The Exit 8 is a simple game that manages to capture the feeling of paranoia and the uncanny valley in a way very few titles can. Developed by Kotake Create in just over nine months, and then published by Playism on Nintendo Switch, the game is an escape room walking simulator where the player has to reach the titular Exit 8. Achieving this will involve careful examination of the same repeating corridor over and over again ad nauseam. It might sound like a painful time, but it is actually an incredible experience for anyone looking to go a little crazy for a short while.
The Exit 8 takes place in an underground subway station, specifically a random corridor that a person might walk down when going from the gates to the exit. Plastered along the wall are adverts for local festivals or services, like a dentist and dog groomer, as well as a security camera warning and a few doors that presumably lead to backrooms exclusive for staff use. Walking down this single corridor is a businessman, suitcase and phone in hand, on his way to or from the office. As the player turns the corner from this hallway they are met with another turn and a sign informing them what exit is coming up. If the number on the exit sign is 0, then something has gone wrong because the player is all the way back at the start of the game, repeating the cycle.
The main gameplay loop of The Exit 8 is to carefully examine the lone corridor and look for oddities. The player might ask themselves “Was that door always ajar?” “Was that sign always there?” “Was that man always so small?” If the answer is no, then in reverse the player must go, falling back on themselves in order to advance. An oxymoron of the highest order.
It’s a simple premise, but what The Exit 8 manages to establish is a sense of real paranoia. Some of the anomalies are really obvious, like blood dripping from a vent, or two identical men (who were not there previously) just standing like the twins from The Shining. Other anomalies, though, are incredibly subtle, like a texture change on a set of tiles, or a smudge in the shape of a face on the ceiling. This ultimately leads to the player religiously checking every iteration of the corridor from top to bottom and second guessing their own memory. Avoiding a reset is the prime motivator to avoiding failure, but the occasional jump scares and deadly moments are also reason enough to not make a mistake.
The tension this game provides could rival most horror titles. That is where The Exit 8 really shines: as an escape room experience that leaves a genuine feeling of terror. It is a short title, easily beaten in an hour even with mistakes, but that single hour provides just the right level of anxiety and intrigue to leave a lasting, positive impression.
