The Scariest Levels of the Backrooms & How to Escape

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An in-depth look at the levels below the yellow office space

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Level 3.53 (“The Cacophony of Corrosion”)

2 Level 5.55 (“Can’t Stop Watching”)

3 Level 6 (“Lights Out”)

4 Level ! (“Area 847” and “Run for Your Life”)

5 Level 9.99 (“Stormy Suburbs”)

6 Level 0.11 (“Water Damage”)

7 Level 600 (“Deathly Desert”)

8 Level 217 (“Lonesome Supermarket”)

9 Level 666 (“Ain’t All Blood Red”)

10 Level 8 (“Cave Systems”)

11 Level 268 (“Brutally Cramped”)

12 Level 4.4 (“Intrusive Configuration”)

13 Level 14 (“Inhospitality”)

14 Level 110 (“Voodoo Jungle”)

15 Level 507 (“Beyond This World”)

16 Level 37 (“Sublimity” and “The Poolrooms”)

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Co-authored by Danbo and Eric McClure

Last Updated: August 13, 2026 Fact Checked

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The Backrooms film introduced a lot of the world to the first level of the Backrooms, but you may not know that there are actually hundreds (if not thousands) of other levels below it. Sure, you can noclip into the first level, but you can also noclip out of that level and end up somewhere else. In fact, there are all kinds of weird, mysterious ways to stumble accidentally into another level. While many of those levels are perfectly mundane or simply weird, many of them are genuinely terrifying. That’s what we’re going to cover here!

The Scariest & Most Dangerous Backrooms Levels

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• Level 3.53: An ever-changing maze of industrial rooms full of murderous entities.
• Level 5.55: An empty warehouse full of graffiti that makes you go mad.
• Level 6: A tundra that’s totally dark and causes hallucinations.
• Level !: A hallway full of exit signs where you’re constantly chased.
• Level 9.99: An empty suburb full of tornadoes and creatures staring at you.

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1

Level 3.53 (“The Cacophony of Corrosion”)

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1. 
   What is the level? It’s a never-ending maze of industrial rooms. Every room is full of pipes, machines, heaters, coolers, and all manner of mechanical objects. Pipes and wires run in and out of every wall and ceiling, suggesting the rooms are connected in some kind of way. There are also old electronics scattered in piles around the level, and puddles of strange (often dangerous) liquid. An alarm goes off periodically that triggers the rooms to change their location, which makes backtracking impossible.

   • Threat Index Level: 5e
   • Why it’s so scary: For one, the rooms range in temperature from “so hot you will burn your skin” to “so cold you’ll freeze to death in a minute.” That’s the main concern. Beyond that, there are a lot of dangerous entities in this level, including Skin-Stealers, Deathmoths, Smilers, Silver Slimes, and Flesh Dumpsters. If you’re not picking up on a theme here, it’s a very dangerous place to be a living thing that isn’t made of metal, as everything non-human wants to eat you. Beyond that, the constant shifting of the rooms means you may never have the opportunity to get out.
   • Survival tips: You have to come in prepared with lots of gear to handle the extreme temperatures. Beyond that, stay armed, alert, and don’t touch any puddles.
   • How to leave: There are four exits:
     • Boiler rooms with stairs that lead up into an abandoned building.
     • A crevasse between rooms that has nothing below it eventually lets you out.
     • Breaking through a bunker room wall after an alarm goes off.
     • Jumping into the void when an alarm goes off and the rooms shift.
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2

Level 5.55 (“Can’t Stop Watching”)

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1. 
   What is the level? This level isn’t the most dangerous of all time, but it is probably one of the scariest in terms of the experience of being there. The level contains an abandoned warehouse full of temporary and permanent wall dividers. Painted on the walls are various graffiti and markers, but the real standout is the eyes. Large eyes are found all over the place, and the eyes—despite all appearances—are watching.

   • Threat Index Level: 3
   • Why it’s so scary: The eyes belong to entities known as “Wretched Watchers,” and if one of them looks upon you for too long, you’ll become paranoid, sweat, and experience the most intense fight-or-flight response of your life. Some say you can even develop schizophrenia if you experience their viewing for too long. There are also eyes that belong to mobile entities that are seeking to kill you.
   • Survival tips: It’s actually not too hard to survive here. Making any kind of noise can draw the watcher’s attention, so you have to stay quiet, and you’ll want to stick to dark rooms and shadows where the watchers can’t really see you. Go slow, pick your next spot carefully, and stay out of the bright lights.
   • How to leave: There are six exits:
     • A door with an eye on it.
     • Numbered doors.
     • Breaking a metal wall and climbing into the hole it leaves behind.
     • Climbing over any temporary wall has a random chance of exiting you.
     • Losing consciousness without a watcher watching you.
     • Breaking through the floor.

3

Level 6 (“Lights Out”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Total darkness. It’s a sprawling tundra covered in absolute black. There appear to be small patches of forests and bushes, but otherwise the landscape is grass or rock. Electronics do not work in Level 6 either, so it’s impossible to use walkie-talkies or night vision goggles to help you explore. Auditory hallucinations are extremely common here, although it’s unclear if they’re the result of an entity or not.

   • Threat Index Level: Undetermined
   • Why it’s so scary: Imagine total darkness everywhere you go. Just nothing but the pure absence of light. No electronics work, there’s no water, and the auditory hallucinations make it impossible to sleep.
   • Survival tips: Get moving, and fast. Searching for an exit carefully is totally out of the question here, and the longer you stay, the more danger you are in.
   • How to leave: There are three confirmed exits:
     • Tripping over a large branch.
     • Falling into a hole in the ground.
     • Wandering far enough in any direction seems to work.
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4

Level ! (“Area 847” and “Run for Your Life”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Level ! is an anomalous level of the Backrooms that consists of a single red hallway speckled with glowing exit signs. Alarms blare through the air, and as soon as you land in the level, entities begin running after you.

   • Threat Index Level: 5
   • Why it’s so scary: Just look at footage of the level. You’re getting chased by monsters in a creepy red hallway while alarms go off. It’s awful.
   • Survival tips: Just run really fast.
   • How to leave: It’s unclear how many exits exist or how to find them, although some people report random doors transporting them to Level 1.

5

Level 9.99 (“Stormy Suburbs”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Level 9 consists almost entirely of different suburban environments, most of which are safe. Sub-level 9.99 is not one of them. The level consists of suburban side streets that are on a 48-hour loop of storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and monsoons. Some of the homes are unoccupied, although many of them contain shadowy figures that monitor you from the windows while you travel. Oh, and the temperature ranges from 10–65 °F (−12–18 °C).

   • Threat Index Level: 3e
   • Why it’s so scary: The storms do not let up. It’s just constant freezing rain, tornadoes, and windstorms, all while creepy shadow people stare at you from locked buildings. It’s maybe not the most dangerous level, but it’s a pretty spooky situation.
   • Survival tips: Any unlocked home is unoccupied, so there’s plenty of shelter if you can find an unlocked door. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to anyone you meet on the street—there are multiple storm-chasing organizations and colonies on this level, and all of them are friendly.
   • How to leave: There are eight exits:
     • Go through a musty, yellow door if you find one.
     • Touch a wind turbine.
     • Find a wheat field near a barn house on the outskirts of the level.
     • Enter any urban structure that seems out of place.
     • Touch a purple mushroom.
     • Take a drainage pipe to the sewers.
     • Find a cave and enter it.
     • Enter any contemporary home that seems out of place.
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6

Level 0.11 (“Water Damage”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Level 0.11, often nicknamed “Water Damage,” is a vast network of non-Euclidean concrete rooms. All of the rooms are flooded with brown water (ranging from barely a few inches to knee-high in height), and there’s scant lighting outside of a few random fluorescent bulbs. The air is also covered in a thick, dense smog that makes it hard to breathe, and a rotting smell is found throughout the entire level.

