Credit to Team 17 for all creative assets featured

So recently I had the chance to play The Escapists before release and try my hardest to escape prison, it is definitely much harder than it looks...


As you already know I am a huge indie title fan especially ones which involve crafting and actually having to think about your next move.

In this game you play as a prisoner and you have to escape from prison, sounds super easy right?

Well not if you don't have your escape plan completely well executed. You spend your days working out (to gain stamina and strength) and swapping/trading with other inmates, as well as picking up a job within the prison to earn yourself a bit of money. Also doing a small 'favour' for an inmate can also come in handy, just don't question when they're asking you to find them a weapon....

Working out at the gym to gain various specs

So using these techniques you can build up some fitness levels and then use items you've crafted or swapped to escape without fail, or not.
I can safely say I haven't managed a successful escape as of yet....however I totally recommend looking at peoples crafting guides (there are already a few floating about on the web) as I spent ages trying to create a decent weapon. There are over 200 items in game you can find, so it's a bit overwhelming at times!

You can steal uniforms from officers and see how long you can pretend to be an officer before afternoon roll call, then when they realise you're missing leg it! However this always doesn't work when don't have a decent way to shovel your way out. This is just one of the many ways you can try and escape, or if you're feeling super confident you can try and take over the prison, this technique I failed at miserably, but I will eventually be able to become the prison King!

Morning roll call, if you're missing those damn guards will know!

The game is pretty addictive, and just like other indie titles I've played after what feels like an hour turns out to be 5 hours, you end up becoming absorbed.  I especially loved figuring out little ways you can make the rest of the inmates your friends and then have an all out prison brawl....this could just be my technique however.

The game was really easy to plunge straight into, as you can spend a few in-game days getting to grips with the prison layout. Personally I spent my first hour just exploring the prison and building up my strength as 'Tom' had it out for me, that bloody Tom.



Overall I don't really have anything bad to say about this game, except from that it can become exceptionally frustrating at times. But I am really enjoying it, I even let the boyfriend have a go and he was soon absorbed and stayed up way past his bedtime playing!

If you're into easily addictive indie games which involve a slight bit of brain power behind it, I'd totally pick this up. I played it on Xbox One and loved it, but you can also get it on PC!

Check out more about the game here