My first impression of the game ‘Pools’ was its quiet emptiness. There was no complicated main menu, no background music, just a deep blue loading screen. After clicking start, I found myself standing by the first pool.

There were many things about this game that puzzled me. The UI design was practically nonexistent; the screen was unsettlingly clean. There was no health bar, no quest prompts, no map icons. There was no ambient background music, only the sounds of footsteps, water, and my own breathing.

The entire game seemed to consist only of lifeless tiles, water, and myself, creating a sense of unease and loneliness.

The game’s most striking design element was its extreme utilization of the pool space. It wasn’t just a scene, but a labyrinth that constantly expanded to reveal new areas. I cautiously jumped into the water; the transparency was deceptive. Some areas were crystal clear, seemingly shallow, but turned out to be deep abyss; others had dark water, yet were only knee-deep.

The game didn’t use traditional doors connecting the different pool areas. Moving from one area to the next was done by diving, climbing ladders, or passing through arches.