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Forward: Escape the Fold

84%Game Brain Score
gameplay, replayability
grinding, stability
84% User Score Based on 900 reviews

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About

Forward: Escape the Fold is a turn-based puzzle game that challenges players to manipulate and navigate through grid-based levels. As the player, you must guide a sentient AI to find the exit while avoiding deadly traps and solving intricate puzzles. With its simple mechanics and gradually increasing difficulty, this game offers a unique and engaging experience for all puzzle enthusiasts. Reference: ]

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot
Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 900 reviews
gameplay102 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay mechanics with straightforward yet strategic card-based system.
  • High replay value due to procedurally generated levels and multiple modes, including challenge mode.
  • Charming pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
  • Lack of depth in story and character lore, leaving players wanting more narrative context.
  • Occasional imbalanced difficulty where some runs can feel nearly impossible due to RNG.
  • Absence of cloud saves limits replayability and progress transfer between devices.
  • gameplay
    232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this roguelike card game is characterized by its straightforward mechanics that encourage strategic decision-making, making it accessible yet engaging. Players appreciate the variety of characters and item synergies, which enhance replayability, although some feel the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time. Overall, it offers a fun, casual experience with a fast-paced loop, ideal for quick sessions, but could benefit from additional complexity and variety in mechanics and challenges.

    • “Engaging gameplay mechanics: the game’s card-based system is straightforward yet offers depth, requiring strategic decisions to navigate through enemies and collect items.”
    • “The unique progression system, which involves choosing a path from three cards at every turn, keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
    • “The mechanics are straightforward but the item combos and different characters can really turn every run into a unique and fun experience.”
    • “It's a fun game, but like the other reviews have mentioned, the gameplay is quite limited and you will get bored of it pretty quickly once you work out the game.”
    • “Playing this game for almost 2 hours, the main issue that was evident was that the gameplay is generally the same each time you go through a run and needs more spice to it.”
    • “Unfortunately, after winning with all heroes, I stopped; the gameplay is too identical for each hero, not much difference after understanding the winning strategy.”
  • replayability
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability through various modes, including expert challenges and procedurally generated levels, which keep the gameplay fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the unique character loadouts and item combinations that enhance replay value, although some feel the content may become limited after extensive play. Overall, it is regarded as a fun, addictive experience with a solid replay loop, making it appealing for fans of the genre.

    • “High replayability, especially with multiple modes to pick from, including difficulty customization.”
    • “Endless combinations of items make for great replay value.”
    • “A great implementation of a simple and well-known 'march through card-y dungeon' idea, with 15-minute roguelite runs, great atmosphere, and high replayability.”
    • “Making the game a one-time experience with no proper continuous replayability after completing 100%. If you uninstall, there is currently no reason to reinstall it.”
    • “Lacks depth and replay value for me. The characters are kind of neat but don't add enough to the game to make it worthwhile in a world where there is 'Inscryption' and 'Slay the Spire'. Don't waste your time on this.”
    • “Some 'synergies' with cards, but very little replay value.”
  • graphics
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game feature a charming pixel art style that appeals to some players, though many note that the visuals are basic and may not attract everyone. While the art is described as cohesive and effective, emphasizing the game's simplicity, it lacks flashiness and may feel mediocre to those not fond of pixel aesthetics. Overall, the graphics are appreciated for their character and atmosphere, but expectations should be tempered, especially regarding gameplay depth.

