The Exit 8 Reviews

"The Exit 8" is a very short walking simulator inspired by Japanese underground passageways developed by Japanese indie developer Kotake Create. The game also takes notes from games like Twelve Minutes and the very popular P.T. (Playable Teaser) created for the now cancelled "Silent Hills".

The gameplay is pretty simple: You are caught in a loop, walking through an "endless underground passageway", with a long straight walkway and 2 S-bends in-between, where another business man passes by. The location gives off a profoundly unsettling vibe. There is a sign at beginning of the loop explaining the player to look for "anomalies", if you find one you should turn around and walk back, if you don't see one just continue forward. Anomalies are random and can be obvious things like the lights going dark, but also small things like a small change in one of the posters on the wall or a missing door. There is a poster with a counter which reset to 0 if you make a mistake and counts up if you react correctly to anomalies or the lack for them up to the number of 8 after which you win the game. The experience feels similar to the afore mentioned P.T. where you are also stuck in looping hallway with an eerie vibe and you never know what to expect the next time you walk around the corner. The game employs subtle psychologic horror which plays with the players mind rather than employing cheap jump-scares. Unfortunately once you've seen most of the anomalies the game loses it's mystery and you'll be able to quickly identify anomalies making it feel like a routine.

The game has a very clean presentation. The underground tunnel is covered in white, clean tiles, some advertisement posters are decorating a wall, bright neon lights illuminate the place. It looks uncomfortably life-like in Unreal Engine 5. It's simple yet effective.

All the game's achievements can be unlocked in around 1-2 hours, even less if a guide is being used. While there are some miscellaneous achievements which are easy to overlook, it's not a big issue as you can finish a playthrough in less than 5 minutes.

In summary The Exit 8 is a short indie walking simulator employing a looping gameplay with a fun psychological horror aspects, for less than the price of a Big Mac.

The Exit 8 is a short but no less intriguing indie horror game that really packs a punch. It went viral long before its console release, which makes it even more impressive that it still managed to captivate me.

In fact, I was already familiar with some of the anomalies from YouTube videos by my favorite content creators. So, in the truest sense of the word: you have to play it yourself! Despite my prior knowledge, the experience was absolutely worth it.

I'm usually more of a home cinema type, but take it from me: with headphones, this game is a completely different experience!

It thrives on pure minimalism. No music—just the hum of the lamps and the sound of footsteps are enough to create a deep sense of unease. It's fascinating how the game manages to create fear with so little.

The anomalies—sometimes obvious, sometimes incredibly subtle—make you feel stupid in no time. The more subtle changes, in particular, tempt you to scrutinize your surroundings down to the smallest detail. Honestly, play a few more games like this, and you'll probably develop some surprisingly useful real-life observation skills.

Honestly, I found the game so immersive and good that I've already played through it three times! First on Xbox Series X, then on PS5, and finally on PS4 :)

The simple yet effective gameplay—its sound design, the structure of each run, and so on—makes The Exit 8 a brief but by no means less compelling experience. Definitely something you should try for yourself. And at this price? Pure temptation!

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+ PROS:
× The design concept is exceptionally minimalistic, yet all the more hooking.
× The graphics are realistic enough to enhance the oppressive atmosphere.
× Makes you want to see everything it has to offer (which doesn’t take long anyway).

- CONS:
× A bit short—could have been slightly longer, but not necessarily by much.


Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Fun/Replayability: 4.5/5
Innovation: 3.5/5

^{– All ratings are based on a maximum of 5 stars!
– The Graphics and Sound ratings take into account the game's design concept, age, and effects!}