Escape (2024) [English]

Edward and John have managed to escape from the enemy detention center they were in just before a bombing is about to take place in the area. The only way out is through a cave that leads to an underwater dungeon, and they only have one air bottle, so in the end it will be Edward who embarks on his risky journey to freedom.

ESCAPE is a project that deviates from the common in my creations; it's more of an experiment. It's not a narrative-style adventure, but rather a text maze game that leans more towards the dungeon-crawler genre. The player should not focus solely on the plot (although it is present) but on how to escape from an underwater dungeon within the time limit while conserving their life and managing their air and health.

The game consists of 100 locations, and it will be up to the player to draw their own map (otherwise it will be difficult to navigate) to successfully exit to the surface. Inside the cavern, various underwater creatures threaten him, which he may encounter randomly. However, somewhere in this underground world, there is a reinforced suit that will reduce the damage from these creatures. He can also find some air tanks to refill the initial air bottle he has. He wears a watch to know the time at all times, as he must be outside before 17:50, but the clock is only visible in some locations that have some light; in the rest, the player will always be in the darkness of the cave.

The player must move by typing the corresponding commands for the cardinal points, which can be indicated with their abbreviations: N (North), S (South), E (East), W (West). Other commands that may be useful are R to redescribe the location, and other infinitives such as Take (to get an item), Wear, and Use (in relation to objects). You can also type Quit to leave the game at any time. The vocabulary, for obvious reasons, is much more limited than in an ordinary conversational game.

The game has been developed in Inpaws for ZX Spectrum 48k and is provided in a tap format file that can be run on any emulator of the system, as well as a wav file to load it on original hardware. The program is open to modifications because it surely has some undetected errors. If you encounter any of these errors or inconsistencies, I would appreciate it if you could let me know in the comments so that I can gradually refine the program.

The game is free, but if you can offer a donation, it will be appreciated and will help me to continue creating works for the retro community. If you can't make a donation, don't worry, go to the downloads and enjoy the game.

Download ESCAPE, grab paper and pencil in the traditional style, and enjoy with your ZX Spectrum in the underwater world created for the occasion. Good luck in your escape!