   • Threat Index Level: Class 4e
   • Why it’s so scary: There are flesh-eating bacteria and dangerous pathogens in the water, the air is full of pollution and carbon monoxide, and the only living entities in the level want to skin you alive. You can only spend 60 minutes in the level before the headache and breathing discomfort set in, and nobody seems to have been able to survive more than 3 days.
   • Survival tips: Cover your mouth and stay low to avoid the dangerous chemicals in the air. Move quickly so that you can try to find an exit before the dizzy spells make it impossible.
   • How to leave: There are three ways to leave:
     • No-clipping through a beige wall (not brown!).
     • Finding a glowing blue light and following it.
     • Rubbing your body against an untextured wall.

7

Level 600 (“Deathly Desert”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Infinite desert. There are no clouds, no structures, no water, and no wildlife—just an infinite expanse of sand 95 °F (35 °C) air. There are, however, skeletons found randomly in the sand and shadows that seem to appear illogically and out of nowhere, suggesting there may be invisible entities here.

   • Threat Index Level: Deadzone
   • Why it’s so scary: The survival rate here after 1 hour is 0%. Beyond that, just imagine the horror of realizing you have zero safety from the sun and sand. There’s just nothing here to sustain life, and if you don’t get out fast, you’re done for.
   • Survival tips: Your best bet is to noclip in the sand, so start flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water and pray you’re lucky.
   • How to leave: There are three confirmed exits, although two of them are extremely impractical:
     • Noclip through a random piece of asphalt you find underneath a large sand dune.
     • Wander long enough into the sand.
     • Noclip through the sand.
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8

Level 217 (“Lonesome Supermarket”)

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1. 
   What is the level? An infinite grocery store full of mostly empty shelves, puddles, and strange employees. Picture a grocery store that badly needs to be restocked at 4 am, but haunted—TVs flicker on and off, doors randomly open and close, and strange noises occur from nearby aisles. There are entities known as Facelings that are dressed in retail uniforms who patrol the aisles. Some of them are docile, but most will harass and attack travelers.

   • Threat Index Level: 2
   • Why it’s so scary: The vibes are just atrocious. When you do find shelves stocked, there’s a 50% chance the food is rotten, so the entire level smells like spoiled eggs and vomit. The entities are aggressive and annoying. There’s creepy ghost-stuff going on. It’s not the most dangerous level ever, but boy, is it an unfun place to hang out.
   • Survival tips: When you do find food, check to see if it’s edible. You don’t know when you’ll get to eat next. Also, do not hesitate to get vertical—you can climb the aisles to hide or get a better look at whatever is going on nearby.
   • How to leave: There are five exits:
     • The front door to the grocery store. (This only works if you trick a Faceling into opening it for you).
     • Noclipping on a poster for “Mundane Cafe.”
     • Decipher the code on an employee computer and run “workspace.exe.”
     • Typing “I do not want to know” on a computer.
     • Noclipping into unstable aisles or dividers.

9

Level 666 (“Ain’t All Blood Red”)

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1. 
   What is the level? Based on the Senbon Torri of Japan, Level 666 is a single corridor constructed of millions of Torri that have been stacked together. The corridor warps and shifts as you walk, getting so extreme in elevation at some points that the hallway will drop off at near 90-degree angles or jump up at sharp angles that require climbing gear.

   • Threat Index Level: Undetermined
   • Why it’s so scary: The warping hallway induces severe paranoia and hallucinations, and an abnormal number of murders occur on this level. It’s just a very unpleasant place to spend your time, and there’s something very unnerving about being trapped in a hallway that goes on forever with no real way out.
   • Survival tips: Travel alone and do not attempt to break out through the sides of the hallway, even if you find a visible gap.
   • How to leave: There are four exits:
     • Losing consciousness randomly (unclear how this works).
     • A random gate will lead you away.
     • If you find a puddle, rubbing it may take you away.
     • There is (theoretically) a reported end to the hallway.
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Level 8 (“Cave Systems”)

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1. 
   What is the level? A near-infinite system of underground tunnels and caves. It’s an extremely difficult level to navigate given how elaborate the tunnels can become, and it’s not like many of the areas have walking paths. Beyond that, time speeds up and slows down here, and the gravity of the cave system seems to randomly shift, change direction, and move.

