I Can't Escape: Darkness

I Can't Escape wants desperately to be Skyrim, but it looks more like Arena and plays like a game of touch the stove: it's a tedious and painful exercise. Buy only if you're looking to give yourself a weapons-grade migraine.

64%Game Brain Score

atmosphere, story

gameplay, music

79% User Score Based on 48 reviews

Critic Score 39%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

I Can't Escape: Darkness is a single player survival shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Fancy Fish Games and was released on September 17, 2015. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"I Can't Escape: Darkness" is a pixelated, roguelike horror game. You're trapped in a series of procedurally generated dungeons, where every step uncovers new terrors. Survive long enough to understand your past, confront your fears, and potentially, escape the darkness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

atmosphere8 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game effectively builds a thick atmosphere of horror without relying on cheap jump scares, creating a genuinely tense experience.
The procedural generation of the dungeon adds replayability, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique and engaging.
The sound design and audio elements are well-crafted, enhancing the overall immersion and tension throughout the gameplay.

Combat mechanics are simplistic and underwhelming, leading to frustration during encounters with enemies like rats and moss balls.
The inventory management system is cumbersome, requiring manual item handling that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Many players found the game to be repetitive and lacking in variety, with limited enemy types and simplistic puzzles.

atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised as its strongest feature, characterized by a thick, immersive quality that enhances the horror experience without relying on cheap jump scares. Players appreciate the detailed environment and the blend of creepy elements with engaging puzzles, creating a distinctive and enjoyable dungeon crawler experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as fun, claustrophobic, and effectively eerie, making it a standout aspect of the game.
- “I love horror games like this that are much more about atmosphere instead of a bunch of cheap jumpscares.”
- “The atmosphere is thick and the length/replayability is just enough to get the most of that.”
- “Criminally underrated in my opinion, this game defines an atmosphere of horror, unlike being filled with jump scares left and right such as Slender.”
- “The claustrophobic, crushing atmosphere of the first is present here in spades.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the engaging dungeon delving and unique mechanics, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. The trial-and-error approach may frustrate some, but the overall atmosphere and detail have been praised as standout features. However, concerns about value for money and sound quality have also been noted, impacting the overall experience.
- “I had a solid 2 and a half hours of exciting dungeon delving and got the good escape ending (and the more secret traitor ending) without any foreknowledge of the gameplay, and I thoroughly enjoyed it without getting bored.”
- “I have played this further and come to realize that the level of detail and atmosphere for this type of dungeon crawler is spot on, and the game mechanics and concept provide a distinctive experience.”
- “The gameplay has been polished up, a bit more depth added, and visually improved.”
- “This, together with poor sounds and boring gameplay, was the nail in the coffin.”
- “While few, these cons are related to systems integral to gameplay, and thus have a large impact.”
- “The slow burn approach combined with trial-and-error and rogue-like gameplay can frustrate, bore, or otherwise turn off some people.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its eerie and atmospheric soundtracks that enhance the overall experience, fitting the theme perfectly and adding to the sense of mystery and horror. While the combat music evokes a tribal feel with strong drum elements, some users noted that certain sound effects could be improved, though the overall musical composition remains top-notch.
- “Great use of sound, too; the soundtrack is top-notch.”
- “Combat music evokes a 'tribe' feeling, with powerful drums.”
- “Combat music feels tribal, with heavy use of drums.”
- “The music gives off a vibe of mystery and wonder, which makes the horror all the more horrifying when it hits.”
- “The soundtrack while playing is strong, but there are some caveats.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The graphics are generally described as serviceable and nostalgic, featuring a mix of pixel art reminiscent of old-school titles like Thief and Legend of Grimrock. While players appreciate the ability to adjust the quality settings, the visuals are considered a bit pixelated and not groundbreaking, reflecting the game's indie budget. Overall, the graphics evoke a gritty atmosphere that complements the sound design, though they may not impress those seeking high-end visuals.
- “The graphics were fine - they reminded me of a mixture of Thief and Lovecraftian horror. The sound design was gritty and helped immerse me, although I was pulled out again by some issues.”
- “Has an old-school vibe to it, both in the graphics and the approach (basically unguided, screw yourself if you want).”
- “The visual style really reminds me of Legend of Grimrock with some really nice pixel art graphics.”
- “The graphics are 'okay', a bit pixelated.”
- “The graphics have an old-school vibe to them, both in the visuals and the approach (basically unguided, screw yourself if you want).”
- “The graphics were fine; they reminded me of a mixture of Thief and Lovecraftian horror. The sound design was gritty and helped immerse me, but I was pulled out again by the previously mentioned problems, and the enemies are just not scary at all.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The game's story is well-crafted, featuring a rich setting that enhances the horror experience, with numerous details and hidden clues that reward attentive players. While the narrative is engaging, some players may find it easy to overlook certain elements, and the challenging achievements in New Game Plus can detract from the overall enjoyment. Ultimately, the story serves as a backdrop for exploration and experimentation, making it a compelling aspect of the game.
- “Overall, the game was well done, and the way of providing story and background was good, but it was also easy to miss some of it.”
- “It's true that the setting is quite good, as is fitting for any horror story in which the location and environment are almost characters in and of themselves.”
- “There's a ton of little details and hidden clues on top of everything you'll find out just in a more casual playthrough. There's lots of backstory, both directly stated and halfway hinted at, that you can pull out of the game if you merely try hard enough and pay attention.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent flow, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character motivations are often unclear, leaving players confused about their actions and decisions.”
- “While there are interesting concepts, the execution falls flat, resulting in a narrative that feels underdeveloped.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game boasts high replayability, attributed to its procedural generation of mazes and dungeons, which creates a unique experience with each playthrough. Players appreciate the abundance of hidden secrets and the immersive atmosphere, making even a shorter game feel worth revisiting.
- “The atmosphere is thick, and the length/replayability is just enough to get the most of that.”
- “Lots of little hidden secrets to find, and while short, it is very replayable.”
- “The atmosphere is thick, but the length and replayability are just enough to get the most out of it.”
- “Replayability is high due to the procedural generation of mazes and dungeons.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, players appreciate that the game avoids excessive grinding, contributing to an enjoyable experience with a rich atmosphere and engaging moments. However, some feel that it lacks depth and can become tedious, drawing unfavorable comparisons to more expansive titles like Skyrim.
- “I can't escape the feeling that this game desperately wants to be Skyrim, but it looks more like Arena and plays like a tedious and painful exercise.”

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39%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

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18h Median play time

13h Average play time

1-24h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

I Can't Escape: Darkness is a survival shooter game with horror theme.

I Can't Escape: Darkness is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing I Can't Escape: Darkness.

I Can't Escape: Darkness was released on September 17, 2015.

I Can't Escape: Darkness was developed by Fancy Fish Games.

I Can't Escape: Darkness has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its atmosphere but disliked it for its gameplay.

I Can't Escape: Darkness is a single player game.

Similar games include EMPTY SHELL, Legend of Grimrock, Vaporum, Eldritch, Legend of Grimrock 2 and others.

I Can't Escape: Darkness

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