There’s something so fascinating about liminal spaces. Places which feel familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Abandoned buildings, nobody else except yourself. Perhaps made famous by Kane Parsons’ take on the 2002 photo of an empty furniture store in his Backrooms series, the concept of exploring infinite corridors expecting something to change can feel more horrifying than any horror movie. Dreamcore has released its latest chapter ‘Dead Mall,’ and with it comes more freedom and chances to find secrets that keep you gripped.
It’s hard to explain the attraction of Dreamcore: Dead Mall. There are no monsters. No puzzles. Sometimes you’ll wander around each level of the mall and nothing happens. It’s eerie, but that’s enough. The first-person view lets you soak in the emptiness of the mall. A bodycam smeared in Vaseline, you see everything like you’re wandering through a dream. Most of the time you’ll see the same plazas painted in marigold and grey. The same escalators; the same doors; the same tiled floors. But then, something changes.
The excitement of stumbling across a new area is hard to describe. Even wandering into an area of the mall featuring seldom changes in the colour scheme feels like progress. One area, I saw doorways with the shutters down, except each one had painted borders in pinks, greens, and blues. It might not sound like anything special, but it meant I was achieving something – finding a new path – and it felt good. However, when you find a brand new area, that’s when Dreamcore: Dead Mall gets interesting.
On the top floor, I found a maze of rooms filled with video game arcades. Every corner I turned, another row of cabinets stood tall, with a retro 80s carpet covering the floor. Music is a key element of the game, often signifying a new area or a new discovery. Perhaps my favourite moment while playing was when I was wandering through the mall and I saw a cinema below me. ‘Cinema’ was the first actual word I’d seen in Dead Mall, and it elicited a feeling of excitement at the possibility of seeing more from inside.
I work in a cinema and have done for over 24 years. Every time I finish in the early hours of the morning, I walk through empty auditoriums, corridors, and lobbies, followed by a walk through an empty mall. I know what it’s like to experience liminal spaces daily, but it still felt creepy when I finally got inside the cinema within Dreamcore: Dead Mall. One of the achievement was a nod to Kane Parsons’ Backrooms which I appreciated, too. I found one of the auditoriums with rows of chairs and a funky carpet. The lobby was empty apart from some concession tills with the last transaction on them.
The cardboard cut-out at the entrance featured someone in a suit, but instead of a head it was a giant eye. These secret areas are found through perseverance. I’m not going to pretend it’s the most exciting game, but to many this kind of horror is appealing. There’re no jump scares or monsters to run away from. There’s no blood and gore. The horror comes from the uncanny valley familiarity and emptiness that makes you feel like you’re both safe and unsafe at the same time. It’s hard to understand until you’re actually playing.
That freedom employed by Montraluz is where the appeal lies. If you’re wanting a typical psychological horror, this isn’t for you. However, if you’re fascinated by liminal spaces and creepypastas like The Backrooms, I can’t recommend this enough. Previous chapters have relied more on puzzles, but Dead Mall is all about exploration and finding your own way. Sure, you can simply look for the exit, but when there’re are plenty of other areas and secrets to find, why would you want to escape?