   • Threat Index Level: 2
   • Why it’s so scary: Being trapped in a cave miles beneath the Earth is scary enough, but when you start messing with time and gravity, it becomes near-impossible to keep your bearings straight. Imagine how stressful and upsetting you’d be all turned around and confused in an underground cavern system. Oh, and there are entities and magical spiders everywhere that want to eat you.
   • Survival tips: Stay warm, hydrated, and do not go to sleep. Avoid messing with any kind of wildlife you encounter, and keep moving. You are looking for “route 9” or “road 9,” so keep an eye out for markings or signs left by other explorers.
   • How to leave: There are seven exits, the ideal ones located along route 9.
     • Following route 9 to reach the exit for level 11. (Ideal path.)
     • Vents in the Rottnest Jungle.
     • Entering a tar pit (risky).
     • Following a tight passageway covered in silver.
     • Noclipping through certain cave walls.
     • Noclipping through the ceiling in certain rooms.
     • A door in a cave near Harmouth Camp 4.

11

Level 268 (“Brutally Cramped”)

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1. 
   What is the level? An elaborate series of narrow office spaces and hallways. The rooms range from janitor’s closets to standard workspaces in an office, but there is one big unique element here: the walls are extremely narrow and will often bend inward while you walk through the rooms. Beyond that, the temperatures are below freezing, and there’s a poisonous pathogen in the air.

   • Threat Index Level: 3
   • Why it’s so scary: If you have even the vaguest trace of claustrophobia, this level will drive you into a severe panic. Just picture a brutalist office building, but where every single room is like 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) wide. Then add freezing temperatures, poison, and violent entities to the mix, and you’ve got one rough environment.
   • Survival tips: If you find any pipes that sound like they have liquid flowing through them, follow them. You may find the friendly outpost that resides in this level to get help. Beyond that, just keep it moving and look for any unique rooms or doors.
   • How to leave: There are dozens of exits, and we’re not going to cover all of them here, but any kind of unique door or strange room is going to likely lead to an exit. The “best” option is if you find a room with zero architectural consistency. The walls in that room can noclip you to Level 1.
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12

Level 4.4 (“Intrusive Configuration”)

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1. 
   What is the level? An office space with almost no windows, covered in blood. The ceilings collapse at random, and sentient, predatory doors try to eat you when you cross through. There’s blood everywhere, sometimes splattered randomly, sometimes used to draw strange symbols on the walls. There are human organs littered all over the place, and corpses are stuffed into random lockers and drawers.

   • Threat Index Level: 4
   • Why it’s so scary: I mean…it’s a magical office building covered in blood and corpses that want to kill you. Oh, and we forgot to mention, staying in the level for more than an hour makes you hallucinate, and there’s a cognitive hazard known as “The Black Hatred” that makes you want to commit extreme violence. Just not a good time, all around.
   • Survival tips: We kind of got nothing here. Unironically, one of the best strategies may be just running out of a window and hoping for the best.
   • How to leave: There are five confirmed exits, but only two of them lead to something resembling not-certain-death, so we’ll cover those:
     • Jumping out of a window may teleport you to another level.
     • If you find a photo of yourself and your best childhood friend, stare at it for more than five minutes and you’ll be teleported away.

13

Level 14 (“Inhospitality”)

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1. 
   What is the level? It’s a well-equipped hospital with no staff. The air smells like decay and chemicals. The equipment in the hospital may periodically “come to life” and bounce around, click, or malfunction, and the floor will randomly give out, revealing secret passageways or traps. Some of the rooms are filled with toxins or radiation.

