The Escape Tales: The Awakening demo is officially on Steam, and I recommend you pick it up if you enjoy puzzles, escape rooms, or the board game it is based on. Full disclosure, I was asked to cover the demo, but these will be my honest impressions.
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What is Escape Tales: The Awakening
Escape Tales is a series of escape room board games. Bluekey Games has taken it upon themselves to turn the popular series into a video game. Players must solve puzzles to progress through a story where their choices matter.
You play as Sam who has lost his wife is on the verge of losing his daughter. His daughter has fallen into a mysterious coma without a cure in sight. A man gives him “The Book of Rituals”. Desperate for a solution, Sam embarks on the most frightening night of his life as he has to solve puzzles and face off against dark forces. Will he be able to get his little girl back, or will they both become lost to the darkness?
Gameplay
The demo has you clearing the first room of the story. It is a short demo. If you’re good at puzzles, it shouldn’t take you more than an hour. Players receive a solid hook to the story and must gather clues to solve the room. The game is a giant point-and-click puzzle game with no time limit. I appreciate that there is no time limit because it allows me to enjoy the game at my own pace. The game boasts having multiple answers, endings, and choices that matter. That is yet to be seen, but it is an exciting feature if done correctly.
The puzzle is hard, and creative, but manageable if you’re paying attention. The game is very generous with clues and will offer solutions if you get stuck. People who do a lot of escape rooms shouldn’t have a problem with the puzzle, but it’s nice to have for some of the less obvious solutions.
The game features tools to help them on their journey. Players can use the on-screen notepad to jot down notes or use their mouse to write over the puzzle. I know some people will prefer the feel of pencil and paper, but this is a great feature for those who like to have everything in one place.
Impressions
I know I’ve only played the demo, but I am already addicted. The flavor is great, the puzzles are challenging, and the story is interesting. My only complaint is that one of the puzzles was hard to make out. It might have been a personal issue, but I felt like the image was a bit too blurry, other than that, the game feels like it is going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to try out the whole game. Stay tuned for that.
If you like puzzle games, love escape rooms, or enjoy the board game series, you need to try this demo. It offers a solid taste of what to expect and will leave you wanting more. You can download the Escape Tales: The Awakening demo now on Steam.
Good article about escape tales.