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The Poolrooms

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Digital artwork depicting the poolrooms by Jared Pike

The Poolrooms, also known as "poolcore",[1] are a fictional liminal space and Internet aesthetic consisting of a (seemingly infinite) labyrinth of pristine, white-tiled indoor swimming pools. Originating from the "Dream Pools" series of 3D renderings by the American artist Jared Pike in the year 2020, the concept gained widespread popularity online and has since expanded beyond Pike's original work through fan creations, online communities and adaptations in video games and film.

While often interpreted as unsettling or disorienting—and associated with liminal horror—some viewers find depictions of the Poolrooms to be calming and serene, as well as evoking a sense of nostalgia. The Poolrooms have also been adapted by some Internet users as an extension or part of the Backrooms—a fictional location usually portrayed as an impossibly large or endless extradimensional complex of empty rooms, accessed by exiting reality.

A video game adaptation—Pools—was released on April 26, 2024, while a feature film adaptation—The Pools—is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 25, 2026.

History

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In 2020, the New York-based visual artist and graphic designer Jared Pike, a 2016 graduate from Northeastern University (NU) in Boston, Massachusetts, commenced a series of 3D renderings of seemingly endless hallways and rooms of indoor swimming pools with white-tiled floors and walls called "Dream Pools".[2][3] Drawing inspiration from the liminal spaces and vaporwave aesthetics, he reimagines the swimming pools as "surreal, discomfiting places"[2] by including dark areas not seen in real indoor swimming pools, tiles which appear too uniform and pristine, clear blue-green waters, and bizarre room proportions.[2][3]

Designing these rooms with the software program Blender, Pike initially started the series during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve his 3D modelling skills.[2][3] Upon releasing the series on Instagram, however, the images went viral; Internet users were intrigued by the concept and began creating their own explanations and fan theories ("lore") regarding these rooms, including connecting them to the Backrooms (from where the name "Poolrooms" is derived).[2][4] The success of Pike's Dream Pools lead to the concept expanding beyond his original work.[2] Fans of the initial concept began creating their own Poolrooms, with YouTubers uploading video compilations of eerie indoor swimming pools—ranging from digital renders to real life photographs,[4] including Pike himself, a fan of the web series Backrooms by Kane Parsons, uploading his own short film inspired by Parsons' series (using his own 3D renderings from "Dream Pools") called "The Pool Rooms (Found Footage)".[5]

In 2024, the horror walking simulator video game Pools was released by Finnish developer Tensori in which the protagonist explores a vast, labyrinthine pool complex.[6] Inspired by Pike's Dream Pools among other works—including those by Backrooms artists—the game is presented as a VHS found footage piece and has no story, with the player exploring the environment on foot, through swimming, walking up staircases and using water slides. There are no enemies nor antagonists that can attack the player, and there is no music; the only sounds present in the game are those of the echoes of the environment and footsteps made by the player.[7][8][9] The Poolrooms are also featured in the cooperative horror video game Escape the Backrooms, where they appear as a separate level; Level 37.[10][11] A feature film inspired by the Poolrooms, titled The Pools, is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 25, 2026.[12]

A 2022 episode of the psychological horror web series Backrooms, as well as its 2026 film continuation, both directed by Kane Parsons, briefly feature an adaptation of the Poolrooms.[13]

Aesthetics

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The Poolrooms are cited as an example of a liminal space.[2][4] Marcel Mensah of LONER Magazine compared the Poolrooms to the "dreamcore" and "weirdcore" Internet aesthetics.[1] The familiar yet uncanny appearance and nature of the Poolrooms is regarded by some as inherently eerie or frightening, making them an example of liminal horror. In contrast, others find the Poolrooms to be comforting or relaxing (serene), and have said that it evokes a sense of nostalgia.[3][14] Most depictions of the Poolrooms do not include any entities (living creatures).[4][13] Pike has stated his disagreement for the extended depictions of his original Pool Dreams images that remove the element of mystery, saying that: "If you saw what's lurking behind certain corners or in the shadows, then you wouldn't find them to be very scary".[14]

Users have also shared photographs of strange or serene swimming pools similar to the aesthetic on the subreddit (online discussion forum) r/poolrooms; some posts are directly connected to the Backrooms whereas others pertain simply to the general concept.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Mensah, Marcel (4 September 2022). "Jared Pike: A Descent into the Dream Pools". LONER Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mello-Klein, Cody (17 June 2025). "The dreamlike images of pools you've been seeing on the internet are made by a Northeastern grad". Northeastern Global News. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Katsikopoulou, Myrto (18 February 2024). "Diving into 3D artist jared pike's pool dreamscapes and imaginary liminal interiors". Designboom. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Ollie (3 March 2026). "The queer comfort of liminal space". PopMatters. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Pike, Jared (3 March 2022). The Pool Rooms (Found Footage). Retrieved 3 March 2022 – via YouTube. Backrooms-style found footage inspired by Kane Pixels. Should I take this series further?
  6. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (12 April 2024). "Here's a demo for POOLS, a Backrooms game with lots of lovely waterslides". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Wilde, Tyler (12 March 2024). "Games industry should be 'less cautious,' says maker of experimental game about exploring a swimming pool dimension". PC Gamer. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  8. ↑ Drucker, Mike (10 May 2024). "Pools Is The Creepiest Game I've Played All Year". TheGamer. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Breeden II, John (16 May 2024). "Taking a Dip Into the Aquatic Liminal Horror of Pools". Game Industry News. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Sarkar, Arka (27 October 2025). "All monsters and levels in Escape the Backrooms (Entities guide)". Destructoid. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Se-kyung, Molly (10 June 2026). "What are 'liminal spaces'? How an internet aesthetic of empty rooms conquered horror". Martin Cid Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Backrooms-Inspired Horror Movie The Pools Gets Christmas Release Date & First Poster". Screen Rant. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 Brooks, Nicholas (6 June 2026). "What Is The Poolrooms? 'Backrooms' Weirdest Easter Egg, Explained". JustWatch. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  14. 1 2 Abrams, Simon (29 May 2026). "The internet's favorite horror subgenre is breaking into the big time". AV Club. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
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