Mall Anomaly is an atmospheric spot-the-difference puzzle game where you are trapped in a looping shopping mall corridor. Played from a first-person perspective in your browser, your goal is to identify and report any strange occurrences-or anomalies-to escape.
This HTML5 game combines keen observation with a creepy, liminal space aesthetic similar to The Backrooms.
In Mall Anomaly, anything that changes between one loop of the hallway and the next is considered an anomaly. This isn't just about new items appearing.
You must also watch for objects that have moved, changed color, disappeared entirely, or are behaving unnaturally-like floating furniture or mannequins that have changed their pose.
The core challenge is memory. You must build a perfect mental snapshot of the 'correct' hallway on your first pass. On every subsequent loop, you compare what you see to that baseline.
A single misplaced trash can or a new poster on the wall could be the key to your escape.
While the atmosphere is unsettling, Mall Anomaly focuses on psychological suspense rather than cheap scares. The horror comes from the uncanny feeling that something is deeply wrong. The silence, the sterile environment, and the constant threat of being trapped create a powerful sense of unease.
Your success depends entirely on your observational skills. If you walk past an anomaly without reporting it, you fail. If you report something that isn't an anomaly, you fail. It demands complete focus, forcing you to scrutinize every detail of your repeating prison.
You can play Mall Anomaly directly in your web browser with no downloads required. As a free-to-play HTML5 game, it's accessible on most devices, including Chromebooks.
It's a great choice for playing at school or work, as it loads quickly and doesn't need to be installed.
Your goal in Mall Anomaly is to escape a looping corridor by identifying all the 'anomalies' - things that have changed from the previous loop. Successfully finding every anomaly allows you to escape, but missing even one will trap you forever.
Use the mouse to look around the 3D environment. Walk forward automatically through the hallway. When you see an object or a change that you believe is an anomaly, use a left click on it to report it.
Your first walk through the corridor establishes the baseline. Pay close attention to everything. As you loop back to the beginning, the hallway will reset with one or more changes. Find and click on every single one of these changes to win the game.
If you click on something that isn't an anomaly or walk to the end without finding them all, you lose and must restart.
Establish a Baseline - Your first walk-through is critical. Mentally photograph every object's position and appearance. This is your reference for every loop that follows. Be Systematic - Don't just wander and look. Scan the environment methodically.
Check the left wall, then the right wall, then the floor, then the ceiling on every single pass. Look for Absence - An anomaly isn't always something new being added. Often, an object that was there before will be missing.
This is one of the hardest types to spot. Check Text and Numbers - Look closely at signs, posters, and price tags. An anomaly can be as subtle as a single letter or number changing.
Don't Get Complacent - After finding one or two obvious anomalies, it's easy to think you've found them all. Keep searching, as there are often more subtle ones hidden nearby.
Take a Final Look - Before you reach the door at the end of the hall, turn around and scan everything behind you one last time. It's easy to miss something when you're only looking forward.
