Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School News

[p][/p][p]We’re keeping up the momentum with our next devlog. Personally, I’m finding myself extremely excited to write this because the topic of this blog post is something we’ve gotten a good handful of questions on since our announcement of Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School. We’re answering the question that’s got everyone on the edge of their seats:[/p][p][/p][p]Don’t worry - Turmeric has plenty of business left on campus, and she hasn’t disappeared from the Escape scene just yet.[/p][p][/p][p]Today, we’re excited to show you a level with the codename “RAT”. Welcome to “Lightbulb Moment”.[/p][p]We won’t spoil any of the juicy narrative details just yet (sorry gang, you’ll have to play the full game to figure that one out 😉) but in true devlog fashion, we’re excited to jump into the nitty-gritty of what you can expect from this level.[/p][p] Turmeric is in trouble! We’ve gotta help her![/p][p]As you’d expect from the Academy, saving the beloved class pet won’t be as simple as opening the lock. That’d make too much sense. This level draws a TON of inspiration from Rube Goldberg machines, which if you’re unfamiliar, are a type of whimsical chain-reaction contraption that usually relies on common household items to cause a cascading effect that makes something happen. Usually this is something mundane, like starting your coffee machine, or turning on the oven, but in our case, we’ve got a class pet to rescue.[/p][p][/p][p]Credit to Whimsical Widgets for the picture used above; if you’d like to read more about Rube Goldberg machines, you can check out the Wikipedia page here.[/p][p][/p][p]Contraptions and whimsy are only the start, of course! Littered throughout the level are a bunch of different puzzles that utilize physics in unique ways for puzzle solutions - whether this be rotating cheese, throwing paper airplanes, or turning a rat into the best sailor you’ve ever seen.[/p][p]Marble puzzles are making a comeback in Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School! This time, thanks to our updated game engine, they’ll be able to rely on actual physics instead of animations, letting us implement puzzles like this far faster and cleaner than before. This also allows us to increase the complexity and variety of puzzles in the final product of the game, something that we are very excited for![/p][p]As you travel through RAT, Turmeric will make her journey all the way around this space, eventually making it back to the start. (Not before indulging in several different means of transportation to accomplish this, though!) Choo choo![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Please! Be careful! The █████ ██████ isn’t safe! If we don’t █████ ███████████ ███████████ ███████████ ██████, Turmeric could █████ ██████ ███████ ██████████████████████████ ██████ █████. We must be quick. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]And finally, yes. You can pet the RAT.[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]We hope you enjoyed this early peek at what RAT will have to offer. There’s a lot of opportunities in this space for whimsical puzzles, something that our team has always been fond of. If you have suggestions, or some stuff you’d like to see in a future devlog, just let us know and we’d be more than happy to indulge![/p][p][/p][p]See you in the next one….and don’t forget to:[/p][p][/p][p]With much love,[/p]

[p][/p][p]We’ve got exciting news for you today! Our friends over at Lost Sock Studio are proud to announce their newest upcoming title: Escape The Riddlerock Ruins. If you enjoyed Escape Academy, you won’t wanna miss this one![/p][p][/p][p]Escape The Riddlerock Ruins is a first-person escape room puzzle game with plenty to offer, whether it be overgrown jungle ruins or hidden mountain chambers. With the new backpack-inventory system and an all-new furry companion, you’ll have more than enough tools to enjoy your upcoming adventure.[/p][p][/p][h2]Go check out Escape The Riddlerock Ruins, and make sure to drop a wishlist while you’re at it![/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Hey there Escapists![/p][p][/p][p]CCG is finally back! We are pleased to announce that the holiday break went very smoothly, and the whole crew is ready to knock it out of the park with Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School this year.[/p][p]But, you didn’t click on this blog to catch up. (although if you did, we’re very flattered! Join our Discord if you wanna chat, or even just show off that holiday gift haul 😉)[/p][p][/p][p]Today’s blog post is about the centerpiece of the Academy itself, and one of the most iconic buildings in the history of the school:[/p][p][/p][p]Many of you are already familiar with the exterior of the clocktower - the beautiful clock face looking down at the rest of the students at the Academy. But today, we’re looking at what the clocktower has to offer on the inside…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]*Punny level names may be subject to change before release![/p][p][/p][p]In this high-stakes escape room, you’ll get to take part in one of the Academy’s rites of passage: the Clocktower Exam. Created by founder R■■■■ W■■, this second-year test at the Academy is bound to put everything you’ve learned to the test. Requiring precision, perspective, patience, and perseverance, these are no paltry puzzles.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This is one of the very first puzzles you’ll run into in this level - how would you approach it?[/p][p]You’ll have 30 minutes to ascend from the bottom to the top, and once you’re there, you must ring the bells in the right order to prove yourself as a worthy 2nd-year Escapist.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you can’t do it, don’t worry. The Academy never runs short on memory gas 💛💜.[/p][p][/p][p]This level was a blast to make, and we’re still working on getting it up to the proper standard for release. When making this level, we wanted to draw on inspiration from constellations, as well as the mechanically-inspired themes that naturally come with designing a level on the inside of a giant clocktower. [/p][p][/p][p]Given the visual uniqueness of this space, there’s plenty of opportunity to blend gears, glass, and brass in a space that gives way to some very creative puzzles.[/p][p]Seen above is an early concept sketch of TOW - shoutouts to the art team![/p][p][/p][p]Alongside the smell of old wood and dusty storage, the 2nd floor is painted with soft sunlight, juxtaposed by an enormous pendulum swinging back and forth by the brass supports. (You can’t see the pendulum here, but if you check that GIF above, you’ll see why we’re excited to show off this level!)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you’ve played Escape Academy 1, you’ll be familiar with the pinning system. This lets you look at papers that you pick up such that it can stay on your screen while solving puzzles, or maybe even just for comfort. But, every good Escapist will have something in their back pocket when the situation gets tense. Expect more from us in the future regarding tools, and let us know what tools you’d like to use to become a better Escapist 👀[/p][p][/p][p]Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this first look at Codename TOW (“That Rings A Bell!”). Did you enjoy this format? Let us know in the comments! We have a lot more sneak peeks like this queued up, and there’s plenty more that we think you’ll be very excited to dig into once Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is closer to release.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll see you in the next one! Make sure to follow our socials for stuff you won’t find on Steam, and as always…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]See you next time, Escapist![/p][p]Much love,[/p][p]Coin Crew Games💛💜[/p]

