Liminal spaces as a full-fledged aesthetics in video games
Research concept
People experience a variety of complex emotions when looking at liminal spaces.
That’s the reason I’m assuming it could be a complete video game experience.
One of the poolrooms from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
Before we begin, we need to figure out the definition of liminal space we’ll be using. There are a lot of them. The majority are technical, focusing on how liminal spaces are transitive between either two locations or states of mind.
For the purpose of this research, we will be using the next definition, as it focuses on the feeling rather than the technical qualities:
«A liminal space picture is a picture that features human—made or manipulated structures or objects, that does not contain any people and that emits a strong feeling of familiarity but at the same time a feeling of uncanniness and discomfort.»
— Scrabbl
Please note that this definition was given to a liminal picture and not a video game atmosphere. That being said, we can still apply it to the latter.
How the liminal space atmosphere translates from a picture to a video game is another way to look at this research.
There are various emotions that are associated with liminal spaces. Some of the most prevalent are:
Otherworldliness Unease Disorientation Uncertainty Nostalgia Loneliness Curiosity Tranquility The Sublime
Just by reading this list, we can see that portraying the liminal space atmosphere in its totality, let alone converting it into a video game, is not an easy task. To begin, why is tranquility on the same list as unease?
As we will see later, liminal spaces are quite a polarizing experience. When some gaze at these sights with anxiety, others feel comforted.
gm_construct from «Garry’s Mod» (2006)
«While my memories of these places aren’t scary, the disconnect I feel between the large, bustling spaces I remember and the vast empty landscapes I see in liminal space photos — deeply unsettling.» — GameSpot.
«…for me and for some other people, they mainly give off a sense of comfort. A sense of comfort so prevalent, I consider looking at these bizarre, abnormal pictures, as a relaxing and calming experience. A sense of comfort, which is the strongest when you are mentally at your lowest. At those moments where you just want to vanish from this reality and dive into another one.» — Scrabbl
«Have you ever wondered why the liminal spaces feel so empty? It’s because you are supposed to feel the void, to escape reality, even if it’s just for a brief moment and explore a world where you and your feelings are completely free.» — Scrabbl
Liminal hotel from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
This is going to be an issue on its own when creating a coherent video game experience. When a designer creates a game, the goal is to achieve a specific result. When two different people, playing your game, feel two diametrically opposed emotions, problems will arise.
The other thing we have to talk about on this list is loneliness. The overwhelming majority of video games contain multiple different characters, or at the very least an antagonist to the story. Adding characters to our hypothetical video game will decimate the liminal feeling we are talking about.
«If you would add people or monsters to a liminal space picture, it would totally change its atmosphere and the associate feelings. It would cease to be a liminal space» — Srabbl
It is important to note that we are at the very extreme point where we aren’t just talking about the standard sentient being apposing the main character, but any force opposing the player.
Oldest house from «Control» (2019)
Now we will talk about the criteria for selecting games for this research.
Not everything that has the word «liminal» in its name is a match. Some of the games that are often described as such, are just abstract or surreal. The meaning of liminal has been stretched in some internet communities. One of the examples is «Control», the game filled to the brim with shattered Oldest House hallways and abstract geometry. It might have a certain liminal note to it, but it is still pretty far from a standard liminal space atmosphere.
We are also not going to mention games that are void of any gameplay mechanic aside from walking.
We are looking for a full gaming experience, not just a gallery of liminal spaces.
There will be some compromises, though. If a game is a good example for our research but contains sections or parts that are deviating (an antagonist, for example), we will allow it. The purpose of looking at the case studies below is to find the answer to the question:
Can a liminal space be a complete atmosphere for a video game?
Thus, we are looking at a more granular building block of a video game—its main game loop. In this case, we can always pretend that certain parts of the game are just not there.
«The backrooms» (2019)
For the reader more closely acquainted with liminal spaces, I feel the urge to explain myself for excluding some of the most popular and well—received games, such as «Backrooms expedition», «Inside the backrooms», «The Backrooms 1998» and original «The Backrooms».
The backrooms game subgenre was built on an extended lore and has gameplay that ventures far away from our original definition. Even though the theme of the game is «the backrooms» or «liminal spaces», the game aesthetic is not completely consistent with the liminal space.
Now that we have given a definition to a liminal space, considered the possible problems, and defined the criteria, it’s time to dive deep into some of the example cases, decomposition the experiences players are having playing these games, and answer a question:
How liminal spaces as a package already work in some of these games?
1.Anemoiapolis
City poster from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
«And don’t worry about pronouncing Anemoiapolis, the main character can’t do it either.»
