The Exit 8 is an insanely clever take on the popular ‘anomaly-spotter’ genre. Set in a seemingly static, liminal space-esque environment, the premise of the game makes it seem like a ride in the park, but in order to get to the final exit, you will have to muster all your patience.
While the (literal) gameplay loop isn’t anything revolutionary, the final package is a really enjoyable title, thanks to its aesthetics and unnerving atmosphere.
Should your experience be maximised, I advise you to go into The Exit 8 completely blindly, with the understanding that this is more of a puzzle game than a horror title.

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About the genre

Anomaly spotter games have been around for a couple of years now, and they are now more popular than ever, mostly thanks to content creators. The premise is overly simple: you are tasked with observing a number of cameras scattered around different locations, and if you notice anything weird / out of place (e.g., an anomaly), report it immediately.

The Exit 8 puts a great spin on this genre by making it more interactable: instead of just idly sitting and watching, you are the one who has to go inside all of the rooms and decide if an anomaly persists there or not.
If you discover one, turn back at once; if not, continue your walk towards the 8th exit.

Spotting the anomalies

Now, spotting these anomalies is actually easier said than done. Their difficulties range from being ‘blatantly obvious’ to almost ‘unnoticable’. Since discovering these is part of the game, I do not want to spoil your experience.
However, I must warn you: if you wish to get the most out of this title, go in completely unprepared, without using any guides.

While it might be tempting to just sprint through the entirety of the game, I highly advise you to just take things slowly and observe everything to its fullest. Some of the anomalies are time-based, meaning if you want to see all of them in one playthrough, you need to take your time on certain levels. Failing is also part of the process, but I suppose it is possible to beat the game on the first try as well.

Self-doubt is the key

There is one particular element of the game that has gone unnoticed in most people's reviews:self doubt. Since you have no information regarding the types of possible anomalies, as you progress through the levels, you will slowly gaslight yourself into thinking: was that tile always looking like this, or did the man hold the phone like this from the start?

Exploring the passageway

The game is set in a seemingly never-ending underground passageway with only a limited number of decorations and furniture, while also featuring a man always walking past us without noticing.
The liminal and retro-infused graphics, paired with the monotonity and repetitivity of the surroundings, create an eerie and unnerving atmosphere right from the start. Turning right on a corner to see whether your guess is valid or not is a highly intense moment.

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