[p]Hello Escapists![/p][p]Our demo has been met with tons of praise from our fans, and we’d like to remind you all that this would not have been possible without you. So, thank you. Thank you to all of the superfans that have stuck around since Escape Academy 1, and welcome to the new fans who can’t wait to see what Escape Academy 2 becomes. You guys rock![/p][p] [/p][p]Seeing the game evolve the way it has this year has been nothing short of amazing. In around a year’s time, the game has turned into something tangible that we have poured our hearts into; so if you played the demo and got to experience that passion firsthand, we hope you see what we’re talking about.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In fact, some of you have apparently enjoyed the demo so much, you’ve decided to break it![/p][p][/p][h3]Shoutouts to user “idea149” for finding the out-of-bounds glitch we couldn’t, and escaping the demo in a little over a minute. That takes some outside-the-box thinking![/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]If you haven't played the demo yet, you can grab it for FREE here![/h2][p][/p][p]Feedback is an extremely important part of game development for us. We HEAVILY leverage feedback from our playtests in order to make the game better, and a demo is basically just a big playtest.[/p][p] [/p][p]Please let us know what you think, even if that feedback is negative. We want to do our best for our players, and so if you happen to be a player, let your voice be heard.[/p][p] [/p][p]You can write a review on the demo store page here![/p][p][/p][p]Since the demo has dropped (and a little bit before that!) we’ve been getting some fanart submissions. These have absolutely blown us away - seeing the characters and world you created become beloved enough to get fanart submissions is something that you don’t get to experience every day.[/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][p]This submission comes from razaki_r and depicts the masks from Escape Academy 1. When we first saw these, we thought they were sick as all hell. Still do![/p][p][/p][p]This next submission comes from “Lucky!” You can check out their Instagram at @lucky_charms_stickers. Go check them out, they make some really good stuff![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Last, but certainly not least, our final submission comes from “Mhaew” with this AMAZING Eel fan art![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Each and every one of you blows us away. Please keep sending us stuff like this; seeing our small little game turn into something that has touched hearts is nothing short of beautiful. Keep it up!💛💜[/p][p][/p][p]Happy holidays to all those who celebrate, and if you’re not the celebrating type, then I hope you have a marvelous December.[/p][p]Unfortunately, Jeb is fully booked out for malls all across the world - but if you’re lucky, you might be able to get a booking for Christmas in July![/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much for your continued support - CCG will be taking a much-needed break over the holidays, but we will be back next year and invigorated to start working on the next stage of Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School.[/p][p] [/p][p]As always, make sure you[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]and we’ll see you next year. 😎[/p][p][/p][p]Happy Holidays![/p][p]Coin Crew Games💛💜[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Good to see you again, Escapist![/p][p]The Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Demo is now LIVE and waiting to be explored![/p][p][/p][p]You can download the demo from the demo-specific store page here![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]There are a few known bugs in this build of the game that you might run into. [/p]

• [p]Gamepad/controller users may run into trouble when attempting to join sessions/navigate settings. We are planning to fix this in a future patch soon, however for now we recommend launching into sessions with mouse and keyboard, and then using your preferred input device once you’ve loaded in.[/p]
• [p]Please be gentle when opening the settings! If you open and close a pause menu on the same frame in online multiplayer, you may lose control of the mouse.[/p]

[p]There’s a long road ahead until release, but that road can be defined by you too - join our Discord and have a say in what comes next! Throw us a bug report and let us know what you’d like to see in the next blog post, or even just say hello.👋We hope you’ll stick around for a while.💛💜[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve put a lot of love into this demo, so we hope you like it as much as we do. Please enjoy this sneak peek of what Escape Academy 2 has to offer, and let us know what you’d like to see next! That’s all from us for now. As always, don’t forget to…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]With Love,[/p][p]Coin Crew Games.💛💜[/p]