The Backrooms is one of the most fascinating horror concepts to emerge from internet culture in recent years. What began as a single unsettling image posted online in 2019 quickly evolved into a massive collaborative horror universe filled with endless yellow hallways, impossible architecture, mysterious creatures, and thousands of fan-made stories.
Unlike traditional horror franchises that rely on gore, jump scares, or obvious monsters, The Backrooms creates fear through atmosphere, isolation, and the terrifying feeling that something is not quite right. Empty office rooms, buzzing fluorescent lights, damp carpets, and endless corridors somehow feel familiar, yet deeply disturbing.
The concept exploded even further when teenage filmmaker Kane Parsons transformed the idea into one of YouTube’s most successful horror series, eventually attracting the attention of A24, which is now turning The Backrooms into a full Hollywood film.
But what exactly are The Backrooms… and why have millions of people become obsessed with them?
The Backrooms – Official Trailer
What Is The Backrooms About?
At its core, The Backrooms is a fictional extradimensional location that exists outside normal reality. According to the original story, if someone accidentally “noclips” out of reality—similar to glitching through walls in a video game—they may suddenly find themselves trapped inside an endless maze of empty rooms.
These rooms are usually described as containing:
- Mono-yellow walls
- Damp, stained carpet
- Constant fluorescent buzzing
- No windows
- No clear exits
- Endless hallways that never seem to end
What makes The Backrooms truly terrifying is not knowing whether you are alone… or whether something else is wandering nearby. The concept plays heavily on isolation, uncertainty, and the fear of endless repetition.
Where Did The Backrooms Come From?
The origin of The Backrooms traces back to 2019 on 4chan, specifically on its paranormal discussion board.
On May 12, 2019, an anonymous user posted a strange photograph of an empty yellow office-like space and asked others to share images that felt “off.” Shortly afterward, another anonymous user responded with a short piece of horror text that would become legendary across the internet.
That short description introduced the idea of “noclipping out of reality” and being trapped inside endless yellow rooms.
Within days, users on Reddit, YouTube, Discord, and other online communities began expanding the lore, adding new locations, creatures, survival rules, and countless new stories. What began as a single creepypasta soon became one of the internet’s largest collaborative horror universes.
The Real Story Behind The Original Backrooms Image
For years, the source of the original image remained unknown, adding even more mystery to the legend.
In 2024, internet investigators finally tracked the image to a real location in:
Oshkosh
The famous photograph was taken during renovations of a former furniture store in 2002, later converted into a HobbyTown location. The original room no longer exists in its original form, but knowing that the image came from a real place somehow makes The Backrooms even more unsettling.
Why Are The Backrooms So Creepy?
One of the biggest reasons The Backrooms became so popular is its connection to:
Liminal Space
Liminal spaces are places that feel familiar but strangely empty, abandoned, or unnatural. Examples include:
- Empty schools after hours
- Abandoned shopping malls
- Silent office corridors
- Underground parking garages
- Hotels with no guests
- Playgrounds at night
These places create a psychological feeling of familiarity mixed with discomfort. That strange emotional conflict is what gives The Backrooms its unique horror identity.
The Most Famous Backrooms Levels
As the fandom expanded, The Backrooms grew far beyond the original image. Fans introduced the idea of interconnected “levels,” each with its own environment, rules, and dangers.
Level 0 – The Original Backrooms
This is the most iconic version of The Backrooms.
It features endless yellow rooms, buzzing fluorescent lights, stained carpets, and complete silence—except for the hum of the lighting overhead. For many fans, Level 0 remains the purest and scariest version of the concept.
Level 1
Level 1 shifts toward industrial horror.
It often appears as:
- Parking structures
- Storage areas
- Concrete corridors
- Utility rooms
The lighting is darker, the atmosphere is heavier, and signs of previous visitors sometimes appear.
Level 2
Level 2 is often described as one of the most dangerous early levels.
It resembles a maze of maintenance tunnels filled with:
- Steam pipes
- Machinery
- Hot corridors
- Mechanical sounds
- Unstable lighting
Over time, hundreds of additional levels were created by the community, turning The Backrooms into a massive fictional universe.
Are There Monsters In The Backrooms?
Yes—but not every version of The Backrooms focuses on creatures.
As the lore expanded, fans introduced “Entities,” mysterious beings that inhabit various levels. Some appear human-like, while others are barely visible. Some only reveal themselves through sounds, shadows, or movement at the edge of your vision.
Part of what makes The Backrooms so effective is that many stories never fully show what is hunting you. The fear often comes from what you don’t see rather than what you do.
Kane Pixels And The Viral YouTube Series
Everything changed in 2022 when Kane Parsons—better known online as Kane Pixels—uploaded:
At just sixteen years old, Kane created one of the most impressive horror shorts on YouTube using Blender and Adobe After Effects.
His version introduced:
- Found footage storytelling
- VHS aesthetics
- The mysterious Async Corporation
- Scientific experiments
- Portals into The Backrooms
- More cinematic worldbuilding
The first video alone has gained tens of millions of views, while the full series has reached nearly 200 million views. Many people who had never heard of The Backrooms discovered it through Kane’s work.
The Backrooms Movie Is Coming In 2026
One of the most shocking developments came when A24 officially announced a feature film adaptation.
Even more impressive… Kane Parsons himself is directing the movie.
The film is scheduled for release on:
May 29, 2026
The project also includes major producers such as:
- James Wan
- Shawn Levy
For a horror concept that began as an anonymous forum post, this is an incredible journey.
The Backrooms In Video Games
The popularity of The Backrooms has inspired numerous horror games.
Some of the most notable include:
- Escape the Backrooms
- The Backrooms 1998
- Enter the Backrooms
- Dreamcore
These games focus heavily on exploration, environmental storytelling, survival mechanics, and psychological tension rather than traditional combat.
Is The Backrooms Worth Exploring?
If you enjoy psychological horror, analog horror, internet mysteries, or atmospheric storytelling, The Backrooms is absolutely worth exploring.
Its horror doesn’t rely on constant action or cheap scares. Instead, it builds fear slowly through silence, architecture, loneliness, and the uncomfortable feeling that something is deeply wrong.
That makes it very different from most mainstream horror franchises—and that’s exactly why it continues to grow.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Backrooms
Is The Backrooms based on a true story?
No. The Backrooms is a fictional internet horror creation.
Who created The Backrooms?
The original post was made anonymously on 4chan in 2019.
Who made the famous Backrooms videos?
Kane Parsons, also known as Kane Pixels.
Is The Backrooms movie confirmed?
Yes. A24’s The Backrooms is scheduled for release in May 2026.
Are The Backrooms connected to SCP?
Not officially, but both are collaborative internet horror universes.
Can you actually visit the original Backrooms location?
The original room no longer exists in its original form.
Is The Backrooms Worth Watching?
Absolutely—especially if you enjoy horror that relies on atmosphere, mystery, and imagination rather than predictable scares.
Whether you discover The Backrooms through the original creepypasta, Kane Pixels’ viral videos, the growing collection of games, or the upcoming A24 film, this is one horror universe that feels completely different from anything else.
It’s strange.
It’s unsettling.
And once you enter… you may never look at empty hallways the same way again.
Conclusion
The Backrooms has evolved from a single unsettling image into one of the internet’s most creative and influential horror phenomena.
From anonymous message boards to millions of YouTube viewers, from indie horror games to a full Hollywood adaptation, The Backrooms proves that sometimes the scariest places are not haunted houses or dark forests… but empty rooms that feel just a little too familiar.
And with the 2026 movie on the way… this may only be the beginning.
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