Escape The Backrooms: Complete 2026 Bestiary Guide — All Entities and How to Dodge Them

Since the 1.0 release in October 2025 and the console launch in May 2026, Escape The Backrooms has doubled its official bestiary. Fancy Games' title now features a solid twenty active entities spread across more than thirty Levels, from the yellowish Lobby to the sinister Level 974, passing through the Level Fun. Each creature has its own rules: some hunt by sound, others by sight, a few only attack during blackouts, and a handful remain completely passive. This guide compiles every entity confirmed to date, their Level of appearance, their exact behavior, and the most effective way to avoid becoming permanently no-clipped. Keep it open on a second screen for your next co-op sessions.

Understanding the bestiary before any fight

Unlike classic horror games, Escape The Backrooms doesn't rely on a single boogeyman chasing the player for the entire game. Each Level introduces one or two entities specific to its atmosphere, with rules that often contradict one another from one floor to the next. A flashlight saves your life against a Smiler but makes things worse against the Wretch, who hates full-power LiDAR. Running attracts some creatures, staying still attracts others. Remembering the dominant mechanic of each monster — sight, hearing, timed script, eye contact — is the only way to progress without dying over and over. Note also that version 1.0 rebalanced several entities: Skin-Stealers now duplicate Wanderers' voices more convincingly, Hounds gain an enraged phase after three flashes, and Smilers now spawn in packs during scripted blackouts.

Smiler — the shadow that lives in the dark of Level 0

The Smiler is the first entity you'll encounter, in the yellow Lobby of Level 0 as well as in several dark corridors of later Levels. It manifests as a wide, glowing smile floating in the darkness and triggers an incapacitating jumpscare even without direct contact: your sanity drops and you're immobilized for a few seconds. The rule is as simple as it is unforgiving: never stay in an unlit area. Smilers won't cross the glow of neon lights, so move from bulb to bulb, ready your flashlight for dark stretches, and never try to run through the void hoping to survive. During the Lobby's Blackout Events, several Smilers appear at once: press yourself against a wall near an intact light and wait for the power to come back rather than trying to cross.

Skin-Stealer — the fake Wanderer of Level 1

Introduced in Level 1 (Habitable Zone) and later present in Level 3 and certain sub-levels, the Skin-Stealer mimics the appearance and voice of a member of your team. It uses both player models and, occasionally, a hazmat-type suit to blend into the environment. Two reflexes are essential in co-op: turn on your flashlight to check for floating nametags above the head — an impostor won't display one — and listen for suspicious repetitions in dialogue lines, as the Skin-Stealer's voice often loops a phrase every ten seconds. The creature normally flees from light but becomes fast and aggressive during blackouts, when it gains night vision. If you're alone, hide under desks or in closets, two spots it can't enter.

Hound — the pack that hunts by sound in Levels 3 and 5

The Hound looks like a large skeletal dog with a vaguely human face. It's encountered on Level 3 (Electrical Station) and Level 5 (Hotel), in packs of three to five individuals. It hunts by sound: every reckless step, every slammed door, every jump brings it closer. The flashlight stuns it and makes it back away, but only the first two times. On the third flash, the creature goes into a rage, charges straight ahead and ignores stuns for several seconds. Use the flashlight only to create an escape window, then break line of sight by turning twice in a row through the corridors. Crouch-walking halves the listening radius and remains the best passive defense.

Bacteria — the screaming giant of the Lobby

The Bacteria, also nicknamed Howler in the game files, patrols the Lobby alongside the Smilers. A tall humanoid silhouette with translucent skin, it has very long-range vision and formidable hearing. You'll recognize it by its metallic moan that grows more intense when it detects you. Two rules: never run in a straight line — the Bacteria catches anyone in its sight — and chain sharp changes of direction to lose it. A simple door closed behind you is enough to shake it off, provided you don't reopen it within the following twenty seconds. During a blackout, its hearing range doubles: crouch down and wait for the sound storm to pass.

Wretch and Scratcher — the blind trackers

Two entities share the same philosophy: they see nothing but hear everything. The Wretch haunts Level 6 (LiDAR), Level 9 and the Abandoned Outpost. It only appears on your scanner if you use it at full power; systematically lower the LiDAR's intensity, move crouched against the walls and read the red dots that appear on the screen to choose your path. The Scratcher operates on Level 2, in the hot pipes. Blind but fast, it tracks by the slightest sound; blackouts trigger its most dangerous hunting phase. Use your flashlight during these outages to quickly find the next save point and complete the boiler room objectives as fast as possible, its spawn rate decreases once the puzzle is solved.

Female Deathmoth — the moth of the pipes

The Female Deathmoth haunts Levels 5 (Hotel) and 8 (underground cave). Much larger and more aggressive than its male counterpart, it attacks on sight and drains several points of sanity through proximity. Two counters: crouch-walking drastically reduces its detection range, and the steam escaping from the pipes on Level 8 makes it flee instantly. Bring insect repellent spray found in the survival crates on Level 5, it opens a safe corridor several meters long to cross the most infested areas. The male variant is harmless but blocks your view: don't confuse them in the panic.

