If you’re even remotely plugged into internet folklore, you’ve likely heard whispers about the Backrooms — an eerie, endless maze of monotonous yellow hallways, flickering lights, and the distant hum of something… lurking. What began as a creepypasta and viral image has evolved into a fully-fledged mythos, spawning fan games, lore expansions, and a trading card game unlike anything else.
Backrooms TCG is a solo-focused trading card game that plunges you into this unnerving world, blending procedural gameplay with haunting artwork, strategic card interactions, and a story that unfolds as you explore. But it’s not just for players — it’s also quietly becoming one of the most intriguing collectibles in the indie TCG space.
What Are the Backrooms?
Originating from a single image posted online in 2019, the Backrooms are imagined as a dimension you might accidentally “noclip” into — a nightmarish alternate reality made of outdated office carpets, buzzing fluorescent lights, and a feeling of perpetual wrongness. In this world, hundreds of levels stretch endlessly, each stranger than the last. Some are empty. Some contain things you’re not meant to see.
The mythos quickly gained traction online, spawning thousands of fan-made stories, levels, and creatures. In essence, the Backrooms are a collaborative, analog horror universe — rich with atmosphere, dread, and endless creative possibilities.
What Is Backrooms Trading Card Game?
Built around that very lore, Backrooms TCG is a solitaire card game where you — the player — take the role of the as the Wanderer and find yourself trapped in the Backrooms and must explore, survive, and escape.
You being trapped in the Backrooms’ Level 0 — the Lobby. Your journey begins with a deck of cards called the Pull Pile, filled with items, events, and ominous entities. Every round, you take actions to gather tools, face threats, and slowly explore the shifting structure around you.
Gameplay unfolds in two key phases:
- Action Round: You interact with what’s around you — picking up items, triggering events, or engaging with friendly or unfriendly entities.
- Movement Round: You navigate through new rooms using a unique 8-point compass movement system, uncovering new threats or opportunities.
The goal? Escape. But there are many ways to fail — lose all your Sanity points, deplete your deck (representing stamina), or take a misstep into an Entity you can’t handle. Victory comes only when you collect enough Painite to unlock the Golden Stairs — the only way out.
But this isn’t just a deck of mechanics — it’s a narrative-driven journey. Each card builds the world a little more and each playthrough is procedural, meaning the levels you explore and the dangers you face are randomized every time. It’s a strategy game wrapped in the skin of a psychological thriller.
Why It’s More Than Just a Game: The Collector’s Appeal
While Backrooms TCG is mainly designed for play, it’s also start becoming highly appealing to collectors, especially those drawn to indie card games, horror aesthetics, and limited-edition runs.
1. Striking Artwork and Atmosphere
The cards are beautifully unsettling. Each one feels like a slice of a dream you can’t or don’t want to remember. The designers have leaned fully into the Backrooms aesthetic — off-kilter, lo-fi, yet detailed enough to pull you in.
2. Limited Print Runs & Kickstarter Exclusives
Backrooms TCG was successfully launched on Kickstarter, offering early backers access to exclusive content, variant cards, and limited-run collectibles. Many of these cards will never be reprinted, giving them significant value among niche collectors.
3. Lore-Driven Expansions
The game isn’t static. It invites ongoing discovery through expansion packs, new levels, and entities that deepen the mythos. This approach creates a living, evolving world — one that invites players to collect and catalog its mysteries, not just play them.
Final Thoughts
While most trading card games focus on competitive, two-player battles, Backrooms TCG is a solo game. This makes it a perfect experience for players who want strategic immersion without needing opponents, time slots, or pay-to-win pressure. You play when you want, how you want, and the outcome depends entirely on your choices and preparation. Backrooms TCG stands apart by offering something introspective, eerie, and personal. It’s not about defeating your opponent — it’s about surviving an unknown dimension that feeds on your curiosity.
For solo gamers, it’s a fresh twist on exploration and survival.
For collectors, it’s a snapshot of a rapidly growing horror universe, frozen in beautifully crafted cards.
Explore. Survive. Collect. Escape — if you can.
Learn more or grab a deck at www.backroomstcg.com, or follow the project’s journey on Kickstarter.
