Escape Simulator takes the classic escape room formula and turns it into a solid first-person solo, or co-op, video game. Created by developer Pine Studios, the same team behind the mystery game Academy: The First Riddle, Escape Simulator gives players a wide assortment of clever puzzles to solve and little collectibles to search for.
Escape Simulator offers three thematic adventures: The Labyrinth of Egypt, Adrift in Space, and Edgewood Manor. Each of these adventures are made up of five total rooms that slowly get more difficult as players progress. Players are allowed to choose any room in each theme at any time, which makes for easy progression and less frustration if a puzzle becomes too difficult.
Once a room is chosen, Escape Simulator gives players 15 minutes to solve their way out of it and open the locked door. Players are still allowed to continue their sleuthing even after the timer runs out, so getting things done on time becomes more of an achievement and less a necessity. There are also little hidden tokens scattered throughout the rooms that can be collected, and although they have no use, it's a nice little extra to draw some more gameplay out of the 4-5 hours it takes to complete the game.
Puzzles and Gameplay in Escape Simulator
As with most escape rooms in real life, the main goal of each room is to get out of it. Utilizing a multitude of puzzles, Escape Simulator does a good job of keeping things fresh with each theme. From multi-stage logic puzzles to simple "key goes in lock" scenarios, nothing ever feels unfair. There are very rare moments of guessing, but the answer to any puzzle is always around somewhere, and there are many "a-ha!" moments throughout the game.
If some of the puzzles end up being too difficult, Escape Simulator has a two-player online co-op mode. Choose the desired room and the game will generate a server lobby code for the other player to join. Some rooms do tend to be a bit small for multiple players, but navigating around each other doesn't cause too much of a headache. Sadly, Escape Simulator does not provide voice chat so third-party software, like Discord, will be required for communication.
Build Your Own Escape Room in Escape Simulator
Alongside the 15 levels included with Escape Simulator is a custom room editor, allowing players to create their own puzzles and upload them to Steam Workshop. The system is quite in-depth and makes use of logic-chains in a simple-to-understand way. Adjusting and placement of items can be cumbersome, but with a little practice and patience, the systems are easy enough to understand. Downloading custom maps is simple with the Steam Workshop and will add longevity to the game itself.
Overall, Escape Simulator is a great way to experience an escape room without leaving the house. The smooth gameplay and realistically solvable puzzles make for an enjoyable experience. Player-created rooms will undoubtedly only add to the value and make Escape Simulator an easy purchase for puzzle fans.
Escape Room is available on PC. A digital Steam copy was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.