Partygoer, Party Host and the Level Fun ecosystem

The Level Fun is probably the passage most packed with hostile entities in the game. The Partygoer stands still in the decorated party rooms: it only moves after spotting you, so always crouch-walk through and hide under the tables if one of them detects you. The Party Host, larger in size, actively patrols and alerts all nearby Partygoers; it can be destroyed with the fireworks found in gift boxes, but aim for the head for a one-shot kill. The Partypooper, meanwhile, is an ally: it guides you toward the exit and starts crouching when a threat is approaching. Immediately copy its behavior, it's the best alarm system in the level.

The Animated King — the scripted boss of Level 94

Added with the Level 94 overhaul, the Animated King is a giant birthday clown that triggers a forced hundred-second sequence. The rule is unique in the bestiary: you must keep it on screen at all times while backing away. As soon as your camera loses it, it teleports several meters toward you. Shine your flashlight on its face to slow its advance and coordinate in co-op to take turns: one player keeps their eyes on the clown while the other charts the path to the exit door. Whatever you do, don't run backward without watching the floor, the ballroom contains several traps that will immobilize you.

Mr. Kitty and Level 974

A flagship addition of 1.0, Level 974 sets up a peaceful pastel suburban street until Mr. Kitty appears. This bright pink cat shares the Animated King's eye-contact mechanic, but with no time limit: it only advances between two blinks. In co-op, designate one player as the "cat watcher" who never takes their eyes off Mr. Kitty while the others search the house for the escape items. The creature is able to follow you through windows and hallways, so always lock every door behind you to slow its advance even when out of sight.

The Thing on Level 7, Bone Thief, Aranea Membri, Clump

The advanced Levels introduce four specific threats that need to be memorized before setting foot there. The Thing on Level 7 patrols the level's misty oceans: stay inside boats and coastal buildings, and never swim in open water during a fog event. The Bone Thief attacks in the Abandoned Outpost's underground level: finish the electrical tasks first, then sprint to the elevator without hesitating — it ignores hiding spots and grabs anything left lying around. Aranea Membri, the spider-like entity found in hallway corners, kills instantly on contact; consistently break lines of sight and avoid triggering the trapped side doors. Finally, the Clump, an organic mass found in Level 3 (flooded variant), tracks by sight and sound but flees corridors bathed in blue light. Take these marked corridors or dive underwater to break the pursuit.

Faceling, Windows, and ambient threats

Some entities don't seek direct confrontation but instead inflict slow damage or trigger deadly scripted sequences. The Faceling populates the Grassrooms and Level 10: a faceless humanoid, it only reacts to prolonged eye contact. Turn the camera away, use the tall grass as cover, and move at normal speed — it becomes hostile as soon as you suddenly speed up while staring at it. Windows appear in Level 4 (Abandoned Office) and Level 188. These aren't classic creatures but animated glass surfaces: staying too close for too long triggers a jumpscare that drains your sanity. Always walk through the middle of hallways and visually block windows with furniture whenever possible. Ghost Smilers, rarer, duplicate the original Smiler's mechanic but can cross lit areas — only face them with company.

Allies and passive entities — learn to recognize them

Not every entity wants you dead, and mistaking an ally for an enemy can cost you an entire run. The Partypooper from the Level Fun is an essential guide NPC. The Wanderer, any player model encountered outside a server, corresponds to other players' solo runs; some appear scripted in advanced Levels to offer hints. The Eye, a passive entity found in certain outdoor levels, tolerates your presence as long as you don't linger too long out in the open: keep moving, switch buildings, and it will ignore you. Finally, the Male Deathmoth, unlike the female, only blocks your view without ever attacking. Memorizing these NPCs will save you from wasting defensive items or fleeing needlessly.

The seven universal rules for surviving any entity

• Crouch by default as soon as a Level introduces an audio tracker: the 50% noise reduction is worth more than any defensive item.
• Walk from one pool of light to the next: Smilers, Skin-Stealers, and Ghost Smilers all fear direct lighting.
• Only use the flashlight as a last resort against Hounds — three flashes are enough to enrage them.
• Turn off the LiDAR's power at Level 6: the Wretch only appears on full-intensity scans.
• Coordinate eye contact against Mr. Kitty and the Animated King: one player watches while the other advances.
• Always flee by turning twice to break lines of sight: most entities give up after two consecutive turns.
• Lock doors behind you, even against creatures capable of breaking through them eventually: every second gained counts.

Summary table of the main entities

Our recommended co-op routine against the bestiary

The difficulty of Escape The Backrooms lies less in the individual power of the entities than in role management. In a team of three or four players, always designate a light carrier, a map reader, and a lookout who watches for creatures relying on eye contact. Assign consumable items — bug spray, fireworks, batteries — to the most mobile player, and keep at least one member of the group crouched at all times to minimize ambient noise. If a teammate gets caught, don't rush to save them immediately: most entities briefly release their target to search for other players, leaving a three-to-five-second window to pull them out without further losses.

Conclusion

The bestiary of Escape The Backrooms is far from an anonymous catalog: each entity has its own rule, its own weakness, and its own preferred Level. Memorize the trilogy of sight, hearing, eye contact, learn to spot blackouts before they start, and never waste your defensive items. With this reading grid, Levels 94, 974, and Level Fun stop being random punishments and become survival puzzles. Open this guide the next time you launch the game, assign your roles even before the Lobby, and you'll see the collective learning curve accelerate dramatically.