Info about POOLS:

Official game description:
One could say **POOLS** is like an art gallery where you look around and listen to the sounds. Very few things to accomplish or solve, practically a few mazes. Sometimes **POOLS** can challenge your navigation skills. But mostly you're just... there.  
Note: There are no monsters chasing you or jumping suddenly towards you, but the game can feel oppressive. **POOLS** plays on fears of getting lost, the dark, and tight spaces.  
The game has no user-interface and no dialogue. No background music. Instead, the game uses sounds to make you feel like you're really there. The sounds and echo change depending on the room you're in. Walking in water is slower. All of these things makes the game feel more real and creates a tense atmosphere.  
There's no typical story, no characters to meet, and you won't find any notes in game. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you. Rooms look and feel different. Each chapter has something unique. Constantly you're exploring new places, each with its own kind of mystery.  
Base game has six unique chapters, each taking 10 to 30 minutes to play.  
**POOLS** is inspired by a internet phenomenons "**Liminal spaces**", "**Found footage**" and "**Backrooms**" - specifically "**Backrooms Pools**" or "**Poolrooms**".  
One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is **Jared Pike**.  
Other inspirations include:  
*   **Matt Studios**: Poolrooms videos from 2022  
*   **Mortain Colors**  
*   **Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1** by Andrew Quist  
*   **Kane Pixels**: The Backrooms (Found Footage)

Release date: Apr 26, 2024

Categories: Atmospheric Horror, Exploration, Walking Simulator, Found Footage Style, First-Person Perspective, Psychological Horror, Environmental Storytelling, Surreal Exploration

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Mixed Feedback; summary: The game presents significant challenges in navigation and exploration, often requiring external guides for progression. However, it is praised for its visual and atmospheric design, which creates a satisfying and tense experience.
- Proton/Linux: score 30; verdict: Works with Minor Issues; summary: The game generally runs well on Proton and has a native Linux version, which is appreciated by users. However, there are notable issues with graphical glitches and performance on specific Linux setups, as well as difficulties with installation and setup. The overall experience varies depending on the hardware and Linux distribution used.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The Steam Deck experience with POOLS is a mix of positive feedback and significant technical issues. While many users enjoyed the game's atmosphere and performance, others faced crashes, errors, and compatibility issues that required additional tinkering. The overall experience is marred by these technical barriers, which affect the seamless playability of the game.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Performance varies significantly across different hardware cohorts, with higher VRAM configurations generally reporting better experiences. Lower VRAM setups struggle with optimization issues and instability.
  - Sample size: 66 (4% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 23 reports): Users report frequent freezes, stutters, and poor performance despite various settings adjustments.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (negative, 16 reports): Users experience significant issues with anti-aliasing and overall poor visual performance.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 14 reports): Users report smooth performance and good optimization.
  - Caveats: 66 of 1822 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $8.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users generally find the game worth its full price, especially if they plan to explore thoroughly or replay it. Several reviews mention that the game is worth the full price, indicating that the community considers the base game price to be fair. The current base game price is $9.79, and the reviews support that this price is reasonable for the content provided.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 7.0h
  - Story completion: 2.3h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about the time it took players to complete the game or significant portions of it. The quotes indicate a range of playtimes for game completion, story completion, and session lengths. The confidence is moderately high due to the consistency of the reported playtimes.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is engaging and fun from the start, with a satisfying progression and atmosphere that keeps players hooked immediately.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: 0h 0m
  - Friction: N/A
  - Unlock drivers: Engaging atmosphere; Satisfying progression; Organic puzzles
  - Conditions: Playing in a relaxed state; Appreciating detailed environments; Immersive mindset
- Player Archetypes:
  - Aesthetic Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Appreciation of visual and atmospheric qualities.
    - Playstyle: Explores the game at a leisurely pace, taking in the visuals and atmosphere.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: backrooms enjoyer; liminal space fan
    - Reference games: NaissanceE; Dear Esther
  - Casual Relaxer (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and casual enjoyment.
    - Playstyle: Plays the game in a relaxed manner, often while doing other activities like listening to music.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer; relaxation seeker
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Completionist Hunter (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Completion of the game and discovery of secrets.
    - Playstyle: Systematically explores the game to find all achievements and hidden secrets.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: achievement hunter; completionist
    - Reference games: Anemoiapolis
  - Horror Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of horror and liminal space experiences.
    - Playstyle: Plays the game for its horror elements and atmospheric tension.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: horror fan; liminal space enthusiast
    - Reference games: What Remains of Edith Finch; ANATOMY


