Draft:Doors (Roblox game)

Doors (stylized in all caps) is a roguelite horror video game developed by LSPLASH on the gaming and game development platform Roblox. The gameplay involves players running through rooms while dodging creatures called "entities". Released on August 10, 2022, the game received significant popularity, spawning merchandise releases from plushie manufacturer Makeship. Critics praised its gameplay mechanics and graphics.

Gameplay
Doors is a roguelite horror puzzle game where players progress through hotel rooms through opening or unlocking doors. Additionally, players can gather doorknobs and gold, which can be used to purchase items at the beginning of the game or in an in-game shop called the "Jeff Shop", which appears mid-way through each round. However, they must also navigate past "entities" that would try to kill them. Players can dodge them through methods such as hiding in a closet or using a one-time use item called a "crucifix" to dodge their attack. Players can also access other secret levels in Doors, such as a revamped version of another Roblox game, Rooms, and The Backdoor. Trial and error is a part of the gameplay. In the game lobby, players can display how they are progressing through the game by showing off one selected achievement and how many times they died.

History and development
Doors was officially launched on August 10, 2022, quickly gaining popularity post-release. Fanmade theories and content based off Doors were created. By April 2023, Doors achieved 3 billion total visits. In December 2022, Doors announced their partnership with Makeship and the creation of Doors-themed merchandise. A revamp of the in-game hotel was introduced on January 29, 2023. On August 26, 2023, modifiers were incorporated, allowing users to alter their gaming experience after completing a successful game. A second floor was teased to be in development, and confirmed by the developers subsequently. Doors also participated in a Roblox event called "The Hunt," where a new sub-floor, "The Backdoor", was added. The game is based off another Roblox game, Rooms.

Reception and awards
Whitney Meers of PCGamesN and Logan Gilchrist of Dot Esports commended the game’s high quality of graphics, the former further commending the horror element of the for being "too much for YouTubers to handle". Carlos Mestre of TheGamer described the game as a "spine-chilling adventure" and said that the hotel is "Victorian era-esque". Ben Price of Android Authority commended Doors’s replayability, commenting that it is "the most polished and addicting Roblox horror game and well worth checking out for fans of puzzle-horror games". Dylan Chaundy of The Nerd Stash commended the entities in-game, finding it fun "working out how to evade them all".

Doors won a "Best New Experience" award during the Roblox Innovation Awards in 2023.