Level ! is one of the most dangerous oddball levels in the Backrooms and one of the most entity-infested levels. This level is also one of levels where you're not allowed to stay due to the amounts of entities that may chase you.
A photo of the exit was taken by a traveler close to reaching it.
Another close-up photo of the exit.
Description[]
Level ! consists of a long hallway, approximately ten kilometers in length, with its structure resembling that of a hospital. The hallway has several doors, each one approximately three meters from each other. There are also bright, flickering exit signs for the entirety of the level, each one about ten meters from each other.
Upon entry, one will immediately notice a loud alarm sound with no apparent source. A few seconds after entering the level, one will then notice a horde of entities (Hounds, Skin-Stealers, Facelings, etc.) heading directly for them. The apparent "objective" is to escape the level as fast as one possibly can before it's too late.
One must run non-stop, avoiding various obstacles along the hallway, such as hospital beds, chairs, and sometimes even entities like Clumps blocking the way. Along the hallway there may be various items to keep one running, such as energy bars and bottles of Almond Water, one may also occasionally find items helpful to slow down or temporarly block off the entities.
The entities will adapt to one's capacity of running, to a point of giving difficulty even to the ones experienced at running. The further one goes, the less the entities will become, however the only few ones left will be even more aggressive than before. It has been reported that different people can be in Level ! at the same time, however one will never meet another. It's presumed the level will create a copy for each person that is in, so there's no way to be with someone else inside the level.
Upon reaching the ten kilometer mark, one will come upon an exit door at the end of the hallway. Entering it will lead to a random level, with the Backrooms never sending them back here again. If the horde of entities catches them, however, the victim will be killed in a very painful and gruesome way. The hallway possesses turns, one each few kilometers, leading to a wanderer thinking they've reached the exit early. If you see the exit door, but notice a turn in the hallway, do not go into the door as it's a fake exit and it will lead you into an empty room, resulting in you being caught by the entities.
The only way to know which one is the real exit is by going further until there's no more turns; if one comes across a dead end with the exit door, then they've reached the real exit.
Archived Log: Discovery Of Level ![]
<Commence>
Noah: I did what you ordered. I've got everything about Jerry's followers, along with their secrets. I actually almost got caught when doing so.
Base: Alright, good work. Get back to base as fast as possible. Entities are quite common near Jerry's Room.
Noah: Yeah, I think I can make it in about 4 or 5 hours. Wait- that wall definitely was not there. It... seems as if I've reached a dead-end.
Base: Remain calm, there must be a way around it.
<The audio is paused for a moment>
Base: Hello? Do you copy? Where the hell are you?
Noah: It... appears that I've noclipped into another level. This is very different from the other levels that I know, though.
Base: Please describe what you see.
Noah: It's a hallway, but it's... strangely distorted. There are lights flashing bright red, and some alarm noise won't stop blaring! I just tried opening some doors in the hallway, but they all seem to be locked.
Base: Noted. Please proceed down the hallway until you find an exit.
Noah: Holy- I hear footsteps behind me; there must be hundreds of them.
Base: Remain calm. We are sending in some of our people to investigate this. They are on their way to your location through Level 2.
<Heavy breathing is audible>
Noah: I really need some help! There are hundreds of entities behind me! I- I'm running through the corridor, but I don't know how long this goes!
Noah: Hello? Base! Shit, I lost the signal; I'm on my own now... OH NO, THE ENTITIES ARE CATCHING UP!
<There is a pause in the audio for around an hour, and nothing but heavy breathing and footsteps are audible>
Noah: Oh God, how long have I been running? The entities are getting closer! Oh! I- I think I see an exit!
<More hyperventilating is heard>
Noah: I'm there! I'm there!
<Incomprehensible sounds>
Noah: Empty room!
<A few seconds elapse>
<Several entity screeches can be heard for the remainder of the recording, before the microphone cuts off>
<End>
Noah was never seen again afterwards.
Colonies and Outposts[]
Due to the nature of Level !, creating a colony or outpost is unfeasible.
Entrances and Exits[]
As Level ! can be unpredictable, one may end up in here in completely random ways. Below are some of the confirmed methods of entering or exiting the level.
Entrances[]
- One can enter this level through any level of the Backrooms when least expected.
- One may enter this level by noclipping under a table in Level 521 (specifically in the 521-A section) that has "!" written on it.
- Wandering in Level 354 provides a guaranteed gateway into this level when a certain thought arises.
- After passing 100 kilometers in Level 7191, attempting to kill yourself during the nighttime brings you here.
- Noclipping through Level 2020 will transport one to this level without supplies.
Exits[]
- To exit, one must run ten kilometers to the end of the level, where they will be transported to a random level.
- Rarely, one may find two open doors, one on each side of the hallway; entering any of the two doors will lead one to Level 7191.
- Opening a fake exit has a rare chance of opening up to a carpenter's room. Entering it will lead you to Level Maker.