Analog horror and liminal spaces
The Locust's Manor draws its nightmares from two internet-born worlds: analog horror, where The Locust originates, and liminal spaces, which inspired half of the maps.
What is analog horror
It's a horror genre that originated online in the late 2010s. The videos look like damaged old VHS tapes: distorted images, crackling audio, fake TV emergency alerts, interrupted broadcasts. The fear doesn't come from jump scares, but from something being off and getting increasingly unsettling.
Some of the most famous titles include Local 58, Gemini Home Entertainment, and Kane Pixels' The Backrooms. Doctor Nowhere, creator of The Locust, is one of the genre's most popular creators.
What are liminal spaces
They are transitional spaces photographed empty: hallways, indoor pools, schools at night. Places you know, but with no one inside and at no specific time. They feel familiar yet wrong at the same time.
The Backrooms
The Backrooms are the most famous liminal space urban legend: originating in 2019 from a picture of empty yellow rooms, they tell the story of an endless maze you clip out of reality into. The first level features yellow walls, damp carpet, and the hum of fluorescent lights. Later came other levels, like The Poolrooms, an endless swimming pool area.
In the game
Four maps in The Locust's Manor come from here: The Backrooms, The Poolrooms, The End, an endless library, and partially The School, with its empty hallways.
Sources: Wikipedia, Analog horror · Wikipedia, The Backrooms