— GameSpot
We touched on otherworldliness when describing liminal space emotions. Now, we can see its reflection at the very start of the game. A protagonist falls through the ground to a completely different place — a common trope in literature and film to show how alien the main character is to the place he discovered himself in.
Ceiling hole from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
The other detail that we will see more than once in this research is abstract geometry embedded in familiar places. The pool at the very start of the game looks somewhat ordinary…
First poolroom from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
… except for the rectangle extrusion in the room wall that looks, to say the least, out of place.
Hollow in the wall surface from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
One of the other examples of surreal abstract geometry is in one of the first sections of the game, «Entering Anemoiapolis».
The pools with water guns are placed in a weird way. Such structure is nonsensical; it interferes with our memories of such places and our sense of nostalgia, creating a weird and eerie amalgamation of feelings.
Pastel poolroom from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
In the same section, there was something that must have been intended to be beach balls. Coincidentally enough, their texture reminds me of a material icon from «Blender». Intended or not, this adds to the unfinished look that some of the liminal spaces have. Later on, we’ll see more of that.
Beach balls from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020) and material icon from Blender (1994)
I have discovered another interesting property of liminal spaces in the context of video games.
Conventionally, pictures depicting nature landscapes without any human intervention are not considered liminal. However, we can notice liminal qualities in the picture below. Earlier, we talked about how liminal spaces transformed childhood memories in uncanny ways. Due to video game graphic limitations, they can alter our perception of places differently, achieving this liminal feel without changing the contents of the picture.
Like so, video games have the capability to make nonliminal spaces liminal.
Landscape from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
When starting «Anemoiapolis» at first you might be frightened. But after some time, when, after another turn of expecting a monster or at least some sort of threat, you find nothing more than another set of corridors and empty rooms, you realize that you are, in fact, alone.
If we are looking at it from the perspective of a horror game, subversion of expectation is crucial to a proper horror experience. Later, we will look at how this game uses this phenomenon and how it is different from normal horror games.
If we are not talking about subverting player expectations, however, this can be achieved to make a player feel completely and utterly lonely. Never finding an exit out of the damp yellow offices or calming poolrooms can be an alternative problem (to that of the antagonist) that the main character faces. It can be a scary and existential thought.
«Like you are disrupting the silence and emptiness that was made purposefully.» — Jackopher
Long pool from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
Completing boring and repetitive tasks can be one of the basic gameplay loops. The existence of a limited number of items, such as tickets in «Anemoiapolis» that you have to find, does not hurt the liminal atmosphere that much, but can be invaluable in an otherwise barren video game experience. In game, tickets don’t do much besides open new areas.
Tickets in the locker room section from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
Here is one of the most popular liminal spaces: an empty office complex. It is another iteration of the unfinished aesthetic we were talking about before. The rooms also have a nonsensical geometry. The fact that both of those factors (abstract geometry and an unfinished look) add to a seemingly familiar place might explain why the offices in particular are so popular in liminal media. We will see more of them later in this research.
Offices from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
It is often said about liminal spaces that the color palette is usually dull, but using «Anemoiapolis» as an example, we can observe that this is not necessarily the truth.
Color palettes in liminal games can be warm, cold, vibrant, and dull. Pastel, even.
The only observation about the consistency that could be made is that the color palettes are usually analogous.
Different color palettes in «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
In one of the later sections of the game, «The Family Tropical Resort», the player is placed in the calming water park. The hazy hidden lofts and lazy river passages make you imagine what it would be like to be there — in the water park, all by yourself.
Lazy river section from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
In one of the latest stages of the game, the only screamer is introduced. The yellow car toy gets activated, moves, and sings a song as we are about to leave the level. The player is left in complete silence afterward. After nothing happening for the entire game, it is hard to overestimate the terror effect it has on the player.
As a one—trick pony effect, it works wonders to make the player feel scared and vulnerable, but it is a trade—off for the almost completely diminished liminal atmosphere, the game has been crafting so carefully so far. We are not alone. And now we know it.
Yellow car from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
With that, we are closing in on a section of this game that does not respond to our initial requirements.
Shadow entity from «Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1» (2020)
Closer to the end of the game, it introduces the antagonist — the shadow entity following the player through empty bathrooms with dim, unsettling lighting.
The quote below perfectly summarizes the issue with the antagonist being introduced into a liminal space game.
«I’m not mad that they introduced a being to chase you, but what was disappointing was it feels like the creators of these experiences, don’t trust that the environments alone are terrifying enough to make me scared. Although the catharsis of a jump scare can be fully earned and welcome, the experience of being in a space that chills you to the bone can stay with you way longer than any scary horror monster will» — GameSpot.
