What Are the Backrooms, and How Did They Originate?

The Backrooms are an internet horror phenomenon that depicts an endless labyrinth of yellow office rooms, damp carpet, and the relentless buzz of fluorescent lights. In this fictional “in-between space,” a person ends up there by “clipping” out of reality—gamers would say “no-clipping”—through a glitch in the world, much like in video games. It’s a collectively built myth that was born online and today has its own stories, rules, entities, as well as film and game adaptations; the basic definition and historical background are summarized in the relevant Wikipedia entry.

Origins: from a single 4chan image to a worldwide legend

The beginning can be traced precisely: on May 12, 2019, a prompt appeared on the /x/ board (4chan’s paranormal section) asking users to share “creepy” photos. Someone attached a shot of a yellow, empty room with carpet and paneled walls—and another anonymous user coined the name and the first definition of the Backrooms. Later, internet “sleuths” identified the original photo as coming from a 2003-documented renovation of a HobbyTown store in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as described in detail by Internet Archive curator Jason Scott. The popular gaming outlet PC Gamer later summarized how the Backrooms spread from 4chan into the mainstream, and that the upcoming film is set to adapt the successful YouTube series.

Why it scares us: liminal spaces and collective imagination

The Backrooms work because they draw on the aesthetic of “liminal spaces”—places that feel familiar yet alien, as if caught between two states. Yellow walls, office carpet, and flimsy partitions create a sense of not-belonging and mild disorientation. A peer-reviewed article in New Media & Society also examines this link between liminality, nostalgia, and online collective creation, analyzing why the Backrooms resonate across communities and platforms. When millions of people play with the same motifs, a “living” universe emerges—where good ideas catch on quickly and mutate into new versions.

How a meme became a story: the videos that launched it into the mainstream

The real boom came in early 2022, when teenager Kane Parsons (online “Kane Pixels”) released the short film “The Backrooms (Found Footage).” It simulates 1990s VHS: a cameraman “falls” into the Backrooms and desperately searches for a way out—until something that doesn’t belong there begins to hunt him. The combination of realistic 3D visuals and sound design makes it feel like you’re truly watching a recovered tape. You can also find the core facts and context of the series neatly laid out in an encyclopedic summary. Below, you can watch the first, iconic installment:

Levels, entities, and “rules”: what’s worth knowing (briefly)

The Backrooms aren’t a single room, but a vast fictional complex. Fans describe it through “levels” (Level 0—endless yellow offices; Level 1—industrial corridors; and so on), which differ in appearance, hazards, and even “physics.” There are also entities—from ones that won’t notice you to aggressive creatures. The key point is that there is no official canon; it’s built from the ground up by the community. That openness helps explain why the Backrooms so quickly grew into hundreds of fan stories, games, and videos—something also reflected in Wikipedia’s overview of the phenomenon’s history.

Game adaptations and film: the Backrooms in pop culture today

The “no-clip” idea and maze-like world translate extremely well into games—from simple escape-room experiences to cooperative survival titles. The Backrooms’ presence on Steam and in the indie scene is now common, and the theme isn’t going away. The biggest news, however, is a feature film from A24, to be directed by Kane Parsons himself; casting and pre-production are moving forward, and the release is slated for 2026. Film and gaming outlets, including PC Gamer, have reported on the adaptation in detail, and the basic information is also summarized in a separate film entry.

How not to “get lost”: tips for the curious

If you want to dive into the Backrooms without the chaos, start with the short video above and then read a couple of concise overviews so you understand it’s community-driven fiction with many versions. Pay attention to how creators use silence, sound design, and camera work—that’s half the fear. If you come across “maps” and “survival guides,” treat them as storytelling props, not official rules. The phenomenon is compelling precisely because it forces you to assemble your own version of reality from fragments.

A summary for someone hearing about the Backrooms for the first time

The Backrooms are an internet horror legend with a very simple premise: familiar places that suddenly feel endless and alien. They began as a single unsettling photo, and the community turned them into a whole world. Their popularity has been driven by liminal-space aesthetics, collective worldbuilding, and standout videos by Kane Parsons. Today the phenomenon is heading to movie theaters—and it’s a good example of how internet culture can evolve into major pop-culture projects.

Sources

1. The Backrooms – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Backrooms
2. Wiggins, B. E. – The backrooms and liminal spaces: Explorations of a digital urban legend (New Media & Society): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14614448241238395
3. Jason Scott (Internet Archive) – The Backrooms of the Internet Archive: https://blog.archive.org/2024/06/01/the-backrooms-of-the-internet-archive/
4. PC Gamer – A24 is making a movie based on The Backrooms…: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/a24-is-making-a-movie-based-on-the-backrooms-the-2019-creepypasta-that-now-forms-the-basis-for-every-other-game-on-steam/