Blackroom

About

Blackroom started as an ambitious first-person shooter from Night Work Games, the studio founded by id Software legends John Romero and Adrian Carmack. The team aimed to build a skillful arena shooter focused on tight movement and weapon mastery. Romero led design while Carmack handled art duties, and George Lynch of Dokken composed the soundtrack. They launched a Kickstarter in 2016 to fund development with plans for a full release by late 2018. The campaign gathered over $130,000 before pausing so the team could create a playable demo to show publishers. The project never reached its final target despite that working demo getting shown around. Romero confirmed in his 2023 memoir that the game died after failing to secure a publisher deal. This leaves Blackroom as a notable footnote in indie shooter history rather than a finished product. Fans of classic arena shooters might appreciate what was on paper, but there is no actual gameplay to try out today. The cancellation means players can only speculate about how those movement mechanics would have felt in action.