It might seem inevitable, but I disagree. The game experience could stand alone without the introduction of the enemy. All the previous sections worked just fine without even mentioning it. From the perspective of our research, it makes it feel like one isolated section instead of a culmination.
2.DREAM LOGIC
Roof pool from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
Very early in the game, we can see how it utilizes a very simple mechanic of collecting cubes to build an improvised staircase. Similar to a mechanic from «Anemoiapolis», where we have to collect tickets, it works well with the liminal space aesthetic.
Cube staircase puzzle from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
«DREAM LOGIC» has a pretty long sequence in the beginning of the game where we just have to roam from poolroom to poolroom without doing much else. In fact, the majority of the gameplay that has been talked about in this paper is exactly like it. As long as the atmosphere and music are right, it works.
Walking is the most basic liminal space game mechanic.
Poolroom with columns from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
Music plays a crucial role in providing a liminal space experience. It also decides whether the player experience is scary or more melancholic. You can try it yourself.
Try looking at the picture below with these two different musical compositions. Then you can decide which is which.
White tile corridor from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
The empty underground parking lot is another iteration of recurring liminal spaces. It is just empty enough to cause, on the one hand, an unsettling and, on the other, a comforting feeling we call a liminal aesthetic.
Underground parking lot from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
The game has a lore implementation: notes the player can find throughout the locations. I think that because the lore is meta (a layer above) emergent gameplay, it does not invade player loneliness and thus does not disturb the liminal aesthetic.
Note from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
Exploring «DREAM LOGIC» level design, we can also notice how some of the game design practices (like making a room with nothing in it) that are considered bad design in liminal games are suddenly feel okay.
Empty room from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
When talking about issues of turning a liminal aesthetic into a video game experience, we touched on polarization, but did not mention how context—sensitive these spaces are.
When exploring a school location in «DREAM LOGIC» which is modeled after American school hallways with their recognizable hallways riddled with lockers, I felt that the atmosphere that was pervasive throughout the entire game was incomplete. Something was missing. After asking a question «why» an answer became apparent. I have never been to an American school.
Liminal spaces rely heavily on nostalgia.
But there is no nostalgia; where there is no memory.
Player background means a lot, and it is one of many other problems that a game designer has to face when creating a liminal game.
The magnifier of this problem is the fact that the liminal space atmosphere is quite granular. It either fails or succeeds. In other games where atmosphere is created through a combination of different things, if one thing does not click with a player, the other will. Liminal games do not have that luxury.
School from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
We talked about many issues with liminal game design. But on the other hand, we have some benefits.
The confusing architecture can be a great tool in the game designer toolkit. Usually, in order to confuse and mislead the player, the designer has to justify this confusion. Not in liminal games, though. A designer can be daring enough to just place walls and rooms however he or she pleases. We can observe this at the same school level in «DREAM LOGIC».
Labyrinth from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
We have already seen office liminal spaces in the «Anemoiapolis». Here, however, the office location is closer to that of the original depiction in the media.
How it is usually described: «old moist carpet, the madness of mono—yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum—buzz» — Anonymous, 4chan (May 13, 2019)
Backrooms from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
It even contains the entity from the original creepypasta. Which, again, points to the same pattern in these types of games: the abrupt introduction of the antagonist closer to the game’s conclusion.
To reiterate what was said previously, the experience this game offers, similar to that of «Anemoiapolis» is enough to engage the player without having to introduce an opposing force.
Entity in the backrooms from «DREAM LOGIC» (2022)
Now let’s conclude and finally answer our question.
Conclusion
In conclusion.
Making a liminal aesthetic into its own complete video game is not an easy and trivial task. It is a nuanced process with its own ups and downs. There are a lot of difficulties on its path to becoming a complete experience.
That being said, I believe that it is possible. We saw a lot of use cases of mechanics and methods that liminal spaces provide to achieve it.
Liminal spaces are a complex phenomenon, and they could also be enjoyed through a video game as a medium.
Sources
Games:
1. The Backrooms 2. Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1 3. DREAM LOGIC 4. Garry’s mod 5. Control
Video essays:
1. The Terror Of Liminal Spaces In Video Games — GameSpot https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=AcovDdWHYwVZ3Eor&v=tX_EqcflUpw 2. The comfort of Liminal Spaces (and The Desire to Disappear) — Scrabbl https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=tVtPYdMv5oUCoFyE&v=t9OgLEUjz_g 3. Liminal Spaces in Gaming — Jackopher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsnErpD_Y9c
Some of the screenshots:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzmENbOqfaE&t=4469s 2. https://www.reddit.com/r/controlgame/comments/gh6rn9/heres_my_mega_album_of_control_screenshots_mostly/
Music:
1. Thirteen — C418 2. Cat cemetery — noildoof
