Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Escape Tales: The Awakening to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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What is Escape Tales: The Awakening?
Escape Tales: Awakening is the video game adaptation of the board game of the same name. This is a escape room game where players need to solve puzzles to complete the narrative. There is a demo available that gives players the perfect snapshot of what to expect.
After his daughter falls into a mysterious coma, Sam is desperate to find the cure. A friend comes to him with a meritorious book and ominous intentions. Sam quickly begins flipping through the book and completing its rituals in hopes that it will mean his daughter’s salvation, but it might have been more than Sam bargained for. Sam must now survive a strange night filled with horrors as he tries to solve various puzzles. Can Sam save his daughter before it is too late?
Gameplay
Escape Tales: The Awakening is a point and click narrative. Players will click through a room collecting clues and trying to solve the various puzzles. There is no time limit to rush players through the game, but there is a stamina system that affects the ending. Players use stamina to explore each room for clues and can meditate to regain stamina. Meditating triggers an event like a memory, but meditating too many times will affect the outcome of the story.
Review
If you enjoy Escape Rooms and puzzles games, Escape Tales might be a good solution. The story is fine, but the puzzles are challenging enough to keep things engaging. There are a few puzzles that feel the same, but there is enough variety and creativity between them that I will let it slide. Puzzle difficulty does vary. Some puzzles are strait forward and easy, others might require a guide or a couple of hints. I do like that the game has built in tools to help players solve the puzzles. There is a note pad and players, but most importantly, players can resize, manipulate, and mark up the clues. Some might prefer pen and paper, but it is a handy feature.
I have mixed feelings about the stamina system. On one hand, I like the events that it triggers. Thematically, it is fantastic flavor to see the affects of the night slowly eating away at Sam, but it also feels punishing to have the outcome tied to this system. It might have been done to add a bit of replayability, but I don’t think I liked the game enough to give it another go. At least not for a while. It is not a deal breaker, but it is something to think about.
Regardless of this fact, Escape Tales: The Awakening is a solid puzzle game and I recommend it to people who enjoy escape rooms. The game offers a nice challenge, has a decent narrative to follow, and it is a pretty laid back experience regardless of the dark themes.
You can pick Escape Tales: The Awakening on Steam for $7.99.