The Complex - Found Footage Liminal Space Horror Set Across Multiple Levels of the Backrooms!

The Complex - Liminal Space Found Footage Horror Set Across Multiple Levels of the Backrooms!
Read More & Play The Full Game, Free: www.freegameplanet.com/the-co...
#TheComplexFoundFootage #TheComplex #backrooms
00:00 The Complex Start
00:58 The Gallery
03:33 So That's How The Backrooms Work!
04:43 The Pool Rooms
07:51 The Dining Hall
10:02 The Auditorium
12:04 Memories
14:38 The End

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Special thanks to Slab Man for the heads up about this game. It's definitely one of the best Backrooms games I'd played (just behind the Dreams one I covered last week). There's plenty of interesting stuff in this game discover and you don't hang around in one area for too long. There is a sequel in Early Access, but I'll wait until it's a bit more fleshed out to cover it. :)

[@GraxS]

Good ending 😊

[@CyborKat]

Yeah, the second one is pretty good as well. I am still in the beginning taking my time.

[@Kaldortangerine]

hey theres a sequel thats phenomenal and you SHOULD play it. came out the 17th

[@th3candl3chant]

I thought youd be covering the new one that came out "The complex expedition" This one has been out for some time ! After you enjoyed the dreams one though i was gonna suggest playing this and expedition !

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

@@th3candl3chant Hi! Yeah, I've played the sequel and at the moment I still prefer this one. It's all subjective, but it feels like you're hanging around in the same environemnts for too long in the sequel and theres a bit too much Level 0 architecture for my taste. It's still in Early Access though so I'll revisit it again once it's had an update. It definitely has a lot of promise. :)

[@yining200]

For those who don't know, Vallco was an old shopping mall in Cupertino California. It was mostly demolished in 2019. The map seems to be accurate as well. I lived in Cupertino before it was demolished, and in its last days, it really was kind of eerie. It's such a trip seeing it randomly in this game.

[@xAxCx]

I went to Vallco a lot when I was a kid. It had one of the best arcades too. I'm sorry its gone.

[@Dubfiance]

I live near that. Half of that mall is still standing, just not been used.

[@matchaclov3r]

​@xAxCx yes!! Are you talking about Tilt?? I think it had a name before that.. but agree, one of the best arcades!! That whole mall was so nostalgic. We used to go ice skating there a lot for school field trips 😢

[@matchaclov3r]

Was looking for this comment! When I saw the sign, I was like, "Is this the same Vallco mall in Cupertino?? It even has the same font..." That's crazy! Also, hello fellow Bay Area homies 😆✌️

[@AssassinatorScout1]

Thank you for sharing that~

[@camo_tnt]

This is probably the only good "backrooms" game based on the photos, there are plenty of other good liminal space games but this is the only one that handles the crafted universe correctly. no goofy ass monsters making noises and running towards you, just strange spaces to explore.

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Yeah, I really love it. There are so many substandard Backrooms games now that I kinda got turned off them, but this one really nails it. The movement and visuals feel very realistic and I especially like that they manage to make it feel massive, while avoiding making you wander around the same level for half an hour.

[@ElementalFlanders]

There is special parts with a "thing"

[@ZeroToMidnight]

I wonder is this game all personally designed or is it some sort of procedural generation going on? Some of the areas look too good for procedural Gen but with AI advancements getting to where they are now I’m not sure

[@JadenGoter]

@@ZeroToMidnight I believe it's all designed by hand because all the lightmaps are baked! :D

[@Pleasestoptalkingthanks]

@@ZeroToMidnightProcedural generation isn’t the same as AI.

[@cdg670]

This game excels at giving off that feeling of something an A.I. would make if asked to reproduce a builing complex. It's so chaotic, asymmetrical and eerie to explore. Amazing result the dev team achieved with this.

[@julee7160]

literally incredible. Never seen something so accurate in what its like to be in a dream.

