Poolside Vigil

A Message from the Deep End: The Moment Reality Blurred 🌊

Hi everyone, I’m Yunus Emre, the solo developer behind Glare Games.

This project wasn’t born in a studio; it was born from a chilling real-life moment that I’ll never forget. I was in a car when I saw a motorcyclist crash right in front of us. But as the person lay there, something disturbing happened: instead of rushing to help, people pulled out their phones. Everyone started filming, hoping for a "viral" video while a human being was in pain.

That moment—that cold, digital detachment—was the spark for Poolside Vigil. I realized how much we are losing to our screens, and I felt I had to tell this story.

Why the Poolrooms?

I didn’t want to make just another "Backrooms" game. I wanted to build a world that reflects the trap we fall into every single day: Social Media Addiction.

Think about it. The infinite, sterile corridors of the Poolrooms are exactly like the "infinite scroll" of our feeds. We keep moving, keep searching, but the scenery never truly changes. We are constantly "connected," yet we feel more isolated than ever.

"Too much of anything is a poison."

In Poolside Vigil, I’m exploring what we sacrifice when we drown in digital noise: our sense of time, our identity, and our connection to reality. The water isn't just an environment; it's the weight of the information we consume until we can no longer breathe.

💬 I Want to Hear From You!

As a solo dev, I want this project to be a conversation. I’m building this for us.

Have you ever felt that "digital burnout"—that feeling of being lost in a loop?

What is something you feel you’ve lost to the screen?

How do you think we can better represent this "digital drowning" through gameplay?

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. I read everything, and your feedback might just shape the next corridor or puzzle in Chapter 2.

If this story and message resonate with you, please consider adding the game to your Steam Wishlist. It helps a solo creator like me more than you can imagine. 🌊💙

🔗 Wishlist on Steam

#horror #action #adventure #altgame #survival #other #puzzle #backrooms #poolrooms #liminalspaces #indiegame #psychologicalhorror #atmospheric #story #indiedev #demo #indie #psychological #firstperson #singleplayer