Escape Simulator is a first-person puzzle game that can be played solo or in an online co-op. While I enjoyed playing it on my solo runs as well, I honestly think that its strength and most fun is the co-op mode with friends: it will require communication for sure, but two brains is better than one…two or more, depending on how popular you are. The rooms have been tested for a maximum cap of 10 players, even if the suggested amount is three: bear in mind that the rooms have limited dimensions, so while more eyes for sure help observing, more bodies hide stuff from sight.

The objective of the game is to work your brain to escape a room by solving all the puzzles and riddles that will lead you outside its locked door. In order to do that you will need to study your surroundings, analyze notes, books and objects scattered or hidden in the room, find patterns and cross-reference multiple clues to untangle the mysteries of the room you’re trapped in. The puzzles vary a lot when it comes to dynamics and difficulty: you won’t always have clear instructions on what to do, and you’ll have to trust your observation and intuition to connect the dots. While this can be frustrating when you are facing a very intricate puzzle, the fact that it implies a certain degree of difficulty also gives you a great feeling once of the riddles is completed, like in a real escape room. Who doesn’t like a good challenge afterall? Well, if the answer is you and you’re stuck, you can always ask for a hint -in the form of a little schematic drawing- by pressing the question mark panel near the door and save yourself some real headache. Note that this feature, available for a limited number of times per room, is only present in the official rooms released with the game.

Egypt is by far my favorite one, making the player feel like he is teleported back in time, or on an archeological mission. Indiana Jones vibes, anyone? Each room looks like it could fit into an history or art book, with the attention the designers put into architecture, artifacts, even colors. Throughout all the rooms you constantly have the feeling the puzzles have been buried for thousands of years underneath the sands, waiting to be discovered and solved…may it be keys trapped in sarcophaguses, burning offerings to an Egyptian God to grant your passage, you really feel a mystical and ceremonial touch as you progress like a real archeologist in your adventure and uncover the great secrets of Egypt.

Adrift in Space teleports you on a deserted spaceship that has been hit by debris, and it’s now heading straight into the sun. In this setting rich of metal panels, artificial lights, cables and breathtaking views into space, you’ll have to improvise yourself scientist and mechanical engineer at the same time. Before my playthrough I thought I was a fine engineer, until it came to solving the cleverly thought mechanical and chemical puzzles you will find in the spaceship. If you love a science theme room with matching puzzles, then this one is definitely for you.

Edgewood mansion is Beatmatch’s favorite, by absolutely no surprise: I think the old British victorian mansion makes him feel right at home afterall, and he can play Sherlock Holmes in those packed rooms. The theme of them is quite peculiar: you feel like you’re a high intellect in this setting, with puzzles related to therapy and medicine, clues hidden in dusty books on the shelves in the library, journals and family photographs, just waiting for a clever mind to piece them together and fill the blanks in the story. While playing this setting you will definitely get lost in time, just being another British detective…go figure.

Omega HQ is the final setting -so far- and was released after launch as a free DLC. Buckle up on this one buckoo, because I don’t know whether I am in a high-tech company with a kink for privacy, or in a government owned building that tries to appear less scary to keep the curious out… Who knows, I doubt we will get an official answer (especially because I think it is the second option). You will have to solve technical puzzles and more computed-related puzzles in this one, that go from writing programs to reading corrupted floppy disks (for the young out there, those are the things before USBs), or riding an elevator that has more locks than Fort Knox. You are going to have to whip out your inner nerd for this one, and it is really enjoyable.

Escape Simulator features a very enjoyable cartoony graphic with soft lines and vibrant full colors. Leaving aside the fact that I personally love it, I think it also contributes to make the game feel more relaxed and casual. It is true that your objective is escaping, but there is no time restriction for you to accomplish it, so you really have the time to think without stressing over the clock and savor the nice details the rooms offer.