[@josiadorthestrong1031]

What makes The Backrooms great, at least for me, is how nostalgic it is. When you’re a kid, you don’t know why things are the way they are, they just are. You’re brought to so many places, and they are all so much bigger than you. Everything is beyond your control, built for reasons and purposes you don’t understand, couldn’t understand, but it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to understand. You can do whatever you can do anywhere. You don’t know when or if you’ll leave, that’s up to forces you have no power over. You’ll just explore and wonder until then. The carpeted floors, yellowish walls and humming LED lights look a million places you’ve been and none of them. And because of all this, you as an adult almost think in the back of your mind that maybe there is a purpose to these places. Maybe it makes perfect sense to someone, the adult to our child. But in every way that matters it just is, with no reason or explanation, and that’s fine. The Backrooms don’t need a SCP government research team or goddam squiggly slendermen to be scary. They don’t even need to be scary. They just need to be.

[@dustshelterinc3242]

The whole point of all of this should be i human geometry less functional than it must be. and one important thing. It must be broken like AI drawn girl when u look at her and her fingers placed in oposite direction then u think oh thats not right. And novaday backrooms is all about waiting for jumper, smiler, longliner screemer annd such trivia.

[@Raulikien]

"When you're a kid, you don't know why things are the way they are, they just are". Well I think that applies to all humans at all times, try to fully explain how 10 of the things you most use are made or how they work.

[@svperuzer]

​@@RaulikienI don't know how my car works but I don't need to, to know how to operate it. I think what they mean is that adults know the purpose of things. And knowing the purpose of everything around you makes the world mundane. If the world is mundane, it's boring, and there's no room for childlike wonder.

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

This is the most comprehensible explanation for the backrooms feeling I ever read. So in some way it is like exploring an outerspace alien ruin from distant past that adults just treat as granted and don't explain, even add to the structure without thought, copying it, because it's just something you DO.

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

15:05 ...and you may tell yourself: this is not my beautiful house. And you may ask yourself: where is my beautiful backrooms monster wife?

[@7rich79]

Stunning visuals and sound design. I'm really happy the camera made its way out in the end, always liked a happy ending.

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

1:30 yeah, ABG, I would descend slowly, too. That carpet design is a surefire way to misstep, trip, fall down the stairs, and break your legs

[@brorianszk]

I was thinking the same but I tried the game 10 minutes ago and you can't run in the stairs.

[@MoogMonster554]

3:41 It's official, the Backrooms are set inside The Cube universe!

[@vangelisgru7271]

Yes❤

[@st.edstatue2700]

The channel offset, subtle film grain, and slight fish eye lensing were really effective in giving an impression of found footage without being distracting or ham-fisted. Very well done!

[@Nanoc.]

I knew the sounds playing during the pool section sounded familiar, it’s Ave Maria slowed down and echoed

[@user-vu9ug4vb3u]

I liked how ABG started to get nervous at the end, especialy at suburban section.

[@daddy4sharx]

The lighting is so impressive

[@LockedChest]

This looks ultrarealistic, very cool.

[@drill_fiend1097]

This one has the best visuals out of all backrooms games.

[@CrowSkeleton]

This game manages to pack a ton of sheer dread into no more than some repetitive American architecture, damn.

[@Switcher1972]

That game understands what Kane Pixels, Into the Hyperverse and other "Backrooms"-oriented content creators tried to show.

[@svperuzer]

This looks really great. I could see this aesthetic being applied to other horror genres. Maybe add some PT style spooks. Nothing too over the top.

[@michaelwachsman9103]

Easily the best looking backrooms game I've seen yet

[@omegahaxors3306]

Little did you know this game was a prequel to Courage the Cowardly Dog.

[@dive2drive314]

I really like these types of artistic walking simulators that you can just sort of get lost in. It leaves much to your own mind.

[@snaileri]

Really good VHS shader, unsharping included. Is this done in Unity?

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Hi! Yeah, it's a great shader! It's an Unreal Engine 5.1 game.