   • Threat Index Level: 4
   • Why it’s so scary: The hospital is creepy and dangerous on its own, but that’s not really the spooky part here. The moment you enter the level, you’ll hear distant whispering and footsteps in the distance behind you. Oh, and there’s an entity known as The Hunter who will follow you and try to kill you as soon as you enter.
   • Survival tips: The Hunter works fast, so keep it moving, go fast, and stick to the sides of hallways to avoid any sinkholes in the floor. Moving randomly down different hallways is advised, but stay out of the individual rooms if you can help it.
   • How to leave: There are five exits:
     • Following a bright, glowing light outside of a window.
     • Following arrows on the floor.
     • Going through a futuristic door.
     • Traveling too far into the hospital.
     • Messing with some of the hospital equipment will randomly transport you.
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14

Level 110 (“Voodoo Jungle”)

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1. 
   What is the level? A long, straight coastline on a tropical island. Any wanderer who visits the coast will instantly feel the psychological desire to enter the tropical rainforest behind the coast. Entering will eventually lead the traveler to find “The Hut,” which will instantly turn the level to nighttime.

   • Threat Index Level: 1
   • Why it’s so scary: The Voodoo Jungle isn’t very dangerous, but it is scary. Upon finding the Hut, the traveler will discover thousands of randomly placed voodoo dolls that they find deeply upsetting and unnerving. Leaving the hut, the traveler will find the woods full of black spiders. They’ll try to crawl over you, but there’s never been any evidence of biting. So, to summarize: magical psychologically-upsetting coastline, Hut full of spooky dolls, and millions of spiders.
   • Survival tips: Just remember that you’re going to be fine. Outside of self-harm, there isn’t actually anything in the level trying to kill you. Even the creepy spiders aren’t dangerous.
   • How to leave: Every exit involves one of the dolls. There are six options:
     • Crushing a spider in your hand while holding a doll.
     • Trying to leave the forest while holding a doll.
     • Burning a doll.
     • Submerging the doll in water.
     • Removing the legs of a doll.
     • Noclipping against a tree with a flower carved into the bark while holding a doll.

15

Level 507 (“Beyond This World”)

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1. 
   What is the level? A never-ending series of red and orange balconies that fold upon one another and look out over a blue sky. Each balcony has a wet rug displaying a message, and each balcony features a plant that must be cared for (or else you cannot leave). The windows on each balcony room look out over more balconies, and the edges of each balcony connect to other balconies.

   • Threat Index Level: Gamma (completely uninhabitable)
   • Why it’s so scary: The gravity on this level doesn’t work. You constantly float, you’re naturally buoyant, and it’s easy to accidentally fall off the balconies. There’s also something deeply unsettling about infinite balconies staring out into the void, and the fact that there are no resources to survive here makes it even more unnerving.
   • Survival tips: Take care of the plant and hunker down. If you have rope, tie yourself to a railing to avoid floating away.
   • How to leave: There is one way out:
     • Take care of the plant for seven days, and you’ll be transported away.
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Level 37 (“Sublimity” and “The Poolrooms”)

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1. 
   What is the level? An infinite complex of partially submerged rooms with nonsensical architecture. TV and film content creator Danbo says that, like in the movies, every room is clad in white porcelain tile, and every room is either entirely or partially flooded. None of the rooms seem to serve a function; spiral staircases lead to nowhere, hallways narrow to points, and there are no furniture items or fixtures.

   • Threat Index Level: 1
   • Why it’s so scary: Outside of accidental drowning, there are no risks here. The scariness comes from the creepiness of it all. The perpetual tiles, the weird echoes, the still pools, all of it is uncanny and vaguely threatening. It may not sound super scary, but just look at the footage—you’d go nuts!
   • Survival tips: You cannot drink the water, so don’t try. You can also lose track of where you are quite easily, so stay focused and don’t relax too much.
   • How to leave: There are five exits:
     • Wading through the darkest, dingiest waters.
     • Immersing yourself in water may randomly transport you.
     • The longest corridors tend to lead elsewhere.
     • Enclosed tunnels may lead you out.
     • Certain staircases feed you

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