Escape First 3

Genres: Puzzle, Horror, Mystery, Adventure

Play modes: multiplayer, singleplayer, VR

Release Date: 21-3-2020

Rating: 3/5

Developer: OnSkull Games

steam

Our verdict

6.5/10

Difficulty: Medium
Players: 1–6
Playtime: 3–5 h

Escape First 3 is the third pack of OnSkull's multiplayer escape rooms, playable in VR or on a desktop with mouse and keyboard. It holds three rooms, starting with an abandoned school visited during a reunion, and supports up to six players as one team, a Versus mode where everyone races in their own copy of the room, or solo play. It is built for friend groups mixing VR and flat-screen players.

About 70% of 100 Steam reviews are positive. Fans of the series call it a step up, with larger, better-looking rooms and clearer story, and many groups finished everything in three to five hours. Puzzle difficulty splits opinion: some found it easier than earlier entries, others got lost in the second room's logic.

Bugs are the recurring complaint. Players describe items jumping between players' hands, objects falling through the floor, a sequence break that forces a restart, and puzzles where rotations look different to each player. Some also struggled to start a session at all. Worth it on sale for a group that accepts rough edges; solo players get less out of it.

Pros

Three rooms with co-op for up to six or a Versus race
Mix VR and desktop players in one session
Bigger, better-looking rooms than earlier entries

Cons

Multiplayer desync: objects rotate or move differently per player
Items fall through the map and a sequence break forces restarts
Little guidance on controls and starting a session

About

From the Steam store page · View on Steam

Escape First 3 is the third installment in the Escape First series (I realise how weird that sentence sounds!). It contains three different escape rooms that you can play either alone or with friends, and is also available in VR.

The Abandoned School
You and your high-school friends are having a reunion party. Wanting to re-live the good old days, you decide to visit your old school, which has since been abandoned. At first, it's all fun and games remembering the past, however there is one event you all chose to forget and will be forced to confront now.

The Secret Inheritance
A long lost relative of yours has passed away and left all their belongings to you. They lived a very luxurious life in their enormous manor, so you suspect that they must have a lot of money. However, they have hidden that money in the manor and have challenged you to find it, proving to them that you are worthy of their legacy.

Keep of Lost Souls
You and your adventurer friends are intrigued by the stories of a strange man that recently came to town. He talks about an old keep, where a huge battle took place years ago, over an artifact of great power and mysterious abilities. You decide to go and explore the keep in the hopes of finding this artifact.
Features

Single Player, Multi Player & VR Escape Room/Puzzle game

Virtual Reality supported

Average duration: 3 hours