Escape Simulator 2 News

[p]Wow, what a launch! Huge thanks to everyone who waited (not so patiently) for the release today! 🎉[/p][p]
Escape Simulator 2 is a big project made by a small team. The game supports 15 languages and multiplayer for up to 8 players, which means a lot of different setups to test.[/p][p]If you find any problem or have a suggestion, please reach out to us through our Discord, the Steam forums, or by email at [email protected]

We are fully dedicated to improving and polishing the game with your feedback. We have already fixed a few issues. A small hotfix just dropped! Here's a changelog: [/p][p][/p]

• [p]Fixed Dracula 2 critical end key bug[/p]
• [p]Fixed Pirates 3 critical gunpowder bug[/p]
• [p]A lot of translation fixes (thank you for reporting)[/p]
• [p]Fixed a room editor issue that caused a crash[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Steam Review[/h3][p]We already have 14 positive reviews! If you’re enjoying the game so far, a quick Steam review would mean a lot.💖[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again, and happy escaping! 🗝️[/p]

[p]The wait is over! Escape Simulator 2 is officially available.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]For a limited time, you can get it 10% off! We also released the original soundtrack by our composer Saša Đukić and a bundle with Escape Simulator 1 for everyone discovering the Escape Sim world for the first time. [/p][p]New Trailer[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]🧩 What’s New[/h3][p]Escape Simulator 2 is a completely new game built from scratch.
At launch, it includes 12 brand new escape rooms, each much larger and more detailed than before. Expect around 50 minutes of playtime per room.

There is also a new Lobby, a shared hub where you and your friends can gather before entering the rooms. It is a place to display trophies, photos, and enter the darker puzzles, or just relax between sessions.
[/p][p][/p][p]
This sequel gave us a clean start and allowed us to push the escape room genre further. We explored darker themes, experimented with new puzzle ideas, and rebuilt many core systems like rendering, networking, physics, and animation to make the experience smoother and more immersive.[/p][h3]
⚙️ Under the Hood[/h3][p]We upgraded our engine and reworked many core systems.
The new autosave system saves your progress all the time. You can leave the game whenever you want and continue later from the exact same spot.[/p][p]It also enabled drop-in multiplayer, so you can invite friends mid-game and continue playing together instantly. Escaping as a team has never been easier.[/p][h3]
🪲 Bugs and Feedback[/h3][p]Escape Simulator 2 is a big project made by a small team.
In the last ten days alone we fixed over 1,000 bugs and issues. The game supports 15 languages and multiplayer for up to 8 players, which means a lot of different setups to test.[/p][p]If you find any problem or have a suggestion, please reach out to us through our Discord, the Steam forums, or by email at [email protected].

We are fully dedicated to improving and polishing the game with your feedback.[/p][p]A huge thank you goes to all our Closed Beta testers. You truly outdid yourselves and helped us make a better game. 💖

[/p][h3]🧱 Room Editor (Beta)[/h3][p]We decided to keep the Room Editor in BETA for now.
It includes many new tools and quality-of-life upgrades, but we did not have enough time to polish it to the level we wanted. We will continue improving it in the coming weeks, adding new props, fixing issues, and expanding its options.
Thank you to all our Builders for your patience and support.
The good news is that after the first week of polishing we will start our first ES2 Builders Competition!![/p][h3]
🔮 What’s Next[/h3][p]Our main focus in the next couple of weeks is to fix and polish everything you report.
We are already working on the next free room, which is coming very soon, and we have started planning the first DLC.
After that, we plan to continue adding new content to both Escape Simulator 1 and Escape Simulator 2.[/p][p]
We would love to see your screenshots and escape photos (that's a new thing)
If you share them on social media, please tag us on X, BlueSky, Instagram, or Facebook.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Happy escaping! Pine Team[/p]

[p]We’re kicking off something special!
Robin, our long-time community member and creator of fan-favorite rooms like It's All Led Up To This, The Glass Garden and Immortal Canvas, has joined our team to create a new video series for Escape Simulator 2 builders. Known for her calm voice and creative touch, she’ll guide you through everything new in the Room Editor 2.0.[/p][p]This first video takes you through the major upgrade to the Room Editor, showcasing new ways to shape floor plans, build multi-level spaces, add complex logic, use Lua scripting, and craft detailed lighting and atmosphere. It’s the ideal starting point for discovering how much more powerful and flexible building has become in Escape Simulator 2.[/p][p]Take a sneak peek at what’s new in the ES2 Room Editor:
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
See you soon in ES2! [/p][p]Pine team[/p]

[p]We are super excited, Escape Simulator 2 is almost here![/p][p]The release is just 6 days away, and the whole team is in full-on polish mode, fixing last-minute bugs and making sure everything runs smoothly. But most importantly, we are super hyped to show you our biggest game ever![/p][p]So here's everything you should know about Escape Simulator 2 before the release!

