POOLS: A Poolcore Liminal Space Game Inspired by Jared Pike's Dream Pools, with Usable Water Slides!

I genuinely can't get enough of poolroom exploration games. The way people manage to create such a rich and vibrant atmosphere using nothing but bathroom tiles and water is astounding. No cheap scares, no "scary horror mascot", just you exploring what appears to be an infinite labyrinth. I love this so much.

I wonder if all the protagonist can smell is just gallons and gallons of chlorine from all the pools. No wonder they are tripping out. Lack of oxygen.

2:31 the metal pipe sound...

I love indie video games. I can look at an artist's weird liminal pool art and think "I want to go there," and there's a non-zero chance someone has made that possible.

WC Escher is an extremely funny pun and i don't think youre going to get enough credit for it lmao

There are a few Poolrooms/Dream Pools inspired games now, but for me this one is easily in the top three (with DREAMCORE and Anemoiapolis). I really love the level design and it's packed full of interesting sights so it never feels repetitive. Stage three is particularly impressive, it's got some weird stuff going on! This video features four of the six planned stages for the full release (I'll cover the final two when the game releases). There are no big scares or monster chases, but there are a few uncanny occourances to creep you out.

Just want to say THANK YOU for actually crediting Jared Pike’s Dream Pools. Too many people have just taken his videos and renamed them ‘poolrooms’ without crediting him. So thank you for actually mentioning him.

I think the real horror would be being employed as a janitor in this place

Developers talk about how important sound is and the visuel aspects. I would love for us to hear water drip and see the floor get wet, when you we have been in the pool and start walking around. It's small things like that that increases immersion. Not to mention being able to see your own legs at least.

I could seriously play a ton of these games in a row and still find them interesting. I love simply roaming inside a liminal space. The game just has to look good and sound good. Love the atmosphere so much. Somewhat unnerving, but mostly just relaxing to me.

With the haziness and how reflective the walls are in the first few rooms, I feel like the humidity is crazy high, like in a sauna, it actually made me feel kind of stuffy and uncomfortable. Impressive atmosphere/realism.

i love the little nod to Funny Games, where you jumped and the game was like "nope, you're not allowed to do that, try again"

Even if the sounds of the player walking in shallow water are like he’s goosestepping, there’s a real weight to the movement and sounds when you’re wading and swimming. It’s eerily dreamlike.

Finally a game where you can ride the slides. Take notes devs.

The rubber ducks mouth been open inspires inexplicable dread in me. Would be a perfectly cute design if its mouth was closed. So Kudos to the developers.

30:38 just, you know, casually ignoring all laws of physics and start walking on a wall. My god this is incredible!

what poolishness is this

I love the pool rooms. Beautiful and creepy af. Being concerned about something attacking me is scary but it's far less fun for me when it's a real encounter. I have ptsd and it's no longer fun at that point. This kind of game is cathartic in a way where I get to feel creeped out but stay in control. It's beautifully designed and keeps me curious. Thank you for playing this for us! I don't have any way to play games but I get to have an experience of them.

the attention to detail in this game is unreal, i've watched pretty much every dreampools-esque game out there (because i find the setting intensely soothing and satisfying in a very specific way) and this is one of my favorites simply due to the amount of possible object interactions (being able to sit in the chairs, the camera lens dripping in the sauna, the slides!!!) -- there's so many little details that make this game incredible!!!

32:05 Go ahead, take a spooky dookie.