Update: The Steam Page Launch Celebration has now ended.
Thank you to everyone who found BLACK WALLS early and joined us at the beginning of this journey. The launch keepsake pack was available for a limited time and is no longer available to download.
If you are reading this, you were here at the beginning of BLACK WALLS.
When we first opened the doors to our Steam page, only a small number of players had found their way into the labyrinth. We wanted to mark that quiet beginning with something made especially for the people who discovered the game early.
To commemorate our Steam Page Launch Celebration, we prepared two limited-time keepsakes for our earliest supporters:
- Steam Launch Wallpaper — created exclusively for our Steam page launch.
- Founder's Mark — a commemorative emblem for those who joined us at the beginning of BLACK WALLS' journey.
The launch keepsake pack was available only during the Steam Page Launch Celebration and is no longer available to download.
Thank you to everyone who found BLACK WALLS early, added it to your Wishlist, followed the game, or simply took a moment to look into the dark with us. The Founder's Mark has now been retired as a symbol of our earliest community.
Why We Created BLACK WALLS
When we first started discussing this project, we asked ourselves a simple question.
Can a world built from almost nothing still make people feel wonder, curiosity, loneliness, and fear?
Modern games often fill every corner with objects, effects, collectibles, and visual detail. We wanted to explore the opposite.
What if simplicity could become the experience?
BLACK WALLS is built around that idea.
Simple geometry.
A restrained color palette.
Impossible architecture.
Large empty spaces.
Rather than telling players where to look, we wanted the environment itself to quietly guide their attention.
Throughout development, we challenged ourselves with several strict design rules. Every decision had to support the same vision.
Instead of creating a world full of distractions, we wanted every wall, every shadow, every beam of light, and every empty space to have a purpose.
The goal was never to create a realistic world.
The goal was to create a world that stays in your mind long after you leave it.
Explore a World Without Boundaries
One of the first rules we gave ourselves was that players should be free to explore.
BLACK WALLS is designed as one interconnected labyrinth rather than a collection of separate levels.
There is no single correct path.
Walk.
Run.
Jump.
Turn back.
Look around.
Sometimes you may discover shortcuts or routes we never expected players to find.
Curiosity is not only encouraged—it is rewarded.
We believe some of the most memorable moments come from simply asking,
"What happens if I go this way instead?"
Chill Mode
Not every strange place has to be frightening.
For players who enjoy slow exploration and atmospheric worlds, Chill Mode removes the constant threat of being hunted.
Take your time.
Observe the architecture.
Listen to the silence.
Stand still and appreciate the impossible spaces surrounding you.
There are no enemies forcing you forward.
No pressure telling you to hurry.
Just you and the labyrinth.
If you enjoy wandering through mysterious places simply because they make you feel something, Chill Mode was created for you.
Horror Mode
The exact same labyrinth can become a very different experience.
In Horror Mode, you are no longer alone.
Somewhere within the darkness, something is searching for you.
Unlike traditional horror games, this pursuer does not appear at fixed moments or follow a scripted route. Every playthrough can feel different.
Sometimes you may hear distant footsteps.
Sometimes you may notice something moving far away.
Sometimes everything feels perfectly quiet...
...until it isn't.
As you solve puzzles and search for the next path, you must constantly stay aware of your surroundings.
The environment itself becomes part of the tension.
Every sound matters.
Every corner feels uncertain.
Every decision to keep moving forward carries a little more risk.
The Environment Is the Puzzle
Another important rule guided every puzzle we created.
We did not want complicated machines, lengthy instructions, or puzzles that depended on remembering combinations.
Instead, we wanted the world itself to become the puzzle.
Pay attention to the light spilling through a doorway.
A reflection that quietly reveals another path.
A familiar location that suddenly feels different.
The architecture.
The shadows.
The way spaces connect together.
Observation is your greatest tool.
We hope these moments encourage players to slow down, look carefully, and discover answers naturally instead of feeling like they are solving traditional game puzzles.
A Story That Belongs to You
BLACK WALLS does have a story.
But we made another unusual decision.
We chose not to tell you exactly what it means.
There are no long conversations explaining every mystery.
No narrator telling you what to think.
No journal that answers every question.
Instead, we wanted the world to quietly invite interpretation.
Perhaps you will discover the same story we imagined while creating BLACK WALLS.
Or perhaps you will leave with an entirely different interpretation.
To us, neither answer is more correct than the other.
Sometimes the most meaningful stories are the ones players discover for themselves.
This Is Only the Beginning
Launching our Steam page is only the first step.
Over the coming months, we will continue sharing development updates, new environments, behind-the-scenes design decisions, and more of the ideas that shaped BLACK WALLS.
We sincerely hope you will enjoy following the journey as much as we have enjoyed creating it.
Thank you again for supporting an independent team.
Every Wishlist genuinely helps us continue building the experience we have imagined for so long.
We hope to welcome you into the labyrinth soon.
— Magic Van Games
Our Pawject Manager in her office chair ฅ^>⩊<^ ฅ