First details leak out from Escape Simulator 2

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Sequel to popular 2021 solo or multiplayer co-op escape room puzzler in development for Windows, Mac and Linux

Funny thing about people who enjoy escape rooms: They keep finding new ways to get trapped inside them! Fortunately they'll have plenty more opportunity soon enough, as the upcoming Escape Simulator 2 looks to build on the popularity of its single- or multiplayer co-op puzzle predecessor. 

The original Escape Simulator was released in 2021 but it's barely slowed down since, with a variety of both free and commercial DLC expansions taking players to new environments, from the Wild West to a Mayan jungle, from a steampunk airship to the simulated world of The Talos Principle. For an encore, indie Croatian developer Pine Studio is sticking closely to what they know best, promising players "the series' most intricate escape rooms yet." Crafted in consultation with both "real-life escape room experts and legendary Escape Simulator community builders," the sequel will introduce a whole new variety of environments to explore and mysteries to solve, including "the fate of a stranded starship, the secrets of Count Dracula’s castle, and the hidden location of a cursed pirate treasure."

As with its predecessor, Escape Simulator 2 is a free-roaming, first-person 3D adventure that's playable either alone or cooperatively with friends, in this case up to eight players in total. This time, though, there will be "significant technical upgrades, including a new rendering engine, rewritten netcode, improved physics, and enhanced animations." It will also "explore darker themes and experiment with new gameplay and puzzle mechanics" across twelve brand new rooms filled with challenges to overcome, in which "every part of the room designed for interactivity." In Dracula's Castle, players must "step into the shadowy fortress, uncover its secrets, and free the town from a dark curse." In Starship EOS, you will "retrieve an energy source from a mysterious dark sphere" inside a stranded exploration vessel following a fateful collision. In The Cursed Treasure, you'll get to "follow a cryptic map to a pirate island, overcome treacherous trials, and claim the ancient treasure." And for those who like to design their own scenarios, a new Room Editor 2.0 will be included, allowing you to "create and share your dream escape rooms with an upgraded suite of tools including a brand-new lighting engine, building constructor, and animation editor."

No target release date for Escape Simulator 2 has been announced just yet, but the game is ready for wishlisting now on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux. In the meantime, you can get caught up on all the existing Escape Simulator content, including the numerous DLC and free fan-made content.

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