Hey escapers, The holiday season is here, and the Pine Team is gearing up for a well-earned winter break. catlooking

Whats Cooking in the Pine Studio Kitchen?

New DLC for Escape Simulator 1! Were excited to announce that a new paid DLC and a new free DLC are in the works! Well share more details soon, but were confident youll love what weve got planned.

Escape Simulator 2 Demo Incoming!

For Escape Simulator 2, weve been busy gathering feedback from all corners of the communitySteam, Discord, Reddit, YouTube commentsyou name it.
Our next big milestone? A playable demo! Were pouring our hearts into making it a special sneak peek for you. Dont forget to wishlist Escape Simulator 2 to stay updated! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2879840/Escape_Simulator_2/

Next Build-a-Room and Room Editor Props When?

Weve added almost all Mayan DLC and Talos props to the room editor, but we couldnt finish everything in time before the holidays. Our plan is to release these props in a few weeks, alongside the next installment of the famous Build-a-Room competition! Builders, stay tuned! ;)

Our Biggest Escape Simulator Sale Ever!

Nows the perfect time to dive into Escape Simulatoror explore the latest Mayan DLCif you havent already! The game is currently on its biggest sale yet: 50% off. Whether youve been curious to try it yourself or know someone whod love a puzzle-filled adventure, this is the moment to grab it (or gift it). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

Oh...We just Dropped a Tiny Holiday Update

New Content

• Added 2 festive themes to boost your holiday spirit: Christmas and Frozen!
• Added music for all new and existing themes.

General Improvements

• Fixed a bug where VR players wouldnt see the celebration animation of non-VR players upon level completion.
• Optimized and fixed various aspects of the Mayan DLC.
• Prepared assets for the upcoming Mayan & Talos room editor props, launching in a few weeks!

While were taking some time to recharge, our responses on Steam forums and Discord might be a bit slower than usual. But dont worrywell still keep an eye on things to make sure youre taken care of. Thank you for being such an amazing community. We cant wait to bring you even more exciting content in 2025. Happy holidays and happy escaping! Pine team

[ 2024-12-20 16:12:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Escapers! Were so glad to see players having fun with the Mayan DLC and diving into the new rooms! Its always amazing to see how creative and engaged our community is. A big thank you to everyone who reported bugs and helped us improve the game. We also want to say how incredibly grateful we are for the warm welcome you've given to Escape Simulator 2. Seeing the community's excitement has been amazingit truly means the world to us. Thank you for your support! Now, onto the updates! Heres whats new with this hotfix:

Changelog:

• Resolved bugs in puzzles involving the feather, post-it notes, and plates.
• Adjusted running and walking speed for better pacing (You can also adjust walking speed in the options > advanced > movement speed)
• Resolved various out-of-bounds issues, including the snake model and upstairs areas.
• Fixed several checkpoint bugs across rooms for smoother progression.
• Updated multiple translations.
• Improved shader functionality: Added "FalloffMultiplier" to the "ProjectorTransparency" shader for adjustable falloff opacity.
• Enhanced main menu stability: Fixed issue where double-clicking tabs or packs could prematurely open levels.
• Fixed multiplayer puzzles not triggering in certain cases.
• Low-poly optimizations for rocks, foliage, statues, and interactive objects. (you can turn on additional optimizations in the options>graphics)
• Fixed radar stuck bug and controller issues with cages.
• Added new 4x4 white texture.
• Tweaked palm assets for consistency and visual improvements.

-Pine team

[ 2024-12-10 17:42:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear escapers, Were thrilled to finally reveal Escape Simulator 2, the sequel to the game that youve helped make a tremendous success. Dive into stunning new environments, deeper puzzles, Room Editor 2.0, and exciting hidden secrets. [previewyoutube=Gsl4DvPyJs4;full][/previewyoutube] Wishlist it now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2879840/Escape_Simulator_2

Why a Sequel?

A sequel gives us the freedom to push the boundaries of escape rooms further. Weve improved rendering, networking, physics, and animations while exploring darker, more mysterious themes. Its a fresh start to bring you even more ambitious gameplay ideas.

FAQ

Will Escape Simulator still get updates? Absolutely! With the recent Mayan DLC and more content on the way, well keep supporting the original game while introducing it to new platforms. Is it scary? Escape Simulator 2 has a darker and more mysterious vibe, but its not a horror gameno jump scares, no gore. What about platforms? Were launching on Steam with Steam Deck support. Other platforms are planned for later. Whens the release date? Were not ready to announce a release date just yet, but stay tuned! Whats the price? Pricing isnt finalized, but were committed to keeping it fair.

