The Escapists

A dynamic, fun, and challenging experience in a unique setting. The simple presentation belies the complexity and variety of gameplay. Gamers looking for a cerebral puzzler with a high replay value would be well-advised to check it out. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable prison experience.

Fiendish and dependent on your own crafting legwork, this is time you'll never regret doing. [Apr 2015, p.76]

If you’re not afraid of a little experimentation, then it would be a crime to not check out The Escapists.

Despite its foibles, The Escapists is a gratifying game that provides dozens of hours of entertainment. Planning an escape and watching it unfold is endlessly satisfying, and a successful breakout leaves you feeling jubilant.

I’m pretty sure this won’t appeal to a lot of people. It can be bone-crushingly hard at times and difficult to get into. 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.

If you enjoy crafting and planning, while potentially starting a riot, then The Escapists could be the game you’re looking for.

It’s a clever game that’s not afraid to be challenging, and a very enjoyable puzzle if you don’t mind it also being a touch vague, often repetitive, and happy to quickly get as hard as figuring out an actual prison break.

Otherwise it is an experience full of variety due to the complexity of each prison, and a challenge to escape that demands your time and instills pressure.

Ironically enough this prison game convinces with its freedom. Every element is present for a satisfying escape. It does take some patience though.

A good and almost unique mix of puzzle-game, management and RPG, with solid mechanics and a big sense of freedom, but at the same time a bit too much repetitive in the long run.

The Escapists brings an amazing idea into a good game, which will be surely enjoyed by people who want to feel the thrill of the escape. But boredom is lurking, and frustration could be around the corner.

An intriguing strategy game. Learn the patterns, plan your escape and execute it. Nice difficulty curve and a good variety of options make a really clever game.

Mixing lovely 8-bit graphics, puzzle solving and managing aspects, The Escapists offers an original experience. Escaping can be fun, but it will also require patience and a lot of trial and error, especially when it come to the most complex prisons. It lacks any form of cooperation with the AI controlled inmates, and that's a shame.

Although good, the gameplay becomes a tad too repetitive in the long run.

An escape from a prison can be quite a fun. The tactical strategy The Escapist is almost-perfect simulator of chronic runaway hero, and it is just up to the players to overcome their own resistance to the archaic look of the game and accept some of its controversial rules.

An original and challenging game, maybe a bit too complex and repetitive.

It looks like a game for children but it definitely presents a challenge for adults. Very well conceived, not really merciful and full of crafting ideas that makes us genuinely surprised, The Escapist suffers a bit from redundancy and a lack of storytelling. But in the end, it still is a very entertaining (and joyfully painful) experience.

Patience is a virtue. [Apr 2015, p.87]

It has a good crafting system and some interesting ideas, but it's not as exciting as a series of prison breaks should be. [March 2015, p.60]

The Escapists is a conceptually interesting puzzle game about escaping from prison, but the gameplay is not fully thought out.

I do wish that you could do something unexpected to help break up the monotony, like start a prison riot. Or form dance troupe with your fellow inmates.

The Escapists implores you to dig deep for your strategy, but it doesn't offer enough excitement along the way. The concept is sound; I just wish I had more fun. I like the idea of The Escapists better than the game it actually is.