TLDR: [/p]

• [p]💻 Available on: PC (Windows, macOS)[/p]
• [p]🔓 Release time: Monday, October 27th, 4PM CET / 6AM PT / 9AM CST[/p]
• [p]💰 Price: $19.99 / €16.99 / 14.99 GBP / 2200 JPY / 799 ₽ / 65 ¥ (Launch Discount 10%)[/p]
• [p]🧩 Players: Solo or Online co-op up to 8 players[/p]
• [p]📦 Content on release: 12 all-new (bigger) rooms, darkest puzzles, room editor, more on the way[/p]
• [p]🕶️ VR version: Not on release, but probably coming later as a free update[/p]
• [p]🎮 Gamepad and SteamDeck support: Yes, Yes[/p]
• [p]🌍 Languages: 15, Polish and Russian are new[/p]

[p][/p][h3]🧩 What’s inside at launch[/h3][p]Escape Simulator 2 launches with 12 rooms across three themed worlds: Dracula’s Castle, Starship EOS, and The Cursed Treasure. The rooms are quite bigger than those in ES1 so you'll need 45-60 minutes per room. [/p][p]The game supports single-player and online co-op for up to 8 players, so you can explore and solve puzzles together from day one. There are small but very interesting differences between solo and multiplayer, but that's up to you to discover. [/p][p]There are new Darkest puzzles for some extra challenge, room editor for the builders, tokens, and a few secrets...[/p][h3][/h3][hr][/hr][h3]💰 About the price [/h3][p]Price: $19.99 / €16.99 / 14.99 GBP / 2200 JPY / 799 ₽ / 65 ¥ [/p][p]We decided to keep the same price as Escape Simulator 1 to make sure the sequel stays just as approachable. We also made sure that regional prices are adjusted fairly. Also for the first two week we are offering 10% off!
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🌍 Languages[/h3][p]Escape Simulator 2 will be available in 15 languages at launch.
We chose these languages based on our Escape Simulator 1 player data and the Steam hardware survey to reach as many players as possible.[/p][p]Translating Escape Simulator is a big challenge. Many puzzles rely on wordplay, hidden meanings, or visual clues that do not always translate easily.
Every in-game texture that contains text had to be manually localized, and we spent months making sure riddles still make sense in every language.[/p][p]We worked with a team of professional translators and carefully checked everything, but we know there might still be a few issues.
We will be monitoring your reports closely and will fix any translation problems as soon as possible.
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🛠️ Room Editor[/h3][p]The new Room Editor 2.0 launches together with the game. It has been rebuilt from the ground up with faster tools and better visuals... and yes, we've added stairs!
We are also working on a video series in collaboration with Robin, focused on educational and tutorial videos for the Room Editor and puzzle design. These videos will be rolling out soon after launch and should help both new and experienced creators get the most out of the editor.
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]⚙️ Technology and performance[/h3][p]We aimed to make one of the best-looking escape room games ever, while keeping performance solid on a wide range of PCs. After a lot of optimization work, we are happy to say that Escape Simulator 2 runs smoothly on Steam Deck.[/p][p]The game has full gamepad support, achievements, Steam Trading Cards available from day one, and Steam Cloud saves so your progress follows you anywhere.
Family Sharing is also fully supported.
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🧠 What’s coming next[/h3][p]We’ll keep improving the game throughout the next month as we gather feedback and fine-tune every detail. After that, our focus will shift to new content for both Escape Simulator 2 and Escape Simulator 1, with fresh rooms and updates planned for each.[/p][p]We are already preparing new rooms that will arrive after launch, including both free and paid DLCs similar to the first Escape Simulator.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🕶️ VR when? Consoles when?[/h3][p]We are a small team, and Escape Simulator 2 is a big game.
Our full focus has been on creating the best possible Steam experience first.
Over the next few months, we will keep polishing the game and adding more content. After that, we would love to expand to more platforms.[/p][p]We love VR, and it’s on our list, most likely as a free update once it’s ready.
Consoles are also something we are planning, but that will come later.
We’ll have more to share about that next year.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🧩 What’s next with Escape Simulator 1?[/h3][p]Escape Simulator 1 is a similar but completely separate game, with a different vibe. We have a dedicated in-house team working hard on it, and we plan to keep supporting it for quite some time.
A new DLC is already in development, and we also plan to release new free rooms soon! [/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]Get ready to escape again![/h3][p]Wishlist if you have not already, invite your friends, and prepare for release next week.
See you in Escape Simulator!

-Pine Studio[/p]

