The Escapists

I didn’t steal this bag of money, officer, I borrowed it. Promise.

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"The Escapists" is a prison escape simulation game where you must plan and execute an escape using items you craft and characters you meet. With various prisons, unique escape methods, and constant updates like the festive-themed "Jingle Cells," the game offers a replayable and challenging experience. Your creativity and strategic thinking are key to your escape.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,240 reviews

gameplay211 positive mentions

grinding158 negative mentions

gameplay
540 mentions
39 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Escapists" is characterized by its blend of simple mechanics and complex strategy, requiring players to engage in resource gathering, crafting, and planning to escape various prisons. While many players appreciate the nostalgic art style and the depth of gameplay, some criticize the repetitive nature and lack of clear tutorials, leading to a reliance on trial and error to understand the mechanics. Overall, the game offers a unique and engaging experience, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its learning curve and occasional frustrations.
- “While the mechanics are simple, executing your escape plan involves gathering resources, crafting tools, and avoiding guards, keeping you engaged with its blend of routine and improvisation.”
- “The escapists is a delightful mix of easy-to-learn mechanics and complex strategy, wrapped in a charming retro package.”
- “The gameplay is simple and will keep you attached to the game.”
- “There's a lot of mechanics/tips that you have to know in order to successfully escape/survive prison, but those mechanics/tips aren't really explained and you instead have to find them out by trial and error.”
- “The escapists offers an intriguing premise of escaping prison, but falls short with its tedious gameplay and repetitive mechanics.”
- “The main problem of the game is that it doesn't explain mechanics.”
graphics
413 mentions
43 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro pixel art style, reminiscent of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games, which evokes nostalgia among players. While some reviews mention minor graphical glitches and a simplistic aesthetic, many appreciate the visuals for their accessibility and the unique atmosphere they create, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are well-received, particularly by fans of indie and retro games, despite not being cutting-edge.
- “The game's retro graphics and simple visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of classic 8-bit games.”
- “The graphics are reminiscent of classic 16-bit games, with a bit of a comical twist.”
- “The pixel graphics are simple in a good way, and it just has a vibe that I haven't really gotten out of any games similar to it.”
- “The graphics hurt my eyes on a 1080p screen; I know the game isn't built for that, but because of that factor, I found the game unplayable.”
- “The graphics are a bit lackluster, and a lack of story is also disappointing.”
- “First of all, the graphics are terrible; I know it's just the style of the game, but... I don't know.”
grinding
171 mentions
2 % positive mentions
6 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and often frustrating, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the challenge and strategic elements involved, the overwhelming consensus is that the extensive grinding required for crafting, stat improvement, and item collection can quickly lead to boredom and a lack of engagement. Overall, the game may appeal to those who enjoy grinding, but it is not recommended for players seeking a more dynamic and varied experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “Graphics: fun, pixelated, not hard on the eyes; gameplay: tedious, but not too tedious.”
- “Incredibly boring and tedious.”
- “The Escapists offers an intriguing premise of escaping prison, but falls short with its tedious gameplay and repetitive mechanics.”
- “I do not like this game, however, due to the monotonous grinding that needs to be done to get somewhere in your 'prison escape experience'.”
story
169 mentions
15 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely minimal, with many players noting a lack of a traditional narrative and instead focusing on gameplay mechanics centered around prison escape. While there are side quests and interactions with other inmates, these often feel repetitive and serve primarily as fetch quests rather than contributing to a deeper storyline. Overall, players appreciate the freedom to create their own escape stories, but many express a desire for more character depth and narrative engagement.
- “This is a truly innovative and entertaining game; you really can plot an escape to get out of prison, but you'll need a bit of luck, skill, and hope to get out.”
- “The escapists is a really fun prison simulator where you are a prison inmate trying to plot your escape.”
- “But by giving you the tools to craft your own escape and leaving you alone to sort it out, The Escapists is one of those classic hands-off games that encourages you to create your own story and incredible moments.”
- “☑ no story”
- “Overall: for a 'cheap' little game, with rudimentary graphics, gameplay and little-to-no story, this is a slam-dunk.”
- “The side quests are simple, the other prisoners seem to be fairly faceless, the routine dull and just the whole thing for me falls flat.”
music
165 mentions
58 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and nostalgic 8-bit and 16-bit soundtracks, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the unique tracks for different in-game activities and prisons, although some express disappointment over the lack of more varied music for specific events. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and engagement.
- “The sound design was also top-notch, with catchy 16-bit songs that kept me entertained throughout the hundreds of hours of gameplay!”
- “I cannot harp enough about how fun and iconic this game's soundtrack is along with everything else about it.”
- “The music is fantastic and one of the best parts of the game too.”
- “I couldn't even figure out how to lift weights, etc. That was the last straw; this game is so boring and the music drove me insane!”
- “My problem is with the music!”
- “The soundtrack (same as gameplay) is very repetitive.”
humor
137 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its dark and quirky humor, featuring amusing dialogue from inmates and guards, as well as absurd situations that arise during gameplay. Players appreciate the clever references and the lighthearted take on prison life, which adds a comedic layer to the challenges of escaping. While some find the humor repetitive over time, the overall consensus is that the game successfully blends fun and humor, making it an enjoyable experience.
