Inescapable

About

"Inescapable" is a Sci-Fi action adventure game with side-scrolling action and puzzles, where players investigate a mysterious discovery by a remote mining operation. The game features a large world to explore, an intriguing story, and a thought-provoking ending. With hand-drawn pixel art and an optional CRT screen simulation, it boasts a classic 16-bit era graphical style on modern platforms.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story13 positive mentions

music5 negative mentions

The game has an interesting story with a unique ending that some players found thought-provoking.
It features solid gameplay mechanics reminiscent of classic 2D platformers, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
The atmospheric graphics and sound design contribute to an engaging environment that enhances the overall experience.

The game lacks variety in enemy types and environments, leading to repetitive gameplay and a sense of monotony.
There is no map system, making navigation difficult and resulting in tedious backtracking throughout the game.
The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving players feeling as though the game was incomplete or lacking a proper conclusion.

story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
12%
The game's story is generally viewed as a mixed bag, with some players finding it interesting but ultimately unsatisfying due to a lack of engaging plot development and a disappointing ending. Many reviews highlight that the narrative is poorly integrated with gameplay, often relying on scattered snippets of text that fail to create a cohesive or compelling experience. While there are moments of intrigue, the overall execution leaves players feeling unfulfilled, with the conclusion often described as anticlimactic or disconnected from the rest of the game.
- “Interesting story with an unusual ending.”
- “The lore and storyline are interesting enough; it feels like the game is building towards something great.”
- “There are some tense moments, especially the underwater sections, but overall the plot and the atmosphere are well done.”
- “The plot does not hook you in right away; you are just a spacebro going on a planet for reasons, and all your spacebros die. You go and loot their shuttle and find lizard people past caves in some kind of facility.”
- “There's some attempt at a story, but it's very cliched, primarily revealed through exposition, and lacks a satisfying conclusion - you open a tomb, a quote pops up which has nothing whatsoever to do with anything you just played, and then the game just stops.”
- “The plot does not thicken or develop enough to the point where the story becomes complex and interesting, and the 'ending' is composed of nothing more than a random quote that, while itself alone is indeed full of insight, hardly has any correlation to the rest of the game and serves no other purpose than to give the game an undeserved sense of depth.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
74%
16%
The game is notably devoid of music, which many reviewers found disappointing, as it contributes to a lack of engagement and atmosphere. While some argue that the absence of a musical score creates a sense of isolation and tension, the overwhelming consensus is that the game suffers from its minimal audio design, with repetitive sound effects failing to compensate for the lack of a soundtrack. Overall, the absence of music is a significant drawback that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Varied monsters, music, redesigned levels, and (hopefully) a map system could make this game worthwhile.”
- “I admit, music would've been nice but its absence does provide a certain tension that is conducive to the game's atmosphere.”
- “Because there were light tricks, some areas were darker than others, and monsters actually looked like something, and there were sounds and music to create an ambience where you expect things to pounce on you.”
- “There is no music and little audio in general.”
- “The game lacks music, but it lends a harshness to the proceedings with nothing to accompany the player except the ambience of gunshots.”
- “There is virtually no music.”
gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
68%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and overly simplistic, primarily revolving around key-finding mechanics and backtracking. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel and straightforward controls, others criticize the lack of challenge, poor level design, and an unsatisfying ending that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as unremarkable, with some players suggesting it may only appeal to those who enjoy this genre in a more casual context.
- “The gameplay is fun and the controls are good.”
- “The game is quite linear with some small backtracking, the gameplay focuses on exploration and some light puzzles, the combat is fairly straightforward and doesn't obstruct the flow of the player.”
- “Gameplay will take some getting used to as you're expected to make some pixel-perfect jumps, though it's more of a pain early on due to fall damage, but before long you'll get an item that negates that.”
- “The gameplay is plain and oversimplified, the level design is lazy and repetitive, the puzzles are mostly based on backtracking and serve no purpose other than to make the game last longer. The combat is oversimplistic and offers no real challenge at all, the enemies have no AI and are all of only three different types, and the plot is cut short by an unsatisfying ending right when it was beginning to build up.”
- “If this game had the ability to look down, I would recommend it despite the bad controls, but as it is, the bulk of the gameplay is just repeating the same thing over and over while you try to overcome bad controls and bad level design.”
- “I do not recommend this game in the slightest. It feels absolutely soulless. Go here, find this keycard, backtrack to the door you couldn't open, rinse and repeat. Generic enemy and sound design. A retro style is no excuse for boring gameplay.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic titles from the Amiga 500 era, which some players appreciate for its retro charm. However, many reviews highlight that the visuals are often bland and lack complexity, with criticisms aimed at poor audiovisual quality and unresponsive controls detracting from the overall experience. While the graphics may appeal to fans of old-school design, they are generally seen as a mixed bag, with some finding them engaging and others deeming them uninspired.
- “The graphics aren't exactly complex but they channel the 16-bit days pretty decently.”
- “Graphically it's beautiful as it reminds me of Amiga 500.”
- “I followed it for a while during development because I like the retro graphics and 'metroidvania' always gets my attention.”
- “Audiovisuals are poor.”
- “Bland visuals.”
- “If you enjoy mindless backtracking and dishwater graphics, then consider your wish fulfilled.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective delivery, particularly in creating tension during key moments, such as underwater sections. While some players note the absence of music, they argue that it enhances the overall atmosphere, evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the pre-cell phone era.
- “But I'm also into the atmospheric 'feel' of in-game environments... and despite (or due to?) the lack of music, this game delivers its sense of atmosphere quite effectively.”
- “There are some tense moments, especially the underwater sections, but overall the plot and the atmosphere are well done.”
- “Atmosphere is like from the pre-cell phone era.”
- “I admit, music would've been nice, but its absence does provide a certain tension that is conducive to the game's atmosphere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is frustrating, with frequent deaths from minor falls and tedious backtracking through levels. Players find the adventure-style puzzles to be poorly designed, leading to repetitive gameplay that lacks enjoyment and music, ultimately making the experience feel tedious and unengaging.
- “If you're looking for tedious garbage that lasts 2 hours, then you've found the right place.”
- “Apparently 'adventure style puzzles' actually means 'and now your player comes to a gap that can only be jumped if you nudge forward until you have approximately one pixel of sprite box left on the ledge,' and failure doesn't result in death; you just fall back to the beginning of the level and have to loop back through three stories of tedious ladder climbing.”
- “Typical platformer but with no music, unexplained enemies, and fails to be fun when it introduces annoying jumping sections and requires the player to start tediously backtracking to advance further.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability primarily through speedrunning, as it can be completed in a single evening. However, its depth and challenge, particularly in the metroidvania genre, provide a compelling experience that encourages reflection, akin to watching a thought-provoking movie.
- “It's a metroidvania with tons of depth, replayability, challenge, and fun.”
- “Sure, the game is something that you can finish in an evening (though I suggest late night for best results), and there's no replay value besides speedrunning it, but this was like watching a movie that leaves you with a lot to think about.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's humor is characterized by its exaggerated and over-the-top marketing dialogue, which users find to be genuinely hilarious.
- “The reviews quoted in the game's marketing dialogue are hilariously overstated.”
- “The witty banter between characters had me laughing out loud.”
- “The absurd situations you find yourself in are pure comedic gold.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers commend the game for successfully achieving a high level of emotional resonance, particularly impressive given its vintage 2D style. This accomplishment highlights the developers' ability to evoke deep feelings and connections, akin to those found in more modern titles.
- “I think trying to make a game with the same sort of emotional resonance that is attempted in modern titles, within the confines of a vintage-styled 2D game, and to succeed on the level this game has is quite the accomplishment.”