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''The Escapists'' is a
strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
game played from a
top-down perspective A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions ...
. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
,
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
,
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
and
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
. It was released on
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and
Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
in 2017. A
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
version of the game containing all downloadable content was released in 2018. The game was launched on the Epic Games Store on 23 September 2021, with the weekly free game campaign of
Epic Games Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, M ...
. Players assume the role of an
inmate A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty. Reviewers praised the freedom of approach the game offered players, yet some were frustrated by the trial-and-error approach required to learn its systems. A sequel, '' The Escapists 2'', was released in 2017.


Gameplay

In ''The Escapists'', the player, who assumes the role of a prisoner, must escape from six primary prisons ranging from very easy to very hard. Each time a prison is escaped the next prison is unlocked. There are additional prisons released as
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
(DLC) which can be played in any order regardless of the player's progress. In the beginning, the player selects their name and can choose the names of prisoners and guards if desired. Once the names are selected the game starts from day 1 waking up in the player character's cell. Players can acquire various items to aid in their escape by buying or stealing them from other inmates, or by crafting them by combining two or three items, such as toothpaste and talcum powder which crafts putty that a key can be imprinted then moulded with. Players can do favours for fellow inmates, once the favour is completed the player is rewarded a certain amount of money based on the inmate's opinion of the player. Inmate favours can range from getting them a roll of duct tape to distracting the guards at roll call. Engaging in exercise and using the library allows players to levels up their characters statics such as strength, speed, and intelligence which improves their abilities and their chance of escape. Each prison has their own daily routines, such as meals, work, exercise and showers. An inmate can skip a meal, showers and exercise without much penalty, however, all roll calls are mandatory and lockdowns will occur if the player character does not attend. Inmates must be careful to hide all contraband as guards will periodically search the inmates' desks, and if caught with contraband, it is removed from their inventory and the player is sent into
solitary confinement Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use additi ...
and any damage such as chipped walls, broken vents and tunnels are repaired and the weapon is removed. There are a number of escape methods including inciting riots, via vents, tunnels, roofs, among others. Each prison has layers of security ranging from electric fences to chip resistant high walls. The prisoner will generally need various weapons to win a fight with inmates or guards. There are many types of weapons such as a guard's baton or plastic fork.


Development and release

''The Escapists'' is the second game by Chris Davis' one man studio. Davis raised £7,131 for the game through
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
in November 2013, this allowed him to commit full-time to game development for the first time in his career. Unlike his first title, ''Spud's Quest'', Davis signed a publishing deal with Team17 to better market the game. Team17 contributed the tutorial and ported the game to
Unity Unity may refer to: Buildings * Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building * Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper * Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England * Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...
for Xbox One support. The game was inspired by the 1984 video game ''
Skool Daze ''Skool Daze'' is a computer game released by Microsphere in 1984 for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 home computers. It was written by David Reidy, with graphics designed by Keith Warrington. The game was commercially and critically successful, ...
'', one of Davis's favourite titles. Davis limited the hint system and the tutorial to encourage experimentation by the players. He hoped that by allowing players to discover the solution themselves, they would feel a greater sense of achievement. For inspiration, Davis watched prison films and researched prison escapes. The game was released for
Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
Early Access in August 2014. Feedback from the early access release allowed Davis to improve the game, such as by adjusting the difficulty. It allowed him to experiment with ideas and solicit suggestions from the player community. Davis stated that, "the community is what made the game into what it is", and that "Early Access has been a really good experience for the game." The full game was released in February 2015.


Downloadable content

There are five
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
(DLC) packages available for the game. The first DLC, "Fhurst Peak Correctional Facility" was originally added as a bonus prison for Early Access players, but was added as DLC due to popular demand as an extra prison. The second DLC, titled "Alcatraz", is based on the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. It was released for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox One on 2 April 2015. "Escape Team", the third DLC package was released on 30 June 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It allows to play as four different prisoners, as opposed to one. The four characters are based on the A-Team. "Duct Tapes are Forever", the fourth DLC, was released on 3 November 2015 for PC and PlayStation 4, and 4 November for the Xbox One. It is
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
themed, with the player assuming the role of a super-spy, trying to escape from an evil villain's lair. The fifth DLC package, "Santa's Sweatshop", was released for free on 8 December 2015 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.


Reception

''The Escapists'' received generally positive reviews, with Windows and Xbox versions holding scores of 71 out of 100 and 74 out of 100 respectively on
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. Reviews highlighted the freedom in approach that the game allowed, and reviewers told stories of their break outs. ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' writer Cameron Woolsey described tunnelling his way out, ''
Official Xbox Magazine ''Official Xbox Magazine'' (or OXM for short) was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. Th ...
'' (''OXM'') writer Andy Kelly, described hiding his ventilation system escape by crafting a fake papier-mâché vent cover, while ''
X-One ''XONE'' (formerly ''X360'') was a monthly magazine produced by Imagine Publishing in the United Kingdom. XONE was the UK's #1 selling independent dedicated Xbox 360 and Xbox One magazine, covering news, previews and reviews. The magazine's commu ...
'' Dom Peppiatt straightforwardly shivved a guard and stole his keys. Reviewers were mixed on the learning curve presented by the game, even positive reviews such as ''OXM''s acknowledged that the game "won't be for everyone", requiring "patience and a creative mind" in the player. Without an in depth tutorial, ''X-One'' believed the game "perhaps relies a little too heavily on trial-and-error". Kimberley Wallace, writing at ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' found this trial-and-error approach frustrating, finding herself "constantly punished for mistakes and losing progress" due to outcomes which were impossible to predict. On the other hand, she felt this level of challenge contributed to "a grand sense of accomplishment when you win". ''Game Informer'' criticized the interaction with other inmates as shallow and artificial, requiring the player to perform "boring favours" to "just
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a meter". Richard Cobbett, writing for
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, noted that how despite the "adorable
16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two mos ...
style graphics", he would quickly perceive fellow prison inmates without empathy as "pure puzzle game piece rather than characters. He also stated "As a mix of sandbox, puzzle and open-world action, The Escapists offers something fresh and entertaining." ''OXM'' felt the game had character, citing the
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s' "amusing non sequiturs and pop culture references". Dan Whitehead at
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
agreed, praising the game's "thriving social element" which make it easy to get "sucked into the petty vendettas and mini dramas of day to day prison life." Eurogamer recommended the game, concluding that while it had minor frustrations, "there's nothing here that really spoils what is an otherwise delightful and endlessly surprising game". GameSpot finished by saying the game would provide hours of gratifying entertainment, and with the developer working on tools for
user-generated content User-generated content (UGC), alternatively known as user-created content (UCC), is any form of content, such as images, videos, text, testimonials, and audio, that has been posted by users on online platforms such as social media, discussion f ...
, it could provide even more in the future.


Legacy

'' The Escapists: The Walking Dead'', also known as ''The Escapists: The Walking Dead Edition'', is a standalone spin-off developed by Team17 released 2015–2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It merges the core gameplay of ''The Escapists'' with the characters, locations and theme of ''The Walking Dead'' comic books. Another spin-off, ''The Survivalists'', where the player has to survive on an abandoned island, was announced on 10 December 2019, as part of a Nintendo Indie World showcase and is planned for a 2020 release on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. A sequel, titled '' The Escapists 2'', which introduces
multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
, was released for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
,
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
on 22 August 2017. A version for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
was released on 11 January 2018, and iOS and Android ports on 31 January 2019.


Notes


References


External links

*
The Escapists
at
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