The Escapists series, recapped
The Escapists began in 2015, spun off into The Walking Dead edition the same year, peaked with The Escapists 2 in 2017 and returns in 2027 — the first main-series entry in a decade.
The short version
The Escapists began in 2015 as a pixel-art prison sandbox nobody expected much from, became a cult favourite, and returns in 2027 with its first main-series entry in a decade. If you skipped the ride — or remember it fondly — here is the whole series in five minutes.
The timeline
| Year | Game | What it was |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Escapists | The original — pixel-art prison routine, crafting and breakout |
| 2015 | The Escapists: The Walking Dead | Zombie-apocalypse spin-off built on the same systems |
| 2017 | The Escapists 2 | The breakout hit — co-op, more prisons, bigger escapes |
| 2020 | The Survivalists | Team17's island-survival spin on the same sandbox DNA |
| 2026 | The Escapists 3 | Announced October 8 at the Triple-i Initiative showcase |
| 2027 | The Escapists 3 | Launch window |
2015: the original
The first Escapists cast you as an inmate in a pixel-art prison with one goal: get out. Its genius was the alternate-day structure — obey the routine, attend roll call, work a job, and spend every private minute gathering, trading and digging toward an escape route of your own design. Developer Mouldy Toof Studios built it with Team17 publishing.
2015: The Walking Dead spin-off
Later that year, the formula was reskinned for a licensed spin-off set during the early days of the zombie outbreak — same crafting and routine systems, grimmer deadlines. A curiosity more than a classic, but it kept the engine warm.
2017: The Escapists 2
The sequel is the one people mean when they say "Escapists". It added local and online multiplayer, expanded the prison roster and DLC, and later picked up a prison map editor on PC. Studios and streamers kept it alive for years — it remains the reference point every Escapists 3 feature will be measured against. The 3D switch explainer compares the two directly.
2020: The Survivalists
Team17's own spin on the sandbox — same DNA (routines, crafting, tasks) applied to island survival rather than confinement. Not a main entry, but a useful sign: the studio has been building sandbox systems in-house the whole time.
What to remember going into 2027
- Routines are not obstacles — they are cover. Guard schedules and job timetables shape when you can dig, steal and sneak.
- Favours and trades matter. Inmates are vendors and allies; the game rewards building a network.
- Junk is the tech tree. A fork, a roll of tape and a stolen spoon are the raw materials of freedom.
- Escapes are personal. The series' promise — restated for the new entry — is that there is never only one solution.
The FAQ handles the loose ends players ask about most, and the release date hub tracks what is confirmed for the new game.
