If there is one thing Escape Academy does better than I expected when I first played it, it is making you feel like you are actually inside an escape room, only without having to physically go somewhere, spend a bunch of money, and realize five minutes later that you are the only person in the room who can't see the obvious solution.
That's why I was particularly interested in trying Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School at Gamescom. The sequel doesn't try to completely change what made the first game work. Instead, it takes the core idea and gives it a much larger space to play in. After what I got to see and play, it feels like the developers are taking the series in exactly the right direction.
From Escape Rooms to an Entire Campus
The first Escape Academy built its formula around a fairly simple idea: you enter a room, are given a series of puzzles, search for clues, connect the information, and try to escape before the timer runs out. Simple to understand, but surprisingly fun to play. Escape Academy 2 doesn't abandon that formula. Escape rooms are still at the heart of the experience. The difference is that there is now much more to do between them. The campus is no longer just decoration between two puzzles. It becomes one huge puzzle area of its own. You can walk around the school, explore different parts of the campus, discover hidden passages, talk to characters and solve smaller puzzles that aren't necessarily part of the main escape rooms. And that immediately changes the feel of the game. Instead of simply moving through a series of separate levels, you get the impression that you are actually in a school. Well, maybe not a school I'd want to send my kid to, because there is a pretty good chance that some room will try to lock them inside, but definitely a school with personality.
Time to Make Your Brain Work Overtime
During the presentation, I had the chance to try several of the puzzles, and my first impression was very positive. What I liked most is that the game doesn't try to beat you simply by hiding the solution somewhere completely illogical. The puzzles generally make sense, but they still force you to stop, look at what is in front of you and connect the information. And that moment when everything suddenly clicks is exactly what makes escape room games so satisfying. First, you look at one object. Then another. Then you read a clue. And suddenly you realize that the little detail you completely ignored a minute ago was actually the key to everything. And then comes that familiar:
“Wait… of course!”
The puzzles I tried were challenging enough to make me think, but I never felt like the game was deliberately trying to frustrate me. That's especially important in this kind of game when you're playing co-op. Because nobody wants to spend 15 minutes staring at the same object while their friend says over Discord:
“Dude, it's literally right in front of you.”
Co-op Is Still One of the Biggest Strengths
If you've played the first Escape Academy, you probably already know how well this formula works when another person joins in. In fact, some puzzles become more interesting specifically because you have to communicate. One person finds a symbol. The other notices something on the opposite side of the room. A third piece of information is sitting on an object you've both completely ignored. And then someone puts everything together. Escape Academy 2 keeps that same sense of cooperation, while the more open campus could potentially make it even more interesting. Now you're not just solving one room together. You also have an entire space to explore, characters to talk to and smaller puzzles that can pull you away from the main path. That creates a greater sense of freedom in how you approach the content.
The Academy Is Hiding More Than It Seems
Another thing that caught my attention was the story. The first Escape Academy mostly used its story as a fun framework connecting its different challenges. Here, it feels like the developers want to take things a little further. There is a mystery surrounding the origins of the Academy, along with some darker details that give the world a bit more weight. That doesn't mean Escape Academy 2 is suddenly trying to become a serious thriller. It's still a game that knows how to be funny and a little ridiculous. But having something behind the Academy that you actually want to investigate gives you another reason not to simply rush from one escape room to the next. I want to see what is really going on behind the Academy and how important that story will be once we get our hands on the full game.
The Campus Could Be the Biggest Change
The more open approach to the campus could be the thing that most clearly separates Escape Academy 2 from its predecessor. In the first game, the focus was very straightforward: solve the room and move on. Here, there is much more space between those larger challenges. You can explore, talk to characters, search for hidden passages and come across smaller problems that make you think even when you're not inside one of the main escape rooms. That could create a really nice balance between the larger, carefully designed puzzle sections and more relaxed exploration. Of course, the pacing will be one of the things that needs to prove itself in the full game. I only saw a small part of the experience at the show, so I can't say yet whether this more open approach will remain interesting throughout the entire game or eventually turn into another place you simply walk through between the main puzzles. But the idea definitely works.
A Sequel That Doesn't Fix What Wasn't Broken
One of the things I like most about Escape Academy 2 is that it doesn't feel like a sequel desperately searching for a way to be “bigger and more serious.” The basic formula is still there. Puzzles are still the heart of the experience. Co-op is still important. The humor is still present. But now all of those elements have a much larger space in which to work. That's a much smarter approach than changing the game's identity simply to make the sequel feel different from the original. If you enjoyed the first Escape Academy, you'll feel at home here pretty quickly. Only now that home is much bigger and filled with doors that you probably shouldn't be opening. Of course, that's going to be the first thing you do.
First Impressions from Gamescom
As always with games I get to try at a show, it's important not to jump to final conclusions. This was a demo/presentation rather than the complete experience, so we still don't have a clear picture of the overall length, campaign pacing or exactly how much the campus will have to offer once the full game is released. But what I played was enough to get me interested. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School feels like a sequel that understands what made the first game fun and expands that formula without overcomplicating it.
What I'm most interested in is the new campus and the possibility that there will actually be things worth exploring between the main escape rooms. If the developers can maintain the quality of the puzzles and a good pace throughout the game, this could be a very nice step forward for the series.
If you enjoyed the first Escape Academy, this sequel is definitely worth keeping on your radar.
As for me, Escape Academy 2 is one of those games I left Gamescom with a smile on my face — which, honestly, is a pretty good sign for a game whose main job is to make you think.
