We often see the levels we reside in, visit, and discover as being these great titans, worlds that, for those not Backborn, surpass anything beyond our frame of reference and what we could ever believe to be possible. While all of those points are true, I don't believe it's untrue to say that many people don't consider the life behind them, at least not in all aspects. Levels can be beautiful, dangerous, and unique, much like life itself, but when individuals consider the 'life' of Backrooms levels, it is through a metaphoric and poetic lens. But no, when I describe 'life' in levels, I refer specifically to the fact that they are born, they live, and that they die.

It has always been known that levels have a lifespan, although quite how long those are has never been concretely determined. The former M.E.G. (Operating between 2012 and 2022) watched a great many levels reach the end of their lifespans across the short but historically important years of their operation, as did anyone alive during the 2010's. Whilst the number of levels that reach the end of their mortal coil, or their closest equivalent, has dwindled in recent years, it is still a fact of life that we all seem too keen to shy away from. The reasons, I'm sure, are obvious. It is understandable why people would want to look over the death of levels, given the existential dread and danger of living in one when it happens to meet its demise. However, it is just as important to remember the dead as well as move on from them.

Similar to Maude Phelan's "Destinations" series, as well as Bonnie Fielding's "Insights" series, the Blogrooms has elected to begin yet another series of informational articles looking into different aspects of our lives with one common link threading them. For this series, our aim is to bring light on the levels long gone, the people who lived in them, where they are now, and what happened to the level itself. Whilst formulaic, our research into this series has proven a variety of results for each answer, which we are deeply interested in sharing.

Our first level choice to showcase over next few months is the previous Level 32. Though the title is now held by a dangerous greyscale forest held in pitch black, it was once held by a location more commonly known as "Entertainland". It was a difficult choice as to which level to cover first. From the former Level 609 which opened the eyes of various early 21st Century groups to the idea of level death, to the Crimson Forest, whose inhabitants still have a completely unknown fate. We have decided to cover Level 32 for it's lighthearted feel—which seems like a good starting point for a series that has the opportunity to turn dark.

Level 32 itself was a relatively small amusement park/fairground, complete with everything from roller coasters to carnival games to food vendors. These either operated automatically or had Facelings to aid. The venues were used by a great many people, with its visitor count being kept in-check by a wristband given to all who entered the level at the entry archway. As it got more popular, this entryway was a necessary component to stop the level overcrowding itself. With that popularity, both within the M.E.G. and from other groups, came some occasional refurbishments to the level. Many of the rides had routine cleanings, actual M.E.G. inhabitants got jobs working the attractions, and "Mr Bone's Wild Ride" had a grand re-opening after some modifications done by multiple factions.

Level 32 was a level that was incredibly well enjoyed by people for countless decades, mainly because it (somehow) survived any kind of ownership for the entire time it was alive. The level either was not around or was incredibly different during the era of the Lost, nor was discovered when the Macchina were at their peak. The first discovery, surprisingly, was done in 1959 by the Poli's Unified Group, uploaded it to the General Public Database under the name "Recreational-28". Its name, "Level 32" was coined in July 2014 by the M.E.G. and stayed as such until October 2021, when the level seemed to vanish, taking 13 people with it.

With hindsight, the early warning signs of the level's demise were obvious. Reports of breaking down roller coasters became prevalent, and Mr Bone's Wild Ride only survived being reopened for two years before mechanical faults began to rear their heads. It is not known what actually caused the death of the level, due to our lack of knowledge on why levels die at all, but what is known is that its gradual demise caused fewer people to attend, especially when other and more impressive amusement park levels were discovered, such as Level 345, which many people found entertaining even with its dangers.

The final death rattle for the level was when the InfoMan himself, who controlled entry into Entertainland, left the level in the dead of Level 32's night, taking much of the staff and the entry system with them. Ironically, this did cause a momentary spike in attendance, which had plummeted to single digits on most days. Six days after his fleeing on September 31st, the level's entrances ceased to function, and everyone who was at the level on the day never returned to their homes.

Though there is no concrete proof the level is dead, the fact it followed the exact same trend of many other missing levels, and known dead levels like Level 26 and Level 609, has led everyone who remembers the level to consider it as dead. This was also the case with the M.E.G., who replaced the Level 32 slot with its current designation not even two weeks afterwards, as that level had been recently discovered at the time. Following its demise, it can be assumed that it fell into the colloquially called "Bottomless Blue", to join the graveyard of other dead levels at the bottom of the Blue Channel. From a social perspective, Level 32 was largely forgotten about. There were months where M.E.G. civilians were in denial over its demise, and hotly debated the number being taken so quickly, but those thoughts subsided quickly and it fell out of the zeitgeist.

Whilst this ends the history of Level 32 itself, this series does not end here. We at the Blogrooms have a myriad of levels to cover, as there have been countless levels that have met their end, some from centuries before our time. Some have a known in-depth history, others not so much, so we urge you to tune in this time each month to learn a new and forgotten fragment of our collective history.

Coming next week: The short lived and tragic history of the Crimson Forest.