[@flamingdog9207]

Hot damn, those visuals are fantastic. For instance, probably the best VHS filter I've seen in a game to date. It doesn't go too far in any way, it feels realistic and just adds to the experience. And then the way it's done complements the photorealistic style the devs went for, with all the effects culminating in a visual style that makes me feel like I'm actually playing back a tape taken out of some abandoned camcorder I found, rather than playing a game.

[@grogg4372]

What is this round stone golem-looking creature that appears every other intro/outro? It looks so familiar, is it from some other game? Thanks for the video as always. For some reason I find exploring many rooms like these oddly satisfying and relaxing. The Backrooms are unnerving but they also fuel my curiosity. This one has some scientific lore behind it, I like that.

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Hi! Glad you like the video! I design all the intro/outro monsters myself, but it's totally possible I've inadvertently been inspired by a monster in a game I've played at some time. :)

[@grogg4372]

@@AlphaBetaGamer thanks for clarifying :) Perhaps it reminds me of Ingot from Juice galaxy. You have some cool designs!

[@Kapt_Klaw]

Great aesthetic! Now other exploration/horror should use this style.

[@RTL2L]

The music is just beautiful in this one. Great job!

[@_.-.]

17:15 Almond water!

[@omegahaxors3306]

Don't drink the water. They put something in it. To make you forget. I don't even remember how I got here.

[@dreamcaught3876]

this would be really fun to explore in real life if i wasnt scared of being stuck there forever and also being eaten

[@vicious-pi3rd]

Makes you wonder why dimensions like this were ever created for what purpose.

[@yueshijoorya601]

As usual, when in motion, the realism falls off slightly. But pause at any moment and it can easily be mistaken for a photograph. That said, I am against hyper-realistic VR. Don't want to get trapped by doubt in a fake world like in Inception.

[@aleckclaymerton1570]

This is honestly looks the same as the kane pixel backrooms. Awesome graphics tho

[@ElementalFlanders]

Love this game! theres a couple spooky parts that you can miss, for future players :)

[@CheshireCad]

Could you please elaborate? I'd like to play this game, but not if I gotta constantly be on the lookout for some screaming spaghetti monster or random jumpscares. It would be great to finally have a backrooms experience where I get to relax and enjoy the space itself. Edit: I did some research and then played it myself. There are no chases, jumpscares, or even overly startling moments. But there are some "unnerving" elements. Spoiler: ˙ʇᴉ ɹǝʇunoɔuǝ ʎllɐnʇɔɐ oʇ ʎɐʍ ou s,ǝɹǝɥʇ ʇnq ˙ɹǝuɹoɔ ʇuɐʇsᴉp ɐ punoɹɐ noʎ ʇɐ sʞǝǝd sǝɯᴉʇǝɯos ʎʇᴉʇuǝ ʎʍopɐɥs ∀

[@scrimpy7692]

Pool rooms remind me of the first mirrors edge game

[@apjapki]

Congratulations, you are the 100th person to make this game!

[@Finnwkj]

16:30 music? I NEED IT

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

5:10 *liminal pool, nobody has been here EVER* *someone still pooped in the pool you walked into*

[@Helan87]

This game has a very good level design and exploration works very well, but lacks in terms of interaction and story telling

[@bonnethead_official7466]

Backrooms?

[@mrclaymore6374]

12:27 I was expecting to hear "that" scream from kane pixels 😨

[@klivermax]

Sometimes devs add too many blur effects into games. In this particular case dev's added some graphics into blur.

[@apoloWND]

Literally The Cube movie concept

[@1000dumplings]

Oy... you didn't show the secret Partygoer section! =)

[@Aftonny]

Wiki and the Fandom is the worst interpretation of the original Backrooms, consider checking Kane Pixels

[@nothing.mp3]

​@@Aftonny KP's original backrooms universe is goated, all these cheesy creepypasta-esque copies really detract from the original experience

[@vllasty2963]

👁

[@Raulikien]

Check the upcoming game Subliminal

[@o.o262]

What's your pc specs and how's your day?

