Okay, so, Summer Game Fest 2025, right? We were promised “unannounced” appointments, which, let’s be honest, is like saying you’re getting a surprise birthday party but you already know it’s a clown-themed nightmare.🤡 Luckily, I stumbled upon Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School. I mean, who asked for a sequel? But hey, the first one was… fine, I guess? I played the OG Escape Academy at Summer Game Fest 2022, so clearly, I’m a trendsetter. 😎
I was supposed to be paired with some random internet person, which is always a recipe for disaster. Imagine trying to solve puzzles with someone who thinks pineapple belongs on pizza. 🍕🤮 Thankfully, they bailed. Instead, I got stuck with CGM’s own Brendan Frye. We sat down, armed with nothing but a pen, paper, and our crippling insecurities, and proceeded to argue for 30 minutes straight. Honestly, it was just like any other day at the office. 🤷♀️
Jumping into the first room, our mission was to find the names of the school’s founders. Because, you know, that’s what you do in a totally realistic school setting. We searched walls, drawers, and boxes like a couple of digital hoarders. There were combination locks, an overhead projector (who even uses those anymore?), and a machine to input the names. It was basically your standard escape room, except Escape Academy 2 has added jumping. Yes, jumping. Because that’s what escape rooms were missing all along! 🤸♀️
“Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is entirely open world, bringing a whole new sense of adventure to the franchise.”
There were a few minor annoyances, like not being able to squeeze between a desk and the teacher’s desk (thanks, game, for reminding me of my spatial awareness issues) and a million useless objects that had nothing to do with the puzzles. I swear, I clicked on the same apple water bottle 20 times. 🍎💧 Talk about a hydration hazard! Some clues could use a bit more… clue, but maybe they’ll be clearer as you play. Or maybe they’ll just remain frustratingly vague. Who knows? 🤔
Now, normally, I’d be all, “Why not just add new levels instead of making a whole new game?” Especially since the first Escape Academy isn’t exactly ancient. But Coin Crew Games has gone full-on open world with Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School. An open-world escape room? What does that even mean? It’s like they’re trying to give us anxiety. 🤯
Basically, it’s like trying to get anything done when you have ADHD. You start with one task, then you get distracted by a shiny object, then you remember you have to do laundry, then you realize you’re hungry, and three hours later, you’re watching cat videos on YouTube. 🐈⬛ Before we could get to the headmaster’s office, we had to find our locker (puzzle required), go to the bookstore (more puzzles!), and buy our books (guess what? Another puzzle!). It’s like the game is actively trying to make us hate education. 📚
“For someone who loves a slow burn or really enjoys puzzles, Escape Academy 2 will definitely scratch that itch.”
If you’re into slow burns and puzzles, Escape Academy 2 is your jam. Everything is a challenge, even just walking from one room to another. By the time we got to the office, some familiar faces showed up, along with some new ones. The game has a new story and a campus to explore, so there’s probably a decent amount of content. We even skipped some side quests because we were running out of time. But hey, more content, right? 🎉
Brendan and I played couch co-op, because who needs friends when you have colleagues? But the game also has online co-op, so you can suffer with your friends from the comfort of your own homes. Coin Crew Games and iam8bit are trying to make Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School fresh, innovative, and easy to play with friends. There’s no release date yet, but if they don’t release it in September, they’re missing a golden opportunity. 🗓️
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
