Info
Article rewritten by DivineAtlas and
Robert Goerman
Critiqued by person,
person,
person,
person, and Greenlit by
person.
Backrooms concept was from an anonymous post on 4chan. The original entry was adapted by Reddit user u/Deveyerr, rewritten by 1000dumplings and
etoisle.
This latest entry includes input from Super-Robot14,
jan Jejasa,
Praetor3005,
ReyDay,
MC_Crafter_24_7, rakogames does not match any existing user name,
person, et cetera (listing each user whose specific ideas and assistance were incorporated).
Theme created by MC_Crafter_24_7
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 1
- Safe with Provisions
- Unsecure
- Minimal Entity Count
Description
Level 0 consists of empty halls, apparently without end. It resembles the back rooms of an old office or retail outlet. The walls are covered in a monotonous yellow wallpaper, ceiling lights produce an annoying sound described as "hum-buzz," and the flooring is old, moist carpet, which yields a rancid scent. The rooms are randomly segmented, and no two appear the same.
Keep in mind that even well-trained, fit walkers can only cover 20–30 miles in a day, depending on their preparation, pace, and number of breaks. Victims trapped here, often referred to as "wanderers," only explore a minuscule section of this place.
No-clipping
I am clumsy and fall a lot. Never dreamt of being a ballerina. Running to the bathroom was my downfall, literally. Being pregnant didn't help. So cold! My tee-shirt and shorts don't cut it here. Shoes would help.**1
—Gwen
Gwen entered Level 0 and the Backrooms by no-clipping out of reality in the safety and comfort of her home. Successful no-clipping is the phenomenon of moving from one place to another, unhampered by distance or physical barriers. Some wanderers have thought of it as teleportation; however, it is likely an unexplained mechanism of the Backrooms at large. As such, it is currently unknown whether it is science or of the supernatural.
What does no-clipping feel like? This is another matter that nobody can agree on. Many describe it as passing through a thin, dark curtain. Some tell of falling in every direction, all at once. Others deny sight and sensation. Maybe it sometimes happens too quickly to feel much of anything.
Anomalies
Researchers originally assumed that environmental factors within Level 0 created vivid hallucinations. After all, walking in straight lines often led to circles, and retracing steps resulted in different routes than the ones already taken. Doors and stairs might disappear when approached. Déjà vu was common. Human-like speech in an unidentifiable language and all manner of strange noises taunted wanderers. Things seen in peripheral vision vanished when observed directly. The frequency and intensity of these fluctuations varied from person to person.
This is where our psychology betrays us. Veterans of the Backrooms have proven, to their satisfaction, that these "hallucinations" are genuine anomalies intrinsic to this location. When an inexperienced wanderer accepts these as mental aberrations, rational thought collapses.
Isolation Factor
Wanderers have never reported seeing another person or encountering any entities on Level 0. If there are deaths, no bodies are ever found, not even smaller pieces. Why this is, we do not know.
Entities do appear at confirmed no-clipping exits from this level. The Minimal Entity Count reflects our desire to error on the side of caution.
Survival
I am a practicing survivalist. I can build a fire, find and purify water, secure food, and forage. My navigation techniques are the best among my peers. All of that means nothing here. Maybe it is called Level 0 because there are zero resources.
— Rusty
There is no way to rescue or recover anyone trapped here. Some make it out on their own. The fate of the rest remains a mystery.
From the moment that someone enters Level 0, the countdown to their death from dehydration begins. Do not suck the fluid from the carpet! It is poisonous. Dying this way is more painful, not faster.
To dawdle is to die.
Each wanderer basically has two chances to live: learn to no-clip out on your own or find the Manila Room. New wanderers are unaware of either goal. Defeat crushes motivation with an avalanche of uncertainty.
This article cannot express how impossibly difficult the situation is for newcomers.
Escape
If, by escape, one is referring to a return home—to reality and Earth—prepare to be very disappointed. The terrible truth is that any method of returning home from Level 0 is forever hidden from the rest of us by the Isolation Factor. Even if it happened, no one else here would know. Ever.
Manila Room
The Manila Room is an oasis in this ever-changing yellow madness. Beige wallpaper (interior and exterior) gives the square one-room sanctuary its drab moniker. Normally furnished with a table and a few chairs, this nondescript room may feature from one to four doors. This is the only place where people can find each other. Veterans of the Backrooms are capable of stocking the table with helpful documentation. Finding the Manila Room, more often than not, leads the wanderer to Level 1.
Manila Room Diagram
Appearance Rates
Door A = 100%
Door B = >25%
Door C = >50%
Door D = <25%
No-clip Area E = 100%
Data for this level has been provided by the Major Explorer Group, the Backrooms Nonaligned Trade Group, and the Atlas Company.
Entrances And Exits:
Entrances
- Level 0 may be entered by accidentally no-clipping from Earth.
- Many Backrooms levels may lead back to Level 0. Some of these entrances are more rumor than fact and the entire subject is in a constant state of flux. Please use discretion.
Exits
- Consistently possible by no-clipping, which often results in arrival at Level 1.
- Walking "far enough" in any direction may lead to the Manila Room.
- There will always be vague references that breaking through a ceiling, wall, or floor on Level 0 will open passage to a new location. These actions are ill-advised.
- Other exits have been suggested.
Shivers stiffen your spine, and hope slithers away.
Welcome to the Backrooms. Your adventure begins.
