Escape Simulator 2

I never turn down a well-made puzzle. That's been the case for a long time. I've completed loads of good jigsaw puzzles and enjoyed them to the full while sinking into a kind of trance-like meditative state, rubbing my brain cells while waking up just as quickly when the frustration became too much for my little old brain to handle. It's a bit of a balancing act. A good puzzle game shouldn't be too easy, but if it suddenly tips over and becomes annoying because the solutions require you to be at the top of some kind of MENSA list, it just doesn't work. Escape Simulator 2 strikes the perfect balance here, between a well-judged level of difficulty and one that is downright problematic.

The sequel includes some new features, the biggest of which is user-generated content. You, or anyone else for that matter, can put together your own escape rooms. This obviously contributes to there being content to engage with for ages. It's both enjoyable and fun, and just like its predecessor, co-op is central and actively encouraged. I definitely wish I had seven people (people smarter than me at that) to help me when I played Escape Simulator 2, because I certainly needed it.

I consider myself to be relatively intelligent. Not super smart or gifted in any way, but smart enough is what I would still say without shame. And I had no problem ploughing through the early rooms in the game, but as it went on, it became so difficult that I started to get a migraine from all the frantic brain-racking. Fortunately, there is a hint system where you can get some tips to solve the puzzles if they become too difficult, where unfortunately, even the clues are too tricky. I mean, a hint should help instead of putting you in even greater difficulty. Somewhere around here, I began to doubt whether I actually possessed any intelligence worth mentioning, but it seems I'm not the only one who's run into trouble. I take comfort in the thought that others out there felt as bad as I did when playing Escape Simulator 2.

That said, it's actually a good game. I just have to admit that I'm too stupid to fight my way through the campaign (there are twelve official levels at launch) and that I probably would have had more fun with a bunch of other players. Otherwise, the puzzles are very well made, clever, and very rewarding to solve. Escape Simulator 2 is also a game that runs very smoothly and doesn't suffer from any bugs. Simply put, it's a well-made and polished creation.

If you like brutally difficult puzzles, this is the game for you. If, like me, you're happy with puzzles that can be solved without being some kind of superhuman, you'll still find plenty of fun here. There are also lots of user-generated escape rooms that aren't as intricate as the ones Pine Studio has put together themselves. However, I really enjoyed the Christmas-themed scenario they released in December. It was still far too difficult towards the end, but the journey there was really great and resulted in a very cosy Christmas feeling. I will definitely return and tackle some new puzzles in the future, but right now I feel like I'm done. I prefer games that I feel I am of normal intelligence when playing, and as I said, I don't feel that way when playing Escape Simulator 2.

So, to sum it all up: Escape Simulator 2 is a well-built, solid, and fun game that suffers from a flawed hint system and a difficulty curve that is far too steep. The focus is clearly on the multiplayer mode, and the game is less suitable if you prefer to play alone. Thankfully, it's also fun to see all the players out there building their own clever and entertaining puzzles in the game's built-in puzzle editor.