The controls were a bit rough to get used to, but end up working out after solving a few rooms. They definitely should have provided something for players that get stuck, even if it had a limited number of uses. There are no actual hints for when players get stuck. This game only offers the ability to turn on item hints which basically just shows you if an item is a key item or space filler. When you do an escape room in real life, they always provide a limited number of hints for when you get stuck. Thanks to this feature, this game does have some actual replay value. While I don't see a reason to replay the rooms you have already completed, the community behind this game is sure to start pumping out awesome escape rooms for players to start solving. You can easily tell what everything is and should be able to see everything fairly well thanks to the simplistic and colorful nature of the chosen art style. The graphics are pretty cartoonistic and have more effort put into the level itself than the characters, which was a smart choice. The music in the game is all very subtle and mainly there to just not leave the player in silence, but it is themed to whatever room you are doing. Neither the graphics nor the audio design in this game is really intriguing.
Escape simulator reviews how to#
I didn't see a tutorial on how to use these tools either, so that would have been something handy to have included for interested users.
Along with the initial fifteen levels they have set up in the game, they have also given this game a level designer for players to create their own escape rooms for others to solve! While I am not a handy level designer myself, it did seems to have all the tools you would need to set up the rooms however you wanted, but it may take some time to learn how to do this. Now, as for the part where I said this game has room to grow with the community. Then you can interact with the puzzle while looking at the notes at the same time.111 Once you pin it, you can move it around so it is where you want it to be on your screen. If you have a clue that you want to refer to while solving a puzzle, you can pin it with the icon that is found at the top of the screen while examining it. Press E while holding an item to examine it where you can move it around and interact with it. If you left-click while holding an item, you will throw it. Essentially, you left-click on the mouse to pick up an item and right-click while holding the item to put it in your inventory. There is also a trash bin in every room if you feel the clutter is a problem to solving the puzzles. You can collect items, throw items, examine items, interact with objects, and pin items. The controls are honestly a little rough to figure out when you start. This is handy if you are trying to find all of the hidden tokens that are scattered around each room to find, as they are the only collectible in the game but are consistently in each room.
However, if you go over the time limit the game doesn't kick you and still lets you finish it. The puzzles vary in style and there aren't very many lock-and-key puzzles, so be ready to actually use your mind to get through these.Įach room gives you a limited amount of time to complete and earn a trophy point for solving it within the time limit. They aren't very big rooms, so give it a quick look around, collect some items that seem important, and then start on the first puzzle. When you start a room, regardless if doing so solo or with a coop partner, it is completely up to you to figure out what to do and how to get started. When you start the game, they have a tutorial area that is designed like a kid’s room then three different environments with five puzzle rooms each – Egypt, Space, and Mansion. There aren't any explanations or stories given in any rooms, but they definitely put some life behind the designs of each room.
Just as you would expect from any escape room, you pick the room you want to solve and are thrown in to get started. Not only did this game get off on a strong foot with their initial rooms, but it is sure to grow into more with a community behind it.
Escape simulator reviews series#
They are putting players in a single room with a complex series of puzzles to solve in order to find their way out and using the freedom that developing a video game provides over a real-life escape room. While the realm of a video game invites a wider range of creativity, there is always room for more versions.īringing a more literal version of the escape room games that are designed more like the ones you can find in real life is Pine Studio with their game Escape Simulator. Following this popularity, there have been a handful of games developed with this concept in mind. Fans of puzzle games and general teamwork-based activities have been the customer base behind the rise in escape rooms’ popularity.