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Eerie and Unsettling Atmosphere (weight 0.9): The game offers a unique and eerie atmosphere that is both unsettling and beautiful. It creates a sense of tension and psychological horror without relying on traditional scares.
- Stunning Visual Design (weight 0.78): The game features visually stunning graphics with high-quality environmental design, impressive lighting, and reflections. Players appreciate the beautiful locations, surreal visuals, and realistic water effects.
- Excellent Sound Design (weight 0.5): The sound design is highly praised for being effective and immersive. It enhances the overall atmosphere and contributes significantly to the game's tension and immersion.
- No Traditional Scares (weight 0.37): The game avoids using jump scares, monsters, or chase scenes, making it suitable for players who prefer atmospheric horror without sudden frights.
- Immersive Experience (weight 0.31): The game offers a highly immersive experience with detailed artwork, soundscapes, and atmospheric elements that draw players in.
- Relaxing Exploration Gameplay (weight 0.23): The game encourages relaxing and meditative exploration, allowing players to enjoy the environments without anxiety.
- Good Value for Money (weight 0.22): Players feel that the game is worth the price, offering a good value for the experience it provides.
- Well-Designed Levels (weight 0.2): The level design is detailed and intricate, with creative moments that enhance the overall exploration experience.
- Psychological Horror Elements (weight 0.19): The game focuses on psychological and existential horror, creating a unique and impactful atmosphere that plays on psychological thrills.
- Best Backrooms Game (weight 0.14): The game is considered one of the best in the backrooms universe, offering a unique and interesting experience within this genre.
- Fun Achievements and Side Quests (weight 0.14): The game includes fun achievements and side quests that reward curiosity and add to the overall enjoyment.
- Adjustable Movement Speeds (weight 0.13): Players can adjust the speeds for running, walking, and moving in water, providing customizable control over their movement.

Common complaints:
- Game crashes and performance issues (weight 0.24): Players reported crashes, particularly on the second level and in VR mode, as well as performance issues on Steam Deck.
- Repetitive and monotonous gameplay (weight 0.23): The gameplay was criticized for being repetitive and monotonous, lacking excitement and challenges.
- Motion sickness issues (weight 0.18): Several reviews mentioned that the game can cause motion sickness, especially in VR mode.
- Gameplay can be boring (weight 0.17): Some players found the game boring, particularly in certain chapters or due to repetitive scenery and gameplay.
- Limited gameplay mechanics (weight 0.17): The core gameplay consists mostly of walking and observing, which may not be suitable for those seeking more active gameplay.
- Short gameplay duration (weight 0.16): Many players noted that the game is quite short and has limited replay value.
- Navigation difficulties (weight 0.12): Some players found it difficult to navigate the game, with paths and interactive elements being hard to find.
- Visual and narrative issues (weight 0.12): The game has dark areas that are hard to see in, and the narrative can be confusing with an ambiguous ending.
- Lighting and reflection issues (weight 0.07): There are problems with light tracing and reflection performance, affecting the visual quality.
- Not worth the price (weight 0.07): Some players felt that the game is not worth its full price, citing various issues and lack of content.
- Challenging for players with megalophobia (weight 0.06): The game may be challenging for players with megalophobia due to certain elements.
- Comparison to other games (weight 0.05): Some players compared the game unfavorably to other games, noting that it does not live up to expectations.

