"Why Did 'Exit 8' Take the World by Storm?—The Multi-Layered Design Technique of Turning a 'Storyless' Indie Game into a Film"

The indie game "The Exit 8" gained worldwide popularity with its simple rule: if you find an "anomaly" in the underground passage, turn back. The live-action film "The Exit 8" is set to be released in Japan on August 29, 2025, and received acclaim during the Midnight Screening at Cannes. The game was almost single-handedly developed by KOTAKE CREATE and became a hit with over 1.8 million copies sold. The film adaptation is directed by Genki Kawamura and stars Kazuya Ninomiya. How did they expand the extremely minimalistic original into a "feature-length film narrative"? This article focuses on the "multiple layers" behind the hit, analyzing eight layers: ① Space (liminal space), ② Observation rules (narrativization of cognition), ③ Repetitive structure (ethics of loops), ④ Sound design, ⑤ Acting and physicality, ⑥ Editing and shot design, ⑦ Socio-cultural context (Japan's "signage and compliance" culture), and ⑧ Transmedia strategy (game → film → fan experience). Additionally, it organizes the practical points of translating an IP with "no story" into storytelling that resonates globally, covering production, distribution, festival strategies, and trends in overseas releases. It serves as a guide to convey the current state of Japanese horror to foreign readers by visualizing the "mechanisms" of the work, including post-release events and reactions at international film festivals.