

      Capsule for Vampire Mansion Vampire Mansion

      "Game involves some skill in stealth, hiding, and managing noise to avoid the monster, but overall gameplay is straightforward and accessible."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of competitive elements; focus is on solo experience and personal progression."

      Capsule for [Chilla's Art] Night Security | 夜間警備 [Chilla's Art] Night Security | 夜間警備

      "No evidence of competitive elements; focus is on solo survival and personal experience."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      1

      "Players report engaging story and atmosphere encouraging play sessions, but game length is short and some bugs may hinder prolonged play."

      Capsule for 1954 Alcatraz 1954 Alcatraz

      "Players report short play sessions with some replay interest due to story and scares, but limited content and bugs reduce long-term engagement."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative gameplay."

      Capsule for Sifu Sifu

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative gameplay."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      2

      "Some choice in paint colors and wall types allows limited creative expression."

      Capsule for Paint Drying Simulator Paint Drying Simulator

      "Allows some creative expression such as spray painting on walls and player-driven exploration, but within a fixed environment and objectives."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No social dominance or power over others; solo survival focus."

      Capsule for Subterrain Subterrain

      "No social dominance or power over others; solo survival focus."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Strong immersion in a tense horror atmosphere provides escape from reality and stress relief."

      Capsule for Resident Evil Resident Evil

      "Strong immersion in a tense, scary atmosphere provides escape from reality and stress relief through horror experience."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -3

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in backrooms and horror, not out of obligation."

      Capsule for The Backrooms: Lost Tape The Backrooms: Lost Tape

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in horror and backrooms lore, not due to obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      1

      "Some experimentation with new moves and stealth mechanics, but largely follows familiar gameplay routines."

      Capsule for Tomb Raider V: Chronicles (2000) Tomb Raider V: Chronicles (2000)

      "Some exploration and experimentation with stealth and microphone mechanics, but largely follows established survival horror routines."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      4

      "Game encourages discovery of new areas, hidden items, and lore through exploration of complex environments."

      Capsule for HBDIE: 2 HBDIE: 2

      "Game emphasizes navigating maze-like, unfamiliar environments with item hunting and discovery."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      2

      "Car paint customization allows some personal expression, though limited to preset patterns and colors."

      Capsule for Little Racers STREET Little Racers STREET

      "Spray paint feature allows some personal expression, though limited customization overall."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Strongly rooted in imaginative horror fiction with surreal entities and Backrooms mythos."

      Capsule for Backrooms: Extractions Backrooms: Extractions

      "Strongly rooted in imaginative horror fiction and surreal backrooms mythology, with supernatural elements."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "No social or community gameplay elements; solo experience."

      Capsule for Dystopika Dystopika

      "No social or community gameplay elements; solo experience."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      1

      "Some learning of stealth mechanics and puzzle solving, but limited depth or skill development."

      Capsule for Cave Story's Secret Santa Cave Story's Secret Santa

      "Some learning curve in stealth and puzzle solving, but limited depth for long-term skill development."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay."

      Capsule for Broken Reality Broken Reality

      "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires sustained attention due to stealth and tension; not suitable for casual or background play."

      Capsule for Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home

      "Requires focused attention due to tension and stealth mechanics; not suitable for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary gameplay."

      Capsule for Portal Portal

      "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary gameplay."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles."

      Capsule for Aviators Aviators

      "No leadership or group management roles."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      3

      "Progression through collecting items and unlocking new areas; story unfolds gradually."

      Capsule for The Land of Pain The Land of Pain

      "Progression through collecting items and advancing story, though limited by short game length."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      -4

      "Sustained tension, fear, and anxiety dominate; game is designed to induce stress rather than relaxation."

      Capsule for Cry of Fear Cry of Fear

      "Sustained tension and anxiety dominate; game is designed to induce fear rather than relaxation."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation through eerie audio, visuals, and jump scares."

      Capsule for Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location

      "Strong sensory stimulation through eerie visuals, audio effects, and jump scares."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems."

      Capsule for Alan Wake Alan Wake

      "No social recognition or status systems."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      3

      "Narrative immersion with unfolding plot, lore, and character interactions, though some find it confusing."

      Capsule for DreadOut DreadOut

      "Narrative immersion with a disturbing story and plot twist, though some players find it limited or confusing."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      2

      "Requires some planning and problem solving, but mostly straightforward tasks."

      Capsule for Hacker Simulator: Free Trial Hacker Simulator: Free Trial

      "Requires some planning and problem solving to avoid monster and find items, but overall straightforward."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      5

      "High thrill from suspense, jump scares, and tense atmosphere."

      Capsule for September 7th September 7th

      "High suspense and thrill from jump scares, monster encounters, and tense atmosphere."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      1

      "Generally considered good value for a short, well-made indie horror experience."

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      "Generally considered worth the price for a short, well-made horror experience, though some feel content is limited."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      3

      "Includes survival horror violence and encounters with hostile entities, but not gratuitous destruction."

      Capsule for Visage Visage

      "Includes horror violence and monster threat, though no player combat; emphasis on survival from hostile entity."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      4

      "Core gameplay revolves around avoiding death, managing resources, and surviving monster threats."

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      "Core gameplay revolves around avoiding monster, managing stealth and noise to survive."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Competition. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 30/04/2026