Coin Crew Games is expanding the scope of its puzzle adventure with Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School. The sequel returns to the titular institution, weaving intricate puzzles into courses like Arts and Sciences, while also introducing more dangerous escape room scenarios. A significant shift in this iteration is the adoption of an open-campus structure, allowing players to freely explore the grounds. Access to various rooms, challenges, and curriculum content is now gated by puzzle completion and resource gathering.
Whether playing solo or in local or online co-op, players will need to solve a range of puzzles to advance the narrative and complete objectives. Puzzle designer Jacob Surovsky noted that the open world has enabled the team to incorporate greater diversity in puzzle types. "A big part of our development process is testing, and we playtest to make sure that what we're asking the player to do is reasonable to do in the amount of time we're asking you to do it," Surovsky stated.
The open-world design also permits Coin Crew Games to move away from the strict timer limitations that characterized the first Escape Academy. Puzzles can now be encountered and contemplated at the player's own pace, without the pressure of a ticking clock. An example of this design evolution is a jumping puzzle encountered during an Extra Credit side quest. To acquire items from a storehouse, players first need to earn 'Escape Bucks,' which can be found scattered throughout the campus or through optional challenges. One such challenge involves climbing tall buildings to tag them with paint.
While the inclusion of platforming mechanics like jumping adds an interesting dynamic and variety, it may not appeal to all puzzle enthusiasts. This flexibility, however, allows players to choose how they engage with the game's challenges. "We want to give the players, with the Extra Credit especially, options in how they choose to engage with the puzzles, and which puzzles they choose to engage with," Surovsky explained. "The Extra Credit kind of gave us the biggest axis of freedom of design."
This approach allows Coin Crew Games to offer more demanding puzzles for those seeking them. The game features complex challenges, including one that involves guiding a lab rat through an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine. This particular puzzle required deciphering cryptic clues based on color association and phonetic inferences, utilizing elements like trampolines, paper airplanes, and train tracks to guide the rat to its objective.
The denser, more involved puzzles are a highlight, encouraging players to take notes and strategize. Despite some minor graphical glitches and small issues noted during an early look, which are not uncommon for games in development, the overall presentation appears promising. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School aims to build upon the foundation of its charming co-op predecessor by broadening its horizons without sacrificing its core puzzle-solving identity. The initial impression suggests that this expansion is proving successful.