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Pools: Unarchived, Season 3, Episode 6

with Chelsea Russell (host), Andrew Bailey, Jason Boyd, Patrick R. Dolan

Broadcast Date: 2 June 2025

Writer: Chelsea Russell (with Jason Boyd)

Producer: Patrick R. Dolan

Bonus Summer Episode!

Inspired by liminal space aesthetics, Pools (2024) is a first-person exploration game set in a bewildering, seemingly endless complex of swimming pools. Pools is a minimalist game—there’s no heads-up display or status bar, no dialogue, no clear objectives, no monsters, no NPCs, no dialogue, no text, no soundtrack, no death, no puzzles, no resource gathering, no inventory, no tools, no quests. You can look around, walk (or run), crouch, swim, and that’s it. The game also resists traditional narrative expectations in favor of affective atmosphere, subtle unease, and uncanny nostalgia.

Sources and Resources

Other The Backrooms-inspired games mentioned in the episode:

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