The Exit 8

Play for a unique gameplay mechanic you've probably not seen before. Watch closely or you'll miss it. Are you ready?

Image: If you find anomalies, turn back immediately!

What is The Exit 8?

Exit 8 is a first-person horror game that involves close observation to try and spot "anomalies" as you walk (or run) your way through a looping level design. Think "Where's Wally" but in a creepy Japanese subway corridor. Half the anomalies are very slight, but all are undoutably creepy and unsettling. A sequel has been released: Platform 8, which adds a bit more interactivity to the concept.

Let's Talk Nitty-Gritty.

Exit 8 is a weird game. There's no other way to say it. The entire game is set in a single corridor that is generated from a standard template, meaning you won't have any pretty vistas to entertain you, only the same length of corridor again and again. The only differences in environment are the ones you spot, which forms the only main gameplay function.

You begin at "Exit 0", and your goal is to escape the subway corridors and reach "Exit 8". The only way to progress to the next "Exit" is to successfully determine if there is an anomaly in the next corridor you enter. If there is, you can turn and head back the way you came, and you will progress to the next corridor in the sequence. If not, keep going forward to the same result. Guess wrong and you will be reset to Exit 0".

The game is first-person, with the only button options being mapped to the "run" function. You have no interactions with the environment to speak of, other than moving into the next corridor.

Experience (EXP +8).

My first start with Exit 8 was an annoying, aggravating experience. The game had no intro, no instructions (besides the bare bones ones on the wall to "look out for anomalies") and I kept running through the same corridor over, and over, and over again!

It was only after I got into the swing of things and started taking my time that I found myself enjoying it. It's best to play in a dark room, headphones on, to really immerse yourself in the experience.

I also found great fun in going through it with a friend. My brother-in-law was a second set of eyes, helping me pick out things I missed on the first go-round.

In the end, there was a lot of satisfaction to be found with the below screen.

TL;DR

Pros	Cons
Excellent idea for a gameplay mechanic.	Short gameplay (around 90 minutes or so).
Subtle horror vibes work better than jump scares.	Little replayability value.
Fun to share with a friend.	Frustration for hard-to-spot anomalies.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to look out for a Platform 8 review soon!