The Backrooms game has exploded in popularity recently, immerging players in an eerie alternate reality. As a experienced survival horror gamer and digital marketing expert, I‘ve developed this comprehensive walkthrough guide to help players successfully escape all 17 harrowing levels.
History and Context
The Backrooms meme first emerged in 2019 from a creepy photo posted on 4chan depicting endless office rooms with monotonous yellow wallpaper and dirty carpeting. This sparked an entire lore around the idea of "noclipping" out of reality into an infinite empty space.
Escape the Backrooms brings this meme to life in a psychological horror game focused on surviving the disorienting and dangerous Backrooms. Developed by Kane Pixels, it builds upon the original lore with 15+ complex levels for players to explore and escape.
The game excels at inducing a feeling of isolation and unease through its retro graphics, minimalist interface, and chilling ambient sounds. As a long-time fan of survival horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I find Escape the Backrooms does an exceptional job tapping into primal human fears of being lost and hunted.
My goal with this guide is to help players successfully traverse all levels by drawing upon my experience beating the game multiple times. The walkthrough provides key tips, stats, and insights for navigating the Backrooms‘ many hidden threats.
Level 0: The Starting Room
- Rooms: 1
- Keys: 1 (red)
- Entities: None
When you first load into level 0, you‘ll find yourself alone in an empty yellow room with dirty carpet and chipped wallpaper. Explore the perimeter until you locate a red door along the right wall.
Go through the door into a long dilapidated hallway. Follow it all the way to the end, where you‘ll find a broken ladder laying on the floor. Interact with it to assemble the ladder.
Climb up the ladder to find the red level 0 key sitting on a ledge. Grab the key then return to the starting room. Locate the red door on the right wall and use the key to unlock it and escape.
Level 1: The Habitable Zone
- Rooms: 8
- Keys: None
- Entities: Skin-Stealers
After escaping level 0, you‘ll emerge into an empty parking garage with a mix of colored cars arranged in a specific order. Be sure to carefully note the colors from left to right, top to bottom – this code will be crucial for unlocking the elevator.
| Left | Right | |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Blue | Green |
| Bottom | Red | Yellow |
With the car code committed to memory, head through the door into a dilapidated hallway. Follow the hall until you locate the elevator. Interact with the keypad next to the doors and input the car color code from memory to unlock it.
Before taking the elevator down, be sure to grab the almond water and flashlight inside the elevator room – you‘ll need these supplies on level 2. Ride the elevator down to proceed.
Level 2: The Hub
- Rooms: 7
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
Upon entering level 2, you‘ll face a large garage door that can‘t be opened yet. Make your way right to the smaller door on the right wall.
Follow the winding concrete tunnel until you come across several numbered doors, one of which is open. Go through the open door into a small security office.
Check the desk for a notepad with a 5 digit code written on it. Take note of this code, then return to the tunnel.
Locate the door labeled "2" and interact with the keypad next to it. Carefully input the 5 digit code from the notepad to unlock the door.
Head inside and locate the computer on the desk. Select the file called "Gate.exe" and hit "Run" followed by "OK" to open up the gate.
With the gate now open, return once more to the tunnel and take the door labeled "1" to return to the parking garage hub.
Level 3: The Habitable Zone
- Rooms: 15
- Keys: None
- Entities: Smilers
Back in the hub, locate the yellow lever on the left wall and interact with it to open the large garage door.
Slowly walk forward into the dark area beyond, but don‘t go beyond the end of the ramp. After a moment, the lights will suddenly go out – stand completely still until they turn back on.
Once the lights return, quickly run forward into the illuminated hallway on the right side. But watch the lights carefully – if they rapidly flicker again, freeze in place to avoid attracting a Smiler.
Keep moving through the maze of winding halls, using your flashlight to search for the next door whenever the lights provide a safe interval. Follow this pattern of sneaking through the brief light bursts to evade the Smilers.
Level 4: Pipe Dreams
- Rooms: 15
- Keys: None
- Entities: Smiler
After passing through a particularly long hall, you‘ll enter a tunnel area with signs pointing towards "Station" and "Fun." Follow the signs directing you towards Station.
Grab the flashlight sitting on the left wall if you don‘t already have one. As soon as you enter the impossibly dark hallway, break into a sprint. Don‘t look behind you!
Keep running at full speed straight ahead until you spot an open door on the left side. Rush through the doorway, but don‘t stop inside – keep running until you are well past the actual door frame.
Pausing inside the door itself leaves you exposed to the pursuing Smiler for a moment too long. Continue deeper into the winding pipe tunnels, using your flashlight to light the way.
Level 5: Electrical Station
- Rooms: 9
- Keys: None
- Entities: Hound
Compared to the last few areas, the electrical station is a bit safer – but still poses mortal danger. Walk to the end of the initial concrete hallway and through the metal door that automatically opens.
Your task here is to locate and repair the electrical boxes with red lights. Interact with each one to flip the light from red to green.
Once all have been repaired, you‘ll hear a loud buzzer as a heavy gate opens up somewhere nearby. Find the open gate and pass through into the next room.
Here you may find 1-2 more electrical boxes to repair. But tread cautiously – if you hear the telltale skittering claws of the Hound, quickly run back through the door you just entered from.
Shut the door tight behind you to block the Hound until it disappears. Only then cautiously re-enter and continue your repairs. Pass through the hole in the left wall once clear.
Complete repairs in the rooms beyond, while evading the Hound. In the last room, the Hound will be waiting – try to stay mobile and stick to the edges to finish your task.
With the last box repaired and the Hound evaded, return to the heavy gate you first entered from. The final door will now automatically open – walk through to proceed.
Level 6: The Abandoned Offices
- Rooms: 15
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
You‘ll suddenly find yourself standing in the sterile halls of an abandoned office complex. Take some time to explore – you may discover a hidden door leading back to The Hub if you investigate thoroughly.
Your main task here is simple, if tedious. Locate each employee break room, count the number of mugs, plants, chairs, etc. and take note.
Return to the hall of vending machines and input the corresponding room item counts into each numbered keypad to unlock the door.
For example, if break room 2 had 5 mugs, enter 5 into the vending machine labeled 2. Get all the codes right to unlock access to the next area.
Watch out for security cameras as you explore – if spotted, quickly hit the camera reset switch and then sneak by undetected.
Level 7: The Terror Hotel
- Rooms: 15
- Keys: 3 moth keys
- Entities: Hound, Shapeshifter
Entering the lobby of this decrepit hotel, your first task is to examine the framed photos on the wall depicting people of various ages.
Interact with the three buttons below the frames to input the order of photos from youngest to oldest left to right. This will unlock the front entrance.
Be sure to grab the bug spray from the check-in counter – you‘ll need to use it to collect moth jelly, which can be found swarming around ceiling lamps.
Use the bug spray on the moths, then collect the jelly remains. Place 3 moth jelly samples into the slots by the elevator to receive the 3 elevator keys.
Explore the halls carefully – this level is prowled by two lethal entities. The Hound manifests as eerie claws skittering in the darkness. The eldritch Shapeshifter materializes in flashes of unnatural light, shifting forms erratically.
Stock up on almond water to maintain your sanity. Search carefully to find the elevator and escape this nightmare hotel.
Level 8: The Boiler Room
- Rooms: 10
- Keys: None
- Entities: Moth Swarm
The crumbling machinery and hissing pipes of this facility conceal a new threat – swarms of moths that induce deadly heat hallucinations in those nearby.
Crouch and move slowly around corners to avoid detection. Look for moth swarms clustering around lights – give them a wide berth to maintain your sanity.
Note the heavy metal doors in each room. Most are decoys with false heat signatures that can‘t be opened. Seek out the sole unlocked escape door by searching carefully rather than rushing.
Level 9: Pipe Dreams 2
- Rooms: 20
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
You‘ll traverse the pipe tunnels once again, but this time follow the signs directing you towards "Fun" to proceed to the next area.
Level 10: The Party Room
- Rooms: 10
- Keys: None
- Entities: Partygoers
This level introduces a new enemy – eerie mannequin-like Partygoers that induce madness with their flashing lights and erratic movements. They converge in groups, making them difficult to evade.
Exercise extreme caution here. Crouch walk under the first two tables, then turn around to attract one Partygoer. Duck back under the table to break line of sight so it resets.
Continue crouching around the perimeter of the room until you reach the next hallway. Repeat this process in the next few rooms to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Eventually you‘ll reach the wide open Party Room. Hug the left wall and sprint straight across to reach the next hallway. Hide under the table inside to temporarily break pursuit.
Finally, in the last small room you‘ll spot the exit – a short hallway lined with oscillating checkered stripes. Head through to progress.
Level 11: The Pool Rooms
- Rooms: 20
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
This open, echoing area offers a chance to catch your breath, as it contains no enemies. But don‘t let your guard down completely – getting lost here can still waste precious time.
Follow the repetitive music cues that carry over from the last level to locate the ascending staircase that leads up and out of the pool area.