- “Dark humor galore: from prison slang to bizarre escape attempts, the game revels in its twisted sense of humor.”
- “Hilarious circumstances, I mean, what other game lets you skip breakfast in a prison and then get electrocuted while running on a treadmill.”
- “The escapists is a wonderful little game that hilariously simulates the dull & habitual routines of prison life.”
replayability
98 mentions
51 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its diverse escape methods, community-created content, and various challenges, allowing players to continually engage with new strategies and experiences. While some users noted a decline in replay value after completing initial prisons, the addition of custom maps and ongoing community support significantly enhances the game's longevity. Overall, many players find the game addictive and enjoyable, with a strong emphasis on creativity and exploration in gameplay.
- “Endless replayability: different prisons, challenges, and DLC keep you coming back for one more daring breakout.”
- “The game is very fun and addictive, while having a huge replay value since you can escape a prison in so many different ways.”
- “The final point that makes it replayable is obviously the workshop; people are making prisons daily that it's almost infinite replayability.”
- “Assuming you do though, this game doesn't have a lot of replay value; it was designed so players progress through prisons, so you will not have a lot of hours in any given prison unless those hours are spent grinding and developing an escape arsenal.”
- “The problem with this game is you beat 1 or 2 prisons and then it starts to lose replay value very quickly.”
- “I would not recommend this game, this game does not have much replay value and is pretty high priced for what it is.”
stability
93 mentions
5 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting a variety of bugs and glitches, ranging from minor graphical issues to more disruptive gameplay problems. While some players find these bugs to be minor and not significantly detrimental to their experience, others express frustration over persistent issues that can lead to game-breaking scenarios. Despite the stability concerns, many still enjoy the gameplay, suggesting that the fun factor often outweighs the technical shortcomings.
- “Great! All I have to say is that there are no glitches in the game.”
- “I love it! No glitches, fun gameplay, and hard challenges.”
- “Runs great, no lag.”
- “There are so many bugs, glitches, or just missing things.”
- “Overall, it's a badly implemented frustrating buggy time sink that will serve only to get under your skin.”
- “As much as I would love to recommend this to people, I don't because the glitches and dumb things the game does will make you not want to play for days or maybe weeks.”
atmosphere
12 mentions
58 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a blend of catchy music, fluid guard dialogue, and pixel graphics that create a cartoonish yet immersive experience, balancing a relaxed vibe with an underlying oppressive tone. Players appreciate the engaging prison environment, which enhances the puzzle-solving elements and evokes a sense of urgency and resourcefulness. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both enjoyable and fitting for a prison-themed game, despite some mixed feelings about its intensity.
- “The music is catchy, the guard dialogue is very fluid and atmospheric, and the pixel graphics suit the cartoonish combat and lighten what would otherwise be a very dark theme.”
- “Honestly, just the atmosphere in this game, and the feel of it.”
- “All in all, if you are interested in playing a puzzle game with an immersive prison break atmosphere to it and you don't have a problem with occasionally rage quitting, then give this a try.”
- “The atmosphere is oppressive and reminded me of the time I was in a mental hospital in real life.”
- “The atmosphere is also off.”
- “Such an amazing game; it combines skills and resourcefulness to an unforgiving atmosphere.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly even on low-end laptops, with only occasional performance issues attributed to older hardware. Users appreciate the game's fun mechanics and graphics, noting that it performs well across a range of systems.
- “Very fun, cheap, and it runs smoothly on terrible laptops!”
- “The game has great music, and good performance on any computer.”
- “It has amazing graphics and it runs smoothly, except sometimes, but that's just because my computer is slow, so it's not their fault.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the monetization strategy, particularly the intrusive pop-up ads for DLC that appear at the main menu, which detracts from the gaming experience. This approach is seen as inappropriate for a pixel art game, leading some players to consider uninstalling the game altogether.
- “Quite honestly, I'm tempted to remove it simply because of the pop-up every time you reach the main menu advertising their DLC.”
- “How is it acceptable to put ads as pop-ups in a pixel art game?”
- “While it may be boring to sit in a room clicking on a book or a PC, it adds some limitation to how fast you can actually escape the prison.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players express strong emotional reactions to the game, highlighting moments of heartbreak when losing hard-earned items or narrowly escaping capture. The tension of close calls, such as being caught just before achieving a goal, adds to the game's emotional impact.
- “Otherwise, you may want to cry when all your hard-earned items are taken away by a guard.”
- “Heartbreaking.”
- “Seriously, I was escaping a prison and a guard noticed me, so I did a little Benny Hill around a bush and he lost me (somehow). I was literally touching the end, and then they got me.”
- “The story was heartbreaking and left me feeling empty.”
- “I expected an emotional journey, but it fell flat and felt forced.”
- “The characters' struggles were supposed to be moving, but I found them unrelatable and dull.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
While the pixel graphics are charming, players feel that the character development is hindered by a lack of detail and variety, particularly with duplicate characters among inmates. A custom character designer is suggested as a feature that could significantly enhance the game's appeal.
- “Even though it has pixel graphics, it could benefit from a more detailed character designer, especially for the other inmates, as there are often duplicates of characters.”
- “What would truly enhance the game is a custom character designer.”
- “Even though it's pixel graphics, it could use a more detailed character designer, even for the other inmates, as there are always duplicates of characters.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of unique traits and backstories for the characters; they all blend together and feel forgettable.”