[@-0rbital-]

I really enjoyed the Backrooms setting for a while, but most of the ones i've seen since the first game with the huge pool level look very similar now. There's an office level, a pool level, a suburb level, elevators between different environments, etc etc. You can basically put anything you can think of in these. So why so many copycats?

[@Crow4o]

Your brain just melted from the nothing that happens in this dump.

[@ramonzeiro]

Is this UE5?

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Hi! Yeah, it's built in Unreal Engine 5.1

[@apjapki]

The Dev's idea: What if the backroom but really small?

[@omegahaxors3306]

Backrooms but you have 80HD

[@pathemep]

Well, finally, the word *liminal* is used to the point.

[@VOXivero]

Hot take: as cool as the games look I think there are _waaay_ too many Backrooms games

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

4:01 if you look closely, you will see a knight crawling through a tunnel ;)

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Haha, that poor knight's armor's gotta be pretty rusty by now!

[@svperuzer]

I can't see it

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

Sorry, there is no knight. It's a reference to the tunnel game ABG played not so long ago. There was the exact same situation where he realised he's in the Cube (from the Cube movie). The joke format purposefully points at something rhat isn't there but would make sense to be there because of the reference. I sometimes have to explain jokes to people who are autistic and don't get references or jokes and paraboles or metaphors. I hope this clears it up.

[@svperuzer]

@@AntipaladinPedigri yes, us autistic people are so fortunate that you provide that service to us...

[@AntipaladinPedigri]

I didn't mean to imply you are autistic if you aren't. Nor was it meant to be condescending. I have recently found I have a form of autism myself accompanying my ADHD and at this point I am unsure if you are being sarcastic. Took me a long time to admit I may have it because I do get metaphors or jokes.

[@apjapki]

Send Kane Parsons his check already

[@commonsage_]

whys this man running

[@mothified1676]

Look, son! Map assets!

[@StyleshStorm]

Lil late on this one team ABG. But yeah it's a good one.

[@mosqit4324]

sorry if I'm a little insensitive, but I remember seeing a comment you made about being homeless after moving to Texas. I just wanna ask how's life going for you now?

[@Szederp]

Most of these "backdoors" games and kind of the whole "movement" is just a pure excuse for people fooling around in level editors creating large spaces filled with nothing.

[@galvanizedcorpse]

are these games made by zoomers? i can't believe zoomers are finally doing something worth my fn time

[@birchwwolf]

it's sad that new creators feel it's okay to publish straight up copies of other people's work. we used to keep that stuff in the drafts folder, you know? we'd only release art when we had a more original (or less derivative) thing to say. but now we're in the "fan games of fan games" era and idk man it feels disrespectful, like stealing someone else's thunder.

[@z00mer]

These backroom game trends are so boring and unoriginal now. But I guess they are made for simple minded folks that get frightened at jump scares… 🤦🏻‍♂️ Pass.

[@Cricket0021]

this "game" better be free because i don't see any real gameplay besides "ah! they made that one creepy photo that i saw in google!"

[@bosco_sticks]

What was the point of this?

[@AlphaBetaGamer]

Hi! There's not really any point to the Backrooms. It's just a weird liminal place that exists for you to explore it. :)

[@bosco_sticks]

@@AlphaBetaGamer got it! I wasnt sure if the backrooms was supposed to be like a purgatory for people who did something wrong so I was waiting for a big reveal

[@CreepyHandedMan]

​@ibelin5485 Originally the backrooms' concept was that if you were really, really unlucky, you could glitch out of bounds of reality. Lean against the wrong wall at the wrong time and just pass through it. You'd then be in the backrooms, this artificial, liminal space with human-like constructions but no apparent sense of purpose in anything, forever. The main feeling of it was absolute isolation, fear of disappearing and being forgotten, and the uncanny valley of a place being just short of making any form of sense.

[@blackdragon6]

​@@CreepyHandedManright!

[@MaximumRD]

@@CreepyHandedMan Thank you for that explanation.

[@dzonnyblue3065]

this game is boring crap !