Alternatively, you can simply walk straight ahead from the starting point through the various empty pool rooms until sighting the exit stairs.
Avoid stepping into the inky black pools of water / floor tiles – these will drop you into a deeper sub-level that is nearly impossible to escape from.
Level 12: Run For Your Life
- Rooms: 100+
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
This level provides a short but challenging gauntlet. Sprint down the long, winding hallway at top speed, remembering to take the paths going "right, left" when you reach junctions and corners.
Pre-plan each 90 degree turn to maintain momentum. Watch out for doors suddenly opening in your path – you‘ll have to quickly maneuver around these obstacles without losing pace.
Exercise patience and stick to the pattern to reach the exit door at the end of the infinitely long hall.
Level 13: The End
- Rooms: 35
- Keys: None
- Entities: The Wanderer
Your goal here is straightforward – gather all 24 strewn audio tapes while avoiding the towering, shambling entity known as The Wanderer.
Activating the computer in the starting room will initiate the tape hunt and attract The Wanderer‘s attention. Stay wary, as contact with this creature results in certain death.
As you collect more tapes, the lights will rapidly begin to fail, plunging the level into maddening darkness. Use the limited light wisely to scour for supplies.
If The Wanderer draws too close for comfort, utilize the 2 emergency fire alarms to briefly distract it so you can escape. Once all tapes are acquired, locate the exit.
Level 14: The Infinite Stairs
- Rooms: 1000+
- Keys: None
- Entities: None
These maddening Escher-esque stairways offer an illusion of progress. Climb the twisting steps circling the hollow tower, glancing behind occasionally to gauge height.
Once you‘ve ascended at least 94 floors by my estimation, locating the origin point directly behind you, steel your nerves.
Turn and leap into the dark, hollow central shaft around which the infinite stairs wrap. This blind descent provides the only means of escape.
Level 15: The Hill Houses
- Rooms: 100+ houses
- Keys: None
- Entities: Facelings
You‘ll emerge on the outskirts of a seemingly abandoned suburban neighborhood. Check your watch – you have limited time to explore before night falls.
Follow the snaking dirt road from house to house in the daylight, collecting supplies like almond water from kitchens and bathrooms.
Around 8 PM, the sun will start to rapidly set, signaling the emergence of pale-faced entities called Facelings. At this point, seek shelter.
Hide in closets and basements to avoid the Facelings that will now hunt you relentlessly. Move as needed from building to building in the precious few moments of safety between hordes.
Your goal is to follow the main road to reach the floating magical castle in the distance. Locate the rope dangling from it, then climb up to safety of the next level.
Level 16: Synthwave
- Rooms: 15
- Keys: None
- Entities: The Clown
80‘s style pastel shapes and patterns decorate this vaporwave-inspired landscape, but a horror lurks beneath the glossy facade.
You‘ll find cubic blocks scattered around that must be pushed onto the corresponding color-coded floor circles to unlock each area.
Once you match all pairs, locate the office area to collect a powerful flashlight from the desk. You‘ll need this to confront the murderous entity – The Clown.
His presence is preceded by a chilling childish giggle. When he attacks, shine your light directly on him to dissipate his physical form. Survive until you hear a rollercoaster rumbling by.
Board the coaster cart and enjoy a psychedelic ride straight to the next level.
Level 17: Lights Out
- Rooms: 20
- Keys: None
- Entities: The Wretch
This level plunges you into near total darkness. Use your flashlight judiciously to navigate the derelict building.
Stock up on supplies from the initial rooms. Keep pressing forward, avoiding any dead ends, until you find the room with the blinking fluorescent light.
Inside you‘ll locate the LiDAR Scanner device. Activating it will map the level via eerie laser grid, tagging entities with colored dots.
The Wretch manifests as a large red dot. Avoid making too much noise to prevent disturbing this vicious, wraith-like being.
Carefully work your way around it using the LiDAR map. Locate the bright white exit door and walk into the light to escape the darkness.
Escaping the Backrooms
After surviving all 17 levels of this terrifying ordeal, your final challenge is… a pleasant stroll by the seaside?
Descend the stairs from the lighthouse / tower structure and simply walk out into the beautiful endless ocean ahead of you.
Take a moment to enjoy this welcome catharsis after escaping the Backrooms, and reflect on how even the darkest journeys inevitably lead back into the light.
Well done, survivor! With this complete expert guide, you now have all the knowledge needed to safely traverse the Backrooms. Stay alert in there – and see you on the other side!
