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Watch trailer on Steam ↗Subliminal
Accidental Studios · Published by Gone Shootin, Infini Fun · Official site ↗
Mostly Positive — 74% positive (3,788 reviews) · 25 achievements
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
Subliminal is a psychological horror game inspired by the urban legend of The Backrooms. Bleeding edge lighting and rendering, handcrafted open-ended levels, light and perspective-based puzzles, nostalgic spaces, unfamiliar faces, and a rotting feeling that something is not quite right.
£8.50
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Price history
Adventure, Indie, RPG, Simulation, Strategy · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
Delve into Subliminal's haunting world where every shadow conceals a mystery. Navigate through open-ended levels designed by Accidental Studios, solving light-based challenges in an atmosphere of unease.
About this game
Light shapes the world around you. Bending shadows, opening doors... the world is yours to discover.
Light isn't just how you see, it's how you survive. In Subliminal, illumination is a physical material that is yours to grasp, carry, and bend to your will to alter the space you find yourself occupying. You'll grab fixtures from ceilings, cast light to open doors, and reveal pathways that seem impossible to reach.
You are not given answers in Subliminal; you are given choices. Puzzles revolve around manipulating perspective and lighting. Change an area's lighting, and the entire space might change. Place a light too far, and you may have to start from the beginning. Everything you move and every shadow you create changes what is, and isn't, real.
The more you remember, the more it remembers you.
Somewhere beneath the surface of your memories, something is waiting. At first, you'll sense it behind walls and around corners, or hear the faint sounds of breathing when you stand still. Later, you'll see it, a figure that shouldn't exist, chasing you through decaying hallways and down endless slides. That thing... it's not human.
Encounters in Subliminal are psychologically terrifying events born within your own consciousness. Things sense your movements and hesitation. Fumble with a puzzle too slowly when it matters most, and you may feel the weight of the world closing in on you.
Do you remember?
Every space you enter in Subliminal is a fragment of a memory. Discover the secrets of basements, water parks, play places, and more, all rendered in meticulous detail in Unreal Engine 5's Lumen lighting and Nanite geometry. Nothing is quite right. Slides lead to places they shouldn't, TV screens transport you between memories, and doors loop back to the same room you started from.
Each location tells a part of your story. As you explore, the environment becomes puzzling and less stable. You may see things that do not exist, hear sounds that are not really there, and feel things that make the hairs of your neck stand up. What begins as an exploration soon turns into a violent confrontation with your own fading sense of self.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i5 10th Gen
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 20 GB available space
- Sound Card: N/A
Recommended
- OS: Windows 11
- Processor: Intel i7 12th Gen
- Memory: 10 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3060
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 20 GB available space
- Sound Card: N/A
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Subliminal: Episode 1 | Patch Notes v1.0.3.5 (Demo v1.5.3.5)
🛠️ ChangesImproved shader compiler reliability and coverage.Added some additional areas to explore throughout the episode.These additions have been partially brought in from v1.1 and The Archives.(HOTFIX) Adjusted one of the Playplace Emotional Encouragement zones to no longer be active during the Fun-O-Meter event.🔧 FixesFixed missing footstep SFX across various levels.Fixed additional object clipping/seam issues across various levels.Fixed some lights having an incorrect draw distance across various levels.Fixed an issue allowing the player to see out of bounds when falling from the Bounce House light puzzle.Fixed an animation issue with the Fun-O-Meter UI widget.Fixed an issue causing certain slides to remain enabled during the Fun-O-Meter.Fixed a lighting de-sync if the player fails the first part of the Bounce House chase in the first few seconds.Fixed the top part of the Loading screen background being offset by a pixel, causing it to be see-through on certain resolutions.Fixed some animation issues that could occur during the Erase Ending areas.Fixed a regression causing various silent material warnings.⚠️ Known IssuesCrashing on launch or during gameplay for some players.If you encounter this, please send in a crash report to our team.Please also be sure to be as descriptive as possible in your report (When exactly the issue happened, specs, ways we can reach out to you, etc.).Read full article on Community Announcements (CDAGaming)Patch NotesOfficial
Subliminal: Episode 1 | Patch Notes v1.0.3.4 (Demo v1.5.3.4)
🛠️ ChangesAdded a new "SFX Volume" option in "Audio" settings for improved configurability.Added a new "Crosshair Scale" setting in "Immersion".Additional scaling options are in the works for the upcoming v1.1 patch -- stay tuned!Added initial support for "Colorblind Mode" as a new "General" setting.This option was initially built for launch but removed due to issues in its design and functionality.We will be evaluating feedback on this option, while development continues on the v1.1 patch.Re-added the Dark Playplace puzzle originally removed in the original v1.0.3 patch.This area has also been altered for Colorblind support and for some additional detailing.Improved the Shader Compilation screen to trigger if the GPU is changed or updated.Users launching this patch for the first time will see this screen again, due to save file changes related to this change.Misc. build size and performance improvements.Misc. system preparations for some features in the upcoming v1.1 patch.