Gameplay feedback:
- Exploration of liminal spaces (weight 0.7): The game focuses on the exploration of liminal spaces, including labyrinths, interconnected rooms, and pool-based environments. Players navigate through complex and creatively designed areas, discovering scenes and solving puzzles to find exits.
- Exploration-based gameplay mechanics (weight 0.26): Gameplay is centered around exploration, with mechanics that encourage players to investigate various environments. This includes survival elements and first-person exploration, creating an immersive experience.
- Unique and varied level design (weight 0.26): Levels are uniquely designed with maze-like structures and diverse environments, such as flooded cities and hotels. This variety keeps the exploration experience fresh and engaging.
- Pool core mechanics (weight 0.23): The game features core mechanics centered around pools, including 3D pool models and water effects. Players interact with various pools and water mechanics throughout the game.
- VR support and immersion (weight 0.12): The game offers VR support, enhancing immersion through compatibility and design tailored for virtual reality. This feature allows players to experience the liminal spaces more intensely.

Performance notes:
- Well-optimized game performance (weight 0.38): The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly on various hardware configurations, including lower-end systems and older hardware.
- Crashing and stability issues (weight 0.22): Several players have reported crashes, particularly in specific levels and in VR mode. These issues affect the overall stability of the game.
- VR performance and issues (weight 0.21): VR mode has mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent crashes and performance issues, while others note significant improvements. Motion sickness and visual issues are also reported.
- Miscellaneous bugs and issues (weight 0.18): Various bugs and issues have been reported, including glitching, resolution issues, infinite loading, and specific bugs like the blackscreen bug in chapter 3 and the MacOS pools display bug.
- Optimization and performance improvements (weight 0.16): The game has seen performance improvements through updates, with options like DLSS and FSR enhancing optimization. However, some players still wish for more optimization.
- High system requirements (weight 0.15): The game is noted to be resource-intensive, requiring a good PC and GPU horsepower for the best experience. This may limit accessibility for players with lower-end hardware.
- Performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.14): Performance on the Steam Deck varies, with some players experiencing issues while others report smooth performance. This inconsistency can affect the gaming experience on this platform.
- Specific performance metrics (weight 0.07): Players have reported specific performance metrics, such as stable 60 fps on low settings at 720p and 45 fps on 900p. These details provide insights into the game's performance on different settings.

