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Shifting To The Backrooms

Review · Indie · PC

Shifting To The Backrooms

Reviewed: 30 Apr 2026

PC

2026

Ludograph rating

C

Mixed

53 /100

Automated review

Shifting To The Backrooms is a puzzle game that builds problem solving and critical thinking, but features strong horror themes and dangerous entities.

06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 36 · R 0
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

36

Risk (RIS)

0

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

13+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.58
B2Social-emotional
0.00
B3Motor
0.35

Shifting To The Backrooms offers a rich cognitive challenge through its complex puzzles, fostering problem-solving, strategic thinking, and critical analysis. Players will also engage their spatial awareness and reaction time while navigating the liminal spaces and avoiding entities.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.00
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

The game features a strong theme of fear and horror due to its 'nightmare of liminal spaces' setting and 'dangerous entities'. While there are no monetization or social risks, the content may be intense for some players.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
1.00

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

ReviewedApr 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is Shifting To The Backrooms safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Shifting To The Backrooms a rating of 53/100, recommended for ages 13 and up. It delivers genuine benefits but carries design risks that deserve a close look.

What age is Shifting To The Backrooms appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 13+ for Shifting To The Backrooms, based on benefits, risks, and content review.

How long should kids play Shifting To The Backrooms?

Our session recommendation for Shifting To The Backrooms is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Shifting To The Backrooms?

The game features a strong theme of fear and horror due to its 'nightmare of liminal spaces' setting and 'dangerous entities'. While there are no monetization or social risks, the content may be intense for some players.