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| Pictured - an official screenshot from The Backrooms Deluxe 2, showing one of the multiple playable areas in the game. |
There are two main ways a game rockets to the top of Steam's trending charts. The first is quality: a masterpiece like Nighthold earns its spot through universal acclaim. The second is a potent mix of curiosity, timing, and a price tag of "free." The Backrooms Deluxe 2, a co-op horror roguelite that dropped on December 24, 2025, is a textbook case of the latter—and its journey from viral spike to "Mostly Negative" reviews is a story of server meltdowns and unmet expectations.
At the time of writing, the game's Steam page tells a stark tale: a "Mostly Negative" rating, buoyed by only 30% positive reviews out of 155. The consensus among early players? The experience feels "half-baked." Yet, the concurrent player numbers from SteamDB paint a different picture of initial success, showing an all-time peak of 2,805 players on Christmas Day, 2025. This contradiction between massive interest and immediate backlash is the heart of the game's current narrative.
Server Struggles Spoil the First Impressions
Dig into the game's Steam Community hub, and the primary culprit for player frustration becomes clear: technical instability. The developer has been active, posting about significant scaling problems. They admitted to being unprepared for the sudden concurrency spike, warning that the online mode—a core feature for this co-op title—might be broken while they rush to upgrade infrastructure.
A follow-up post included a temporary emergency fix aimed at reducing server load, coupled with an apology and an invitation for players to give it another shot if their first session was a disaster. For many, however, the damage was done. In the fast-paced world of Steam launches, first impressions are critical, and a failed connection often leads directly to a negative review.
What The Backrooms Deluxe 2 Actually Offers (When It Works)
So, what is the game underneath the server woes? Deluxe 2 is a remix of its predecessor, now structured as a roguelite run. Its key new feature is a Modifiers system—a mix of positive and negative effects that change each attempt and tweak the number of "Deluxe Coins" you earn. The developer also promises "much better" multiplayer netcode, permadeath, and a expanded achievement list.
You can check out the core experience for yourself on its Steam store page: The Backrooms Deluxe 2.
Monetization follows a free-to-play model with a premium twist. The base game is free, but Steam lists a paid add-on: The Backrooms Deluxe 2: Founder's Edition, which is prominently flagged as recommended DLC on the store page. One final practical note for players: Steam currently displays a "Steam is learning about this game" notice, which typically means Steam Deck compatibility and controller support are unconfirmed.
The Verdict: Wait for the Patches
For the curious, the player trend data tells the full story. You can see the dramatic Christmas peak and subsequent drop-off on SteamDB's detailed charts: The Backrooms Deluxe 2 Player Count.
The Backrooms Deluxe 2 appears to be one of those launches where a compelling concept (free, co-op horror) and perfect timing (a holiday release) drove a surge of players through the digital door, only for a rocky technical experience to push a large portion of them right back out. The developer's communication is a positive sign, but for now, the sensible move for most would be to wishlist it and check back after server stability is confirmed. The game may have the framework to succeed, but it needs to bake a while longer before it's ready for the main course.