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User:Captain Galaxy/The Exit 8

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The Exit 8
Game's logo
Developer(s)Kotake Create
Publisher(s)Kotake Create
Playism (Switch version)
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • Microsoft Windows
  • 29 November 2023
  • Nintendo Switch
  • 17 April 2024
Genre(s)Walking sim, horror, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

The Exit 8[a] is a 2023 walking simulator-based puzzle horror video game developed and published by Japanese indie developer Kotake Create.[b] The game revolves around the player walking through a Japanese metro station passageways, trying to spot inaccuracies to reach the exit of the station. The game was released on Steam on 29 November 2023 and was later released for Nintendo Switch on 17 April 2024 under the publisher Playism.

The Exit 8 received positive reviews. In the wake of the game's release, many games released that took heavy inspiration from Exit 8 and were subsequently dubbed "Exit 8-likes". A sequel to the game called Platform 8 was released in May 2024.

Gameplay[edit]

Example image. Will replace later.

The Exit 8 is a three-dimensional (3D) walking simulator type game with elements of puzzle and psychological horror. Inspired by the concept of liminal spaces such as The Backrooms, the game is set in the passageways of the Japanese metro.[1] The player walks through a seemingly endless set of repeating corridors in order to reach the eight exit as to leave the station. The core gameplay of The Exit 8 is similar to games like spot the difference, where the player must look out for and identify anomalies in the room's layout.[2] If there are no anomalies, the player should proceed down the corridor; whereas if there is an anomaly, the player should turn around and walk the way they came. The player needs to be correct eight times in a row to reach the end of the station.[3] Should the player be incorrect with any assessment of a given room layout, their progress will reset.[4]

Anomalies in the game can range from subtle differences such as different messages on signs, repeating poster designs, proportion differences with the passer-by or power outages. Certain anomalies can actually reset the player's progress should they not turn back quick enough such as a flood of red water or a man camouflaged as the wall tiles that will chase after the player if they get too close.[5]

Development and release[edit]

Development[edit]

A picture of Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station, a place many have compared to the passageway in the game.[6]

The Exit 8 was developed by Japanese indie developer Kotake Create,[b] also known as Kotakenotokeke, who developed the game in Unreal Engine 5. In an interview with Japanese website Game Makers, Kotake Create stated that the game took over nine months to develop, split between six months of planning and prototyping and three months of final development.[2]

Release[edit]

The game was first announced on 3 November 2023 with a trailer posted on the developer's twitter account, with the release planned for later that month in both Japanese and English.[7] The Exit 8 would release worldwide on Steam on 29 November 2023.[8] During the Japanese broadcast of a Nintendo Indie World presentation on 17 April 2024, the game was subsequently released on the same day worldwide for the Nintendo Switch.[9][10] This version of the game was published by Japanese publishing company Playism.[11]

Sequel[edit]

In an interview with Japanese website Game*Spark following the release of The Exit 8, Kotake Create mentioned the possibility of creating a sequel to the game, stating that they would rather make a new game instead of updating the original with new anomalies.[12][13] In a subsequent interview with GameMakers, Kotake Create mentioned that they were considering soliciting real-world advertisements as opposed to the fictional advertisements seen in Exit 8 to "reduce the operating costs".[14] This would later be added upon in late-February 2024, where the developer sent an announcement on their Twitter account that they would be accepting submissions for these guest advertisements to appear in a sequel to The Exit 8.[15] In the following month, Kotake Create launched a Steam page for the sequel under the name Platform 8, with a release window of between "the end of April or beginning of May".[16] Unlike its predecessor, Platform 8 is set on a train that never ends, where the player must spot anomalies to escape the train. The game released on Steam worldwide on May 31, 2024.[17][18] Following the release of Platform 8, Kotake Create stated that they do not want to make anymore sequels in this series, feeling that they are satisfied with the games and wanted to continue working on Strange Shadows, a horror adventure game planned for 2025 that Kotake Create started creating before the development of The Exit 8.[19]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Legacy[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Japanese: 8番出口, Hepburn: 8-Ban deguchi
  2. ^ a b Stylised as KOTAKE CREATE

References[edit]

  1. ^ Scullion, Chris (6 November 2023). "A new liminal horror game has players trying to escape an endless Japanese subway". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Vjestica, Amber (14 February 2024). "The Exit 8 dev reveals how he made a top-selling Steam game in UE5 in 9 months". Automaton Media. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  3. ^ Helm, Jordan (18 December 2023). "The Exit 8's Psychological Meddling Offers A Fascinating Proof of Concept". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  4. ^ Thorn, Ed (9 January 2024). "The Exit 8 perfectly captures the surreal horror of navigating a busy tube station". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  5. ^ Roffe, Christina (22 December 2023). "The Exit 8: All Possible Anomalies". Game Rant. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  6. ^ Townsend, Verity (5 December 2023). "The Exit 8 shines light on real-life Japanese stations' creepy passageways". Automaton Media. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  7. ^ Sato, Koutaro (6 November 2023). "Escape the "backrooms" of a Japanese subway station in upcoming UE5 indie game". Automaton Media. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  8. ^ Romano, Sal (17 April 2024). "The Exit 8 now available for Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  9. ^ Hagues, Alana (17 April 2024). "Round Up: All The Games You Missed From Japan's Indie World Showcase (April 2024)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  10. ^ SKY (17 April 2024). "「8番出口」がNintendo Switchで本日配信。異変を見つけたら引き返し，8番出口を目指せ". 4Gamer (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  11. ^ Okada, Yuka (18 April 2024). "マジか！　人気ゲーム「8番出口」Switch版がいきなりリリース". ITmedia (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  12. ^ Vjestica, Amber (12 December 2023). "The Exit 8 developer mentions possibility of a sequel". Automaton Media. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  13. ^ "一躍ミームに、話題の短編ホラー間違い探しシム『8番出口』地下通路以外が舞台の"続編"可能性も！？【開発者インタビュー】". Game*Spark (in Japanese). 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  14. ^ "『8番出口』のおじさんは約14万ポリゴン。モデル＝清澄白河駅説の真相は？開発者に制作過程をインタビュー". GameMakers (in Japanese). 14 February 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  15. ^ Yamanaka, Taijiro (23 February 2024). "The Exit 8 dev is looking for real ads to add realistic vibes to the game's sequel". Automaton Media. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  16. ^ Yokoyama, Keiichi (1 April 2024). "The Exit 8's official sequel finally announced". Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  17. ^ Fujiwara, Hideako (31 May 2024). "The Exit 8 creator releases official sequel "Platform 8", with similar backroom vibes and new gameplay". Automaton Media. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  18. ^ Romano, Sal (31 May 2024). "The Exit 8 sequel Platform 8 now available for PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  19. ^ Yamanaka, Taijiro (3 June 2024). "The Exit 8 and Platform 8 will have no further sequels – developer is working on a horror adventure title slated for 2025". Automaton Media. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  20. ^ Lada, Jenni (27 April 2024). "Review: The Exit 8 Is Both Comfy and Unsettling on the Switch". Siliconera. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

External links[edit]

Official Steam page

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