Comparison

POOLS™ vs Backrooms

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

POOLS™

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

Highlights
  • Slow, reflective exploration
  • Atmospheric and immersive environments
  • Inspired by liminal spaces
  • Unfolding narrative through exploration
  • Six distinct chapters
  • Unique sound design
Features
Read full description

Explore, admire and listen. That’s it. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. POOLS isn’t a traditional game. it’s slow, reflective, and intentionally uneventful, perhaps a bit like virtual museum. So take your time. Breathe. POOLS unfolds slowly, rewarding patience and quiet attention. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen. Yet it can feel oppressive at times by invoking quiet fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and the strange beauty of liminal space architecture. There's no typical story. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you, deeper you go… Rooms look and feel… different. Base game features six chapters, each lasting 10-30 minutes. Inspired by the internet phenomena Liminal spaces, Found footage and The Backrooms, especially the Poolrooms concept. One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is Jared Pike.

About

Backrooms

Navigate endless yellow hallways in a mysterious, liminal space. Your goal is to find scattered buttons to unlock doors and escape Level 0 of the Backrooms. Experience a creepy atmosphere with high-quality graphics and immersive sound.

Highlights
  • Explore eerie hallways
  • Find and activate buttons
  • Unlock doors to escape
  • High-quality graphics
  • Immersive atmosphere
  • Atmospheric soundtrack
Read full description

Explore the Backrooms Level 0: Enter the mysterious world of the Level 0 of the Backrooms, where endless yellow hallways stretch as far as the eye can see. The constant buzz of fluorescent lights and the smell of damp carpet create a creepy atmosphere as you try to find your way through this maze. Find the Exit: As the lone explorer, your mission is to escape this unsettling environment. Scattered throughout the level are buttons that, when activated, open various doors leading you closer to freedom. Can you find your way out? High-Quality Graphics: Experience the Backrooms like never before with our high-quality graphics that bring this liminal space to life.From the worn-out carpet to the flickering lights, every detail adds to the eerie atmosphere of the Backrooms. Immersive Experience: Get lost in the creepy feeling of the Level 0 of the Backrooms. The game's sounds and visuals work together to create an experience that will keep you on edge as you explore and try to escape. Can you escape the Backrooms? Start your journey through Level 0,the most well-known level of the Backrooms. ------------------------- Features: -Explore the Unknown: Navigate the endless and eerie hallways of Level 0, a strange and spooky place in the Backrooms. - Challenging Puzzles: Activate buttons to unlock doors and find your way to the exit. -Amazing Graphics: Enjoy high-quality visuals that enhance the immersive experience. - Atmospheric Soundtrack: The ambient soundscape adds to the sense of mystery and suspense. --

Screenshots

POOLS™4 screens
Backrooms4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: POOLS™ at 4.5 against Backrooms's 3.8. POOLS™ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). Backrooms's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backrooms asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

POOLS™ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.8K ratings behind it against 127, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of POOLS™'s written reviews are positive against 60% of Backrooms's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

POOLS™ ships an update monthly, Backrooms every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
POOLS™ versus Backrooms: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPOOLS™Backrooms
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.8K ratings) — better3.8 (127 ratings)
Positive reviews79.9% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K — better127
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB264 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperTensoriJEAN MICKAEL DARIE

Customer experience

POOLS™

All ratings1,738 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews661 reviews
Positive79.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative13.9%

Backrooms

All ratings119 ratings
Positive72.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews110 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral13.6%
Negative26.4%

Bugs and requests

POOLS™

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to move on iPad Pro
  • Glitches reported

Requested features

3 requests
  • Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
  • Add a multiplayer mode
  • Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)

Backrooms

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

POOLS™

One-time1
  • POOLS: Full Game$9.99
None

Backrooms

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is POOLS™ free?
POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backrooms free?
Backrooms is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, POOLS™ or Backrooms?
POOLS™ is rated higher. POOLS™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Backrooms averages 3.8 from 127 ratings.
Do POOLS™ or Backrooms have ads?
Backrooms shows ads; POOLS™ does not.
Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Backrooms?
POOLS™ ships an update monthly, and Backrooms every 7 months. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on October 27, 2026 and Backrooms on October 28, 2026.

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