Liminal areas and the “backrooms” have grow to be overused ideas on the web, with folks labeling any room or space that’s even barely off as some creepy house. It’s annoying and tiring. However I nonetheless like the concept of eerie, useless areas hidden in our world in locations like forgotten hallways and empty resort rooms. I additionally like fast-paced boomer shooters that really feel nice. So I’m an enormous fan of the newly launched indie FPS Oddcore, which mashes all of these items up into one trendy recreation.
Out now on Steam via early access, Oddcore doesn’t have a lot setup. One second you’re hanging out in a room in your own home, watching TV, earlier than you instantly clip by means of actuality and enter a wierd multidimensional hubworld referred to as Oddcore that acts as a demented spin on a theme park. Type of. It’s all very, properly, dare I say…odd! Although it’s unclear why you’ve ended up right here or what “right here” even means, it doesn’t actually matter a lot when you get previous the tutorial. All that issues is lasting so long as you possibly can as you hop between totally different liminal areas and unusual dimensions, killing all of the weird monsters you encounter alongside the best way with weapons, swords, particular talents, and far, way more.
What sort of recreation is Oddcore?
The fundamental loop in Oddcore entails you hopping into an area after which finishing an goal. It may be to kill 10 enemies. Or acquire seven unusual objects. Or to outlive a corruption ambush that sends lethal big faces at you. You recognize, the same old stuff. Survive, and also you hop to a brand new place and repeat. Killing enemies earns you souls, which may be spent to increase how a lot time you might have earlier than your run ends or to heal you through taking pictures your personal toes. Between each few worlds, there are merchandising machines that allow you to improve your gear or talents, and random bins that comprise power-ups and different helpful specials.
Survive lengthy sufficient, and also you’ll earn tokens which may be spent in numerous methods. I spent most of mine at a slot machine inside a big arcade within the hub world. That slot machine spit out tickets if I obtained fortunate, and I might use these to purchase different items of drugs. There’s really rather a lot happening in Oddcore, and after simply an hour or so of enjoying, I might really feel it begin to pull me into its internet. I wished to do only one extra run…earn only a few extra tokens…play just a bit bit extra.
It additionally helps that Oddcore has primo aesthetics. It’s obtained that retro boomer shooter look I’ve come to count on from these sorts of video games in 2026, however augments that with monsters and areas that appear misplaced. I like to recommend turning on the VHS filter because it covers the entire unusual artwork and retro visuals in cozy scanlines that add to the expertise. However even with out the VHS filter, Oddcore is a rattling high-quality indie shooter that can hopefully solely get larger and higher because it makes its method by means of early entry.