[p]Welcome to another entry in our Dev Blog series, where we take you behind the scenes of Escape Simulator 2 development. These posts will introduce you to new systems, tools, and features.[/p][p]Today’s post is written by SuperJura, one of our lead programmers. He worked on many of the game’s core systems, including the complete implementation of Lua scripting in Room Editor 2.0.
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]⚠️ Note: You don’t need to know any coding to build rooms in Escape Simulator 2. The Room Editor is designed to be simple and intuitive for everyone. Lua scripting is an advanced feature, meant only for our most dedicated room creators who want to push things even further.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Let’s talk about Lua 2.0 in Escape Simulator 2. Or maybe it’s really Lua 1.0, since the original version was technically in beta in the first Escape Simulator 🤔. Either way, we’re rolling out a major upgrade.
[/p][p]Just a heads-up: every image and gif you see here is still work in progress. The UI and UX are not final.[/p][p][/p][h3]Lua Now Powers All Custom Levels[/h3][p]In ES1, if you ever made a connection like “button opens door,” it was defined in the room.room file as something like “object with ID 1 activates object with ID 2.” In this case, the button had ID 1 and the door ID 2. The verb "Activates" was just one of several options in our system. Others included "PlaySound," "Teleport," "FinishLevel," and so on. Every possible interaction followed this format.[/p][p]While functional, that system didn’t align well with our broader scripting approach. Our internal levels always used a single script per room, with callbacks tied to specific game events. So for ES2, we decided to unify everything — official levels and community levels — under a single, more robust scripting model.
[/p][p][/p][p]The solution? We now generate Lua code for the entire level. This Lua script mirrors our internal format, complete with the same callbacks and multiplayer-safe logic systems. (More on that later.)
You can access the generated level code here:[/p][p][/p][h3]Upgraded Lua API via the api Object[/h3][p][/p][p]The api object was your best friend in ES1 Lua scripting, and in ES2 it's getting a significant upgrade. [/p][p]In ES1, we exposed many useful APIs for room scripting, but quite a few were missing. For ES2, we built a tool that scans our internal levels and exposes all the APIs we use to Lua. If we can use it, so can you. This will greatly expand the possibilities for custom interactions. [/p][p]Don’t worry — we’re keeping the familiar tools like api.vector2(), api.levelNote(), and others.
[/p][h3]New Callbacks That Mirror Our Internal Events[/h3][p][/p][p]The api object isn’t the only thing getting an upgrade. We’re also introducing a full set of new callbacks that reflect our own internal level events.[/p][p]With Lua now powering the entire level logic, you’ll have access to all game-level callbacks. For example, you can track the precise movement of Dials and Turnables, or check whether a player has entered or exited a zoom. We’ll release the full list of callbacks once all components are finalized in the RE 2.0.[/p][p][/p][h3]Cleaner Lua Script Structure[/h3][p][/p][p]In ES1, Lua scripts were triggered from start to finish on every event, and you had to check the callType to determine what actually happened. Event arguments were passed in a context object, which varied based on the call type. [/p][p]After reviewing that system, we decided to adopt a cleaner, function-based approach in ES2. Each callback now has its own function, and arguments are explicitly named — no more generic “context” objects.
[/p][p][/p][h3]Multiplayer-Friendly by Default (If You Follow a Few Rules)[/h3][p][/p][p]In ES1, multiplayer logic relied on "Level Logic Packets" — networking packets that updated puzzle states. While it worked, it didn’t translate well to custom Lua scripts. As a result, we often had to say multiplayer wasn’t fully supported for scripted levels.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s changing in ES2. We’ve replaced Level Logic Packets with a system we call "Non-Desyncable Networking." If your code is written in a “coop-friendly” way, it will sync automatically across all players.[/p][p][/p][p]What does "coop-friendly" mean?[/p]

• [p]Don’t use random values unless they’re synced[/p]
• [p]Don’t change the level state based on a specific player or other local-specific situations[/p]
• [p]Avoid changing the level and data in non-synced callbacks[/p]
• [p]Change the state of the room in synced callbacks[/p]

[p]For example, "Entering Zoom" and "Leaving Zoom" callbacks are only triggered locally for the player taking the action. They’re not synced. We’ll provide a full list of synced vs. unsynced callbacks once the RE 2.0 component implementation is complete.
[/p][h3]Full Save System Support
[/h3][p]As you may know, ES2 features a full save system, moving beyond the checkpoint-based approach from ES1. This includes full support for Lua-scripted custom rooms.[/p][p]Lua is a bit unique in that you can define variables in your scripts that need to persist across saves. We’re developing a system specifically for this, including naming conventions to exclude values from serialization when needed.[/p][p]This also means custom-scripted rooms will support drop-in multiplayer, since it relies heavily on the save system.[/p][p][/p][h3]Built-In Lua Editor [/h3][p]In ES1, you had to use an external editor like VS Code, Notepad++, Rider, or Visual Studio to write Lua scripts.[/p][p]In ES2, we’re introducing a built-in text editor for Lua, complete with syntax highlighting tailored to the ES2 API. If you still prefer your favorite external tool, you’re welcome to keep using it — but now, you’ll also have a convenient in-game option. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The editor will also feature a small file picker where you can quickly switch between Lua files, and the ability to create new Lua files directly from the editor. [/p][p][/p][h3]Small QOL improvements[/h3][p]There are also a bunch of small quality of life improvements like better lua script name validator or the ability to target lua props with other props to call a specific function.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]That’s it for today’s update. More dev posts are coming soon, including deep dives into the Room Editor 2.0, multiplayer architecture, the music of ES2, and more.[/p][p][/p][p]If you want to stay updated, make sure to follow the game and add Escape Simulator 2 to your wishlist.[/p][p]
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Thanks for reading!
[/p][p]- Pine team[/p]