The Escapists free Mac Game

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4.2

191 MB

Strategy

Developer: Mouldy Toof Studios

Release date: 2014

Version: 0.759 + Full Game

Interface language: English

Tablet: Not required

Platform: Intel only

System requirements

Game Trailer Screenshots

The Escapists is a strategy game played from a top-down perspective. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released on iOS and Android in 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game containing all of the previous DLC was released in 2018. Players assume the role of an inmate and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty.

Reviews were generally favourable, praising 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 6 primary prisons ranging from very easy to very hard. Each time a prison is escaped the next prison is unlocked. There are also bonus prisons (DLC) which can be played in any order regardless of the players progress. Additional DLC prisons can be accessed by pressing the "Extra" option from the main menu.

In the beginning the player selects their name then can choose the names of prisoners and guards if desired. Once the names are selected the game starts from day 1 waking up in your 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 & 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 $25. Inmate favours can range from getting them a roll of duct tape to distracting the guards at roll call. A list of current favours can be found in the inmate's journal.

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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 & showers, an inmate can skip a meal, showers and exercise without much penalty, however, all roll calls are mandatory and lockdowns will occur if you do 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 and any damage such as chipped walls, broken vents and tunnels are repaired and your 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, the best of which is the Nunchuks or Whip. 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 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 from Unity for Xbox One support.

The game was inspired by the 1984 video game Skool Daze, 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 Early Access in August 2014. Feedback from the early access release allowed Davis to improve the game, such as by adjusting the difficulty. It also 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.