🔧 Fixes(HOTFIX) Fixed "Shadow Quality" Medium and High having an incorrect flag set, causing lighting and shadow issues compared to v1.0.3.3(HOTFIX) Fixed the player not being teleported during the Waterworks breakroom sequence.Fixed many additional issues of object clipping and being able to see out of bounds in certain areas.Fixed an issue causing the Watching Clock, Memory Meter, Collectable, and Combination Lock tutorial hints to become stuck, if the option was changed while these were displayed.Fixed an animation issue that could occur when closing fence gates.Fixed an animation issue that could cause a visual de-sync when approaching Erase Switches.Fixed an incorrectly placed light near the Playplace Erase Switch.Fixed incorrect lighting settings during one of the Memory Loop sequences.Fixed a potential issue that could cause some achievements to not be properly awarded.Fixed an issue allowing the player to still interact with the Title Screen whilst ejecting or during certain animations.Fi...Read full article on Community Announcements (CDAGaming)Patch NotesOfficial
Subliminal: Episode 1 | Patch Notes v1.0.3.3 (Demo v1.5.3.3)
🔧 FixesFixed an issue causing logs to be spammed and become extremely large from DLSS messages.Fixed an issue causing the "A Seamless Journey" achievement to sometimes not be awarded correctly.Fixed an issue causing the Memory Meter to be partially visible during certain sequences.Fixed an issue causing one of the Emotional Encouragement line subtitles to remain stuck on screen, if enabled.Fixed additional issues of object clipping and being able to see out of bounds in various levels.Fixed an issue that could cause the pause menu to be silently duplicated, eventually resulting in a game crash if repeated.(HOTFIX) Fixed a regression allowing players to pause while the Loading screen was still present(HOTFIX) Fixed a regression preventing achievements from being awarded in certain scenarios⚠️ Known IssuesCrashing on launch or during gameplay for some players.If you encounter this, please send in a crash report to our team.Please also be sure to be as descriptive as possible in your report (When exactly the issue happened, specs, ways we can reach out to you, etc.).Read full article on Community Announcements (CDAGaming)Patch NotesOfficial
Subliminal: Episode 1 | Patch Notes v1.0.3.2 (Demo v1.5.3.2)
🛠️ ChangesReworked the "A Seamless Journey" achievement.No longer requires doing a full Memory Load reset, if the player achieved "Reality Check" beforehand.Endings that are achieved deathless from this patch onwards now display their icon as gold in the main menu.Re-added the whiteboard hint for the Combination Lock puzzle after Waterworks.Added full support for DLSS Multi-Frame-Generation X5 and X6 for 50-series GPUs.Added support for DLSS Frame Generation to be used with VSync in some cases.The "VSync" option will no longer be greyed out in this scenario, if supported.Adjusted timings and lighting during the first Bounce House chase sequence.🔧 FixesFixed a script error that could occur when picking up the broken Memory Meter in the Bounce House levels.Fixed an issue causing two collectibles in the Playplace to have incorrect collision settings.Fixed a regression with Smile Plushes, causing certain behaviors to not work correctly.Fixed an issue causing the Memory Meter to become blurry if you threw a pickup object while holding the meter.Fixed an issue causing the player to sometimes have incorrect movement settings when entering the Playplace.Fixed an issue causing the player to be unable to move if they died during certain sequences in Memory Disposal.Fixed an audio warning that could occur when interacting with conveyors in Memory Disposal.Fixed an issue causing certain objects in Memory Disposal to remain visible after their related sequences.Fixed an issue causing the player to respawn with the incorrect scale when failing the Playplace chase.Fixed an issue causing certain respawn sequences to end early when falling during the Playplace chase.Fixed an issue causing the player to have the incorrect Memory Meter level during the first part of the Playplace Maintenance Halls.Fixed an issue causing various Memory Meter effects to last longer than intended.Fixed various meshes and collisions being missing or incorrect in various levels.Fixed an issue causing the i...Read full article on Community Announcements (CDAGaming)Patch NotesOfficial
Subliminal: Episode 1 | Patch Notes v1.0.3.1 (Demo v1.5.3.1)
🔧 FixesFixed a regression causing various issues loading Memory Disposal, when going through the Squeeze Path before it.Fixed a regression causing the Memory Meter to be receiving decals when it shouldn't in certain scenarios.Fixed various invisible walls in the Playplace having incorrect collision settings.Fixed a regression causing the player to be able to see out of bounds when doing the Unfocused route in the Playplace.Fixed a script error that could occur when failing the Playplace chase sequence.Fixed a regression causing incorrect player settings to be applied when going down the Red Slide in the Playplace Maintenance Halls.Fixed an issue causing incorrect or missing collisions on certain map geometry in the Playplace.Fixed a regression causing certain sequences to not appear or play in the Bounce House levels.Fixed an issue causing certain invisible walls in Memory Disposal to become visible.Fixed a visual issue with the Memory Meter, in relation to Motion Blur and needle movement.Fixed an issue causing the Fire Extinguisher spray effect to not render correctly in certain cases.Fixed a regression causing the Credits screen to not correctly be displayed.⚠️ Known IssuesCrashing on launch or during gameplay for some players.If you encounter this, please send in a crash report to our team.Please also be sure to be as descriptive as possible in your report (When exactly the issue happened, specs, ways we can reach out to you, etc.).Read full article on Community Announcements (CDAGaming)