    • “Several characters to choose from, each of them feeling unique, great graphics, and easy to understand gameplay.”
    • “I also feel both the artwork and UI are brilliant – highly effective, cohesive, and full of character.”
    • “Addictive old school style graphic game with modern twists.”
    • “While the pixel art has its charm, the visuals are quite basic and might not appeal to everyone.”
    • “It definitely isn't flashy as far as the graphics go.”
    • “Gamers that aren't fond of pixel graphics won't like what's on offer here.”
  • music
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and engaging soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience, particularly during dungeon-crawling. Reviewers noted the effective sound design, with music that dynamically shifts to build tension as players approach bosses, and a delicate score that adds to the immersion. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and pixel art creates a charming and enjoyable ambiance, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The delicate musical score added an adventuring vibe and was surprisingly good for a game with this level of budget.”
    • “The sound design is also very good; the music ramps up as you get closer to the boss, and the sword swing sound hitting 5+ enemies is incredibly satisfying.”
    • “Once you are nearing the end of the level, the music subtly changes to a more epic version of the same song.”
    • “The delicate musical score added an adventuring vibe and was surprisingly pretty good for a game with this level of budget.”
    • “A particular design decision which I found boosts the immersion is that even though the game is 2D, the lack of a third dimension is compensated by the music (by the way, the bassline reminds me of a song from the Mass Effect OST).”
    • “The soundtrack is another positive, and while pixelated art isn't my greatest joy, it is well-made here.”
  • story
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth, offering minimal character background and dungeon lore, which may leave players wanting more context and progression. While some appreciate the game's distinct roguelike mechanics and artwork, those seeking a complex narrative with multiple paths and endings will likely be disappointed. Overall, the story feels underdeveloped, making it less appealing for players who prioritize narrative depth.

    • “Nice artwork, story, sound effects, and music!”
    • “Don't think so, a fun little roguelike game, with an interestingly written story.”
    • “If this had a story mode with multiple paths, different endings, and a lot more variety of mechanics, this would be very much worth it.”
    • “There’s minimal background information on characters and the dungeon’s lore, which might leave players desiring more context and story progression.”
    • “Was hoping for some story progression, but there's not much going on.”
    • “I think for players who want a lot of complexity or story, this isn't for you.”
  • atmosphere
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its charming pixel art and engaging soundtrack, which together create an immersive dungeon-crawling experience reminiscent of old-school tabletop RPGs. Reviewers highlight the effective sound design, well-written flavor text, and overall aesthetic that contribute to a captivating and replayable environment.

    • “The pixel art, while minimalistic, is charming and accompanied by an engaging soundtrack that enhances the dungeon-crawling experience.”
    • “It also has fantastic pixel art, great sound design, and an overall old-school tabletop RPG feel that gives off an excellent atmosphere.”
    • “A great implementation of a simple and well-known 'march through card-y dungeon' idea, with 15-minute roguelite runs, great atmosphere, and high replayability.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable and enjoyable, with enough engagement to make the process feel rewarding rather than tedious. The potential for reduced RNG grinding enhances replayability and customization, drawing favorable comparisons to games like "Slay the Spire."

    • “Not super grindy, but enough to feel satisfied.”
    • “It was fun enough to not mind grinding items.”
    • “The above will reduce RNG grinding 100% and make it more replayable and customizable like Slay the Spire.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is regarded as extremely stable, with users noting it is largely bug-free. While there are some minor glitches and flaws, they are considered negligible in light of the game's quality and the small development team behind it.

    • “The game is extremely bug-free, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
    • “I was impressed by how stable the game is; I encountered almost no bugs.”
    • “The stability of the game is remarkable, making for a seamless gameplay experience.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent crashes that disrupt the overall experience.”
    • “I encountered several bugs that made it difficult to progress in the game.”
    • “There are persistent stability issues that detract from the enjoyment of gameplay.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization in the game is straightforward during the initial run, serving as an introduction to the core mechanics. However, as players progress, the optimization becomes more complex and nuanced, requiring deeper strategic thinking in subsequent runs.

    • “At first, it looks like easy optimization - and that's true for the initial run, but that's just teaching you the core mechanics; future runs become more nuanced.”
    • “At first, it looks like it's easy optimization - and that's true for the initial run, but that's just teaching you the core mechanics; future runs become more nuanced.”

Buy Forward: Escape the Fold

7h Median play time
8h Average play time
6-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

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