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The Shawshank Redemption, Escape From Alcatraz, The Great Escape - who doesn't love a good prison break movie?

I can't understand why, but the idea is rarely touched in video games, despite it having loads of potential. We've had some good attempts over the years, but I don't think the genre has been explored fully at all.

Surely a game that encapsulates the tension and thrills of meticulously planning and executing a perfect prison escape would be fun, no?

Well I think so, that's why I'm asking for your help to make The Escapists.

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Game Features
More idea's will come along during development, but here are a few to get things started. Some are already in-game at this early stage.

• Schedules: To escape you'll have to work around the strict prison schedule as best you can to avoid any unwanted attention from the guards.
• Crafting: Weapons and tools can be crafted together using everyday things you find or steal around the prison. Just beware of cell shakedowns.
• Reputation: The way you interact with fellow cons and guards affect how they treat you. Those on your side could help you out in a fight, overlook if they catch you doing anything unusual, or give you access to certain favors/jobs, and assistance.
• Digging: Get hold of a shovel and you can start working on an escape tunnel. Of course you'll need some lights and timber supports below ground if you plan to survive. Just make sure you make it back for the guard patrols- and that the hole is hidden!
• Skills: Train your agility and strength in the gym, or spend your free periods in the library boosting your intellect. All such skills play a part in your escape as well as your survival inside the prison.
• Combat: When it comes to crunch time, you might have to engage other inmates or guards in combat. If one of them finds your escape tunnel you will probably have to overpower, bind, and stash them in the hole you've been digging below your cell. If it's a guard, taking his uniform might come in handy.
• Gangs & Friends: Be careful who you pick fights with- some of the inmates might start plotting against you with their gang-mates and friends.

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Around the prisons in the game you'll come across all kinds of items. Many of them can be combined with other items in the crafting menu to form something else.

For example, you manage to smuggle a bottle of bleach out of the cleaning storage area. Combining it with an inmate uniform (bleaching the color out) and you end up with some white overalls.

Maybe you can use it to pass off as one of the infirmary staff...

But there's more. You find some ink in the supplies area too. Combine the ink with the white overalls you just made and you get a guard outfit. Now you can strut around the place acting as a guard.

Or if that method of getting a guard outfit isn't exciting enough, you can always knock one out and steal his clothes right off his back.

Need a weapon? Combine a glass shard with duct tape to form a glass shank. Or a comb with a razor blade. The options are plentiful.

I won't be revealing too many crafting combinations because a lot of the fun will involve players working them out as they play.

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To keep players somewhat amused, the inmates in the prison engage in general banter during their daily routines. Here's a little video example: (excuse the video lag)

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I have another gameplay snippet for you to check out. First though, a little background info: The prison canteen puts players in grabbing range with certain cutlery that could come in handy (spoon for digging, knife for protection). The problem is, the doors have metal detectors on.

The clip hints at one possible way around that, by distracting the guards.I failed to pull it off but you'll get the idea.

(Remember this is early footage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ScliZaQco

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mclem said:

I can only think of one other game that's attempted this (in a free-form fashion; of course there's been quite a few more linear approaches to the 'prison escape' idea):

The Great Escape on 8-bit computers.

If this can add in some new ideas to the model, I'm certainly interested.

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Sectus said:

There was also Escape from Colditz on the amiga: http://www.lemonamiga.com/games/details.php?id=1223

I haven't played Colditz since I was a kid, but I can remember really liking the game.

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