Review: The Exit 8 Is Both Comfy and Unsettling on the Switch

The Exit 8 is one of those games that has you searching for surprises. You know something is coming. Yet even so, it still manages to get you. However, after playing Exit 8 on the Switch, I can’t help but find it cozy even though I’m going through a potentially dangerous situation. 

For those unfamiliar, The Exit 8 can be a relatively short walking simulator. It all depends on your own reaction times and observational skills. You’re essentially walking through an underground subway station, searching for Exit 8. However, this isn’t an ordinary space. If you don’t follow the four rules, you either end up back at Exit 0 or worse. What are the rules? Look for anomalies, turn back if things don’t seem right, keep going forward if things look the same, and finally leave when you reach the eighth exit. 

So your first few walks through the passage in The Exit 8 will be relatively basic. There will be six advertisements on the wall. Signs will warn about smoking and alert you to the security camera. There will be three doors on the right, as well as two grates. A man in a white shirt and black pants with a briefcase in his right hand and smartphone in his left will walk toward you. There will be tube lights above you, as well as cameras and a sign pointing you toward Exit 8. All you can do is walk or sprint down the corridor.

The thing is that it all feels normal the first few times. It’s well-constructed and looks like a typical path underground from one station or train to another. The Exit 8 looks great on the Switch, with everything being crisp and legible. This also means that if you are following the rules and paying attention, it can make it very easy to see the smaller anomalies and turn around when needed. 

I feel like the it means the Switch version of The Exit 8 is allowed to make you feel more secure and immersed, perhaps enhancing the experience. During one run, I got too comfortable walking down the hallway because of the perspective and missed that one camera had a light on it showing it was recording when it shouldn’t. Likewise, it makes moments when things are wrong feel extra wrong. When I encountered a situation, I underestimated what was happening because I was comfortable, used to turning around, and didn’t take the correct actions to continue that run. 

I feel it helps with replayability too. The Exit 8 is an affordable eShop game at only $3.99. It can be a quick one. However, there are a lot of different situations and anomalies that can come up. So even when I did finish it, I felt like I would want to come back and test myself with it again.

However, someone going in should know that this is a short game. Eventually, you will see all the anomalies. It will become easy to tell which one you’re dealing with right away. If you’re really good at it and luck provides you with the right situations, you’ll be done in maybe 15-30 minutes.

I suppose it all comes down to The Exit 8 being a surprisingly comfortable game, especially on the Switch, even though it will get you if you let your guard down. I really like how it works and what it accomplishes with so little. It’s an entertaining diversion with great atmosphere that will be fun for a few runs. But I also expect that once you’ve played it enough times, you’ll have done it all and have no reason to return. If you’re a weirdo like me though, you might still come back a few times because you find it oddly relaxing to take a walk and pick out the “mistakes.”

The Exit 8 is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC.