The Escaper
- March 9, 2020
- Nocturnal works
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"The Escaper" is a 3D escape room game featuring real-time graphics and physics-based puzzles across four different rooms. Players can choose to race against the clock or take their time uncovering hidden clues and solving challenges. The game offers detailed visuals, immersive audio, and a variety of themed environments to explore.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The puzzles are well-designed and provide a good mix of challenge and enjoyment.
- The game captures the atmosphere of a real escape room experience, making it engaging and immersive.
- Great value for the price, offering several hours of entertainment with four distinct rooms.
- The game is quite short, with only four rooms, which may leave players wanting more content.
- There is no save feature within rooms, which can be frustrating if players need to take a break.
- Some puzzles, particularly the musical one, may be too challenging for players without musical ability.
- graphics78 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising them as beautiful and well-designed, while others find them underwhelming or reminiscent of stock assets. Overall, many agree that the visuals are decent to good, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, though they may not reach the high standards set by more acclaimed titles in the genre.
“The graphics were fantastic and the puzzles were challenging, but not impossible.”
“Well-designed, clever and graphically beautiful.”
“Challenging puzzles and beautiful graphics.”
“The graphics are a bit underwhelming - some are beautifully detailed, some look like undressed stock assets from the Unity Asset Store.”
“Another reviewer compared this to 'The Room' series - not even close in story, complexity, or graphics quality - more on the order of free flash games.”
“The puzzles were pretty difficult (a good thing), but the graphics are not great and the controls are clunky (though I did get used to them after the second room).”
- music66 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming and fitting, enhancing the overall experience, but it is marred by a particularly challenging xylophone puzzle in the final level that many players found frustrating due to its reliance on musical ability. Several reviewers expressed disappointment with the inclusion of such a puzzle, suggesting that it could alienate players who lack musical skills. Overall, while the soundtrack and sound design are appreciated, the consensus is that future games should avoid requiring musical proficiency for puzzle-solving.
“The graphic is fine, the music is calming and solving the 4 rooms was quite fun!”
“Nice graphics and the soundtrack was not intrusive with some satisfying clicks heard on key turns.”
“Map design great, music great, visuals great, game mechanics great.”
“As someone who completed plenty of escape rooms in real life, I found this game extremely enjoyable except for that damn xylophone riddle that required playing 7 musical notes by ear only, with no visual or any other clues whatsoever.”
“A bit disappointed with having to play music at the end, as a lot of people, myself included, are not musically inclined and tone deaf (we cannot distinguish between notes to save our lives).”
“I suggest not to include musical puzzles without visual aid in the future.”
- story42 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game lacks a cohesive story, offering only a series of escape rooms without any narrative or character interactions. Reviewers noted that the absence of a plot detracts from engagement, making it feel more like a puzzle-focused experience rather than a narrative-driven one. For players seeking a compelling storyline, this game may fall short, as it prioritizes puzzles over storytelling.
“🔲 epic story”
“Also, enjoyed the mummy room that relied on story to solve.”
“There's no narrative or story that gets in the way - it's just puzzles.”
“There is no story here, it's just a straight-up series of four escape rooms.”
“If story is a make or break for you, you won't really find a story here.”
“There's no plot or NPCs, no narrative, no jump scares, or anything like that.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its intuitive mechanics and interesting puzzles, particularly appealing to fans of abstract puzzles and escape room experiences. However, some players noted issues with clumsy controls, buggy mechanics, and a lack of fine camera control, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers a visually appealing atmosphere and a variety of puzzles, some users feel it may not justify its full price due to limited content and frustrating inventory management.
“I really enjoyed the actual gameplay and would gladly recommend it to my friends.”
“The puzzles were interesting and the gameplay quite intuitive.”
“With few very different locations to escape from, the game offers a nice variety of puzzles, decent although a bit outdated visuals, and smooth gameplay for a couple of hours.”
“One buggy mechanic in chapter 1 ruined the experience, and it's been like this for over a year.”
“A few puzzles will require outside skills (art, history, music, mechanics) to solve on the first try, and the fact that useless objects will stay in your inventory is frustrating.”
“Generally speaking, I did like the game and gameplay, but if it doesn't work properly, it doesn't work properly.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious, particularly due to time-based achievements that encourage repetitive play without adding meaningful engagement. While some puzzles offer a fair challenge, others are either too easy or frustratingly difficult, leading to a mixed experience that can feel like a chore rather than enjoyable gameplay. Overall, the dragging mechanics and certain minigames contribute to a sense of frustration, making the grinding feel excessive.
“My main two points of criticism are: achievements being time-based (makes no real logic in an escape room game, it's just there to force you to replay it, even though you know all the puzzles already. It's not fun, it's just tedious and an effort to make you play longer), and the fact that the game uses way too much GPU when starting up.”
“The main issues I had were that some of the puzzles were seriously too easy, while others were ridiculously difficult or pure trial and error exercises, and some of the minigames (looking at you, highway run) were pure tedious frustration.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game offers a fun puzzle experience, but its replayability is limited, primarily revolving around attempting to improve completion times in the same four rooms. While some players find it infinitely replayable, others feel it lacks substantial new content for multiple playthroughs. Overall, it may appeal to those who enjoy time trials but may not satisfy players seeking varied experiences.
“🔲 Infinitely replayable.”
“The puzzles are fun, not sure about the replay value but a good game.”
“Looking at about 2-3 hours to play through on your first go, and the only replayability is just playing through the same 4 rooms trying to beat your previous time.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its ability to effectively capture the essence and spirit of escape rooms. The intriguing ambiance, combined with engaging gameplay, contributes to a compelling overall experience.
“This game really captures the atmosphere and the spirit of escape rooms.”
“Very intriguing atmosphere!”
“Awesome atmosphere and gameplay.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some players report experiencing significant bugs, particularly in chapter 1, others have noted a smooth experience with no glitches or slow loading times. This inconsistency suggests that stability may vary depending on the player's experience.
“No glitches or slow loading.”
“No glitches or slow loading.”
“One buggy mechanic in chapter 1 ruined the experience, and it's been like this for over a year.”
“Many escape games seem quite buggy, so I was very disappointed to encounter this issue.”
“The game has persistent bugs that significantly affect gameplay.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be genuinely humorous, enhancing the overall enjoyment and making it fun to play.
“It's genuinely funny to play.”
“The humor in the game keeps me entertained throughout.”
“I love how the game incorporates humor into its gameplay.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that each room in the game delivers a satisfying "aha!" moment, enhancing the emotional experience by making them feel accomplished and engaged rather than frustrated by brute-force solutions. This thoughtful design fosters a deeper connection to the gameplay.