Recommendations:
- Atmospheric exploration and psychological horror (weight 0.71): This game is highly recommended for players who enjoy atmospheric exploration and psychological horror. It offers a unique experience with eerie environments, good sound design, and a focus on exploration rather than interactions or jump scares.
- Backrooms and liminal spaces theme (weight 0.57): Fans of backrooms and liminal spaces will find this game particularly appealing. It captures the essence of these themes and provides an atmospheric exploration experience without relying on jump scares.
- Dreamlike and immersive experiences (weight 0.45): The game provides a dreamlike and immersive experience, making it ideal for those who appreciate unique visuals and atmospheric exploration. It is also recommended for players seeking a relaxing and deeply immersive VR experience.
- Worth trying and purchasing on sale (weight 0.33): Many reviewers suggest that the game is worth trying and purchasing, especially when it is on sale. It offers a unique experience that may justify the price for fans of the genre.
- Recommended for VR players (weight 0.26): The game is highly recommended for VR players, as it offers an enhanced and immersive experience. VR headset owners who enjoy atmospheric and exploratory games will find this game particularly appealing.
- Niche appeal for specific players (weight 0.21): The game may not be suitable for everyone and is recommended only for those who appreciate quiet, introspective, and niche experiences. It might not be enjoyable for players who prefer more dynamic gameplay.
- Caution for phobic individuals (weight 0.19): The game may not be suitable for individuals with specific phobias such as claustrophobia, thalassophobia, or megalophobia. It is also not recommended for those who get dizzy easily or have weak nerves.
- Relaxing and meditative experience (weight 0.15): This game is recommended for those who want to relax, meditate, or clear their mind. It offers a polished and visually craftsmanship experience that can help with stress relief.
- Not for gameplay or action seekers (weight 0.12): The game is not recommended for those seeking complex mechanics, puzzles, or action. It focuses more on atmosphere and exploration rather than traditional gameplay elements.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.14): Players are excited by the game's unique and immersive VR experience, which features high-quality graphics, sound design, and atmospheric level design. The exploration of liminal spaces, easter eggs, and the overall dream-like experience contribute significantly to this emotion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): The enjoyment comes from the game's beautiful graphics, atmospheric exploration, and the relaxing yet eerie experience of navigating through liminal spaces. The game's sound design and the unique psychological horror aspects also enhance the overall enjoyment.
- Fear (weight 0.07): The game's atmosphere is described as incredibly scary, with unsettling elements, dark areas, and strange noises contributing to a sense of dread. The feeling of being watched and the oppressive atmosphere in certain levels amplify this fear.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Disappointment stems from graphical issues, lack of complex puzzles and deep story, and the game being too short. Some players also express frustration with performance issues and the simplicity of the gameplay.
- Frustration (weight 0.06): Frustration is caused by performance issues, game crashes, and difficulties in navigation. Players also report frustration with VR movement limitations and the lack of a clear plot.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy is derived from the fun and immersive experience of exploring unique and beautiful environments. The game's atmospheric qualities, interesting visuals, and the overall enjoyable gameplay contribute to this emotion.
- Awe (weight 0.04): Players express awe at the game's stunning graphics, immersive atmosphere, and unique exploration mechanics. The detailed level design and mesmerizing environments contribute to this sense of awe.
- Relaxation (weight 0.04): The game's relaxing atmosphere and meditative gameplay allow players to explore at their own pace without the pressure of combat or monsters. The calming levels and the ability to wander around and enjoy the views contribute to this relaxation.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction comes from the game's well-designed levels, adjustable settings, and smooth performance. The extensive customization options and the overall high-quality experience contribute to this feeling.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique atmosphere, high-quality graphics, and customizable settings. The creative environment and the excellent use of ambience and sound are also highly appreciated.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Surprise is often caused by unexpected scares, such as rubber duck scares and minor jump scares. The discovery of new features and the presence of unexpected sounds also contribute to this emotion.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): The game's excellent sound design, realistic graphics, and atmospheric elements create a deeply immersive experience. The VR mode enhances this immersion, making players feel deeply engaged in the game.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): Curiosity is sparked by the game's unique environments, interesting secrets, and the desire to explore dream-like spaces. Players are intrigued by the varied environments and the feeling of having more questions than answers.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's liminal aspects and dream-like scenes, which remind players of childhood memories and public pools. The familiar and nostalgic environments contribute to this emotion.
- Unease (weight 0.02): Unease is caused by the game's unsettling atmosphere, eerie isolation, and the feeling of being watched. The psychological unease and slow creeping dread contribute to this emotion.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited by the game's top-notch atmosphere, fresh gameplay experience, and visually stunning graphics. The tension, smooth controls, and adjustable walking speed also contribute to this excitement.
- Fascination (weight 0.02): Fascination comes from the game's cool art, unique experience, and the liminal spaces. The atmospheric rendering and the surreal beauty of the game's environments contribute to this emotion.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's spooky yet monster-free gameplay, atmosphere, and design. The aesthetics, architecture, and the overall pure horror experience contribute to this love.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed towards the game's sound design, graphics, and lighting. The creative use of 3D space and the high-quality, thought-provoking experience are also highly admired.
- Anxiety (weight 0.01): Anxiety is induced by the game's deeply distressing atmosphere, strange space structure, and the constant feeling of broken logic. The fear of something jumping out or dragging the player down contributes to this anxiety.}