Help Us Shape the Game

Wed love your input! Share your thoughts and ideas on Discord or email us at community@pinestudio.com. This game is built for our amazing community of escapers, puzzle solvers, and builders - you! Wishlist Escape Simulator 2 now on Steam and stay tuned for more updates! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2879840/Escape_Simulator_2 Thank you for your continuing amazing support! -Pine team

[ 2024-12-06 18:05:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Well, the wait is officially over, folks - yes, Mayan DLC is OUT NOW! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644890/Escape_Simulator_Mayan_DLC/ Mayan DLC is coming with four brand-new escape rooms, and, as always, each room is packed with challenging puzzles and ancient mysteries. Also, let's not forget, take a look at these new and shiny Mayan Adventurer outfits! Let's see what's coming your way: [previewyoutube=I1lf8T4m3fA;full][/previewyoutube] Escape Simulator is currently at its biggest discount yet. You can get it for only $9.99 / 8.49 / 7.49! The best value is the Collectors Edition, which includes the base game, all four DLCs, and the soundtrack. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

Watch your step in the Mayan jungle! Quick, take this FAQ!

How many rooms are included in this DLC? Like our other paid DLCs, the Mayan DLC brings four new escape rooms, each designed to offer around 45 minutes of gameplay. What is the price for the DLC? The Mayan DLC is priced at $5.99 / 5.99 / 4.99! How many friends can I invite to join me in the Mayan DLC multiplayer? You can play with up to 10 players, though for the best experience, we recommend a group of 2-3 players. Is Mayan DLC VR-compatible? Yes, VR support is included and ready for the Mayan DLC. Will Mayan DLC be available on Meta Quest? Yes, Mayan DLC is coming to Quest in January 2025 Do my friends need to own the Mayan DLC to join me in co-op? Yes, each player in multiplayer mode will need to own the Mayan DLC to play together. I want to use Mayan DLC props in the Room Editor, but I dont see them available. What should I do? Mayan DLC props will be added to the Room Editor next week. These props will be accessible to all players, regardless of whether they own the DLC. Are there any new achievements with the DLC? While we considered adding new achievements, we decided against it to avoid impacting players who have already fully completed the game. What should I do if I encounter any bugs or crashes? If you run into any issues, please report them via email at community@pinestudio.com or on our Discord server in the #bugs channel. Sending your .LOG file will help us resolve issues quickly.

Full Changelog:

New Content

• Added the brand-new Mayan DLC with 4 new rooms!
• Introduced new Mayan-themed character customization options.

General Improvements

• Added support for Dial and Turnable in custom Lua scripts. Learn more here.
• Fixed an issue where the Dial sound would sometimes play indefinitely.
• Updated the Unity engine version for enhanced stability and performance.
• Added an optimization setting to improve performance on low-end devices. Details here.
• Adjusted sound behavior to pause when the Steam overlay is active in the main menu.
• Resolved an issue where chat messages would break when changing the in-game language.
• Added a Room Info button in the client UI for custom rooms.
• Added a mysterious countdown to the main menu.

VR Improvements

• Fixed a bug causing item interactions to glitch when handling multiple hinges in VR.

-Pine team

[ 2024-12-05 18:00:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

VR Improvements:

• The trashcan can now be opened from any distance, allowing for easier interaction from afar.
• The trashcan item bubble now scales with distance, making it simpler to grab items from a distance.

Level Fixes & Enhancements:

• Versus Mode: Fixed a bug where rooms would occasionally disappear when playing in VR.
• Versus: Beginner: Fixed an issue that allowed players to manually open doors in the final room.
• Versus: Expert: Enhanced interaction with the first rooms puzzle (shape connection puzzle) for a smoother experience.

Oculus Updates:

• Added two new official rooms: Versus: Beginner and Versus: Expert!
• Improved overall performance across all official rooms for a better Oculus experience.

Enjoy!

[ 2024-11-07 17:18:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

General Updates:

• New Halloween Theme (Menu)
• Level Version in Lobby Now, see the current level version directly in the lobby for easier tracking.
• Multiplayer Fixes Resolved an issue with restarts in cross-platform multiplayer games.
• Cross-Platform Lobby Fix Fixed a bug where Steam Workshop would incorrectly appear in cross-platform lobbies.
• Character Fix Female western hairstyle no longer disappears on certain levels.

VR Updates:

• Improved Item Throwing New item throwing algorithm (Toggle in Options > VR > Other if youd like to switch it off).
• Larger Text for Easy Reading Version info in the main menu and lobby is now bigger and clearer.
• Floating Item Fix Resolved an issue where items would sometimes float if another player dropped them.

Level Fixes:

• The Graveyard Room Magic wand now registers drawing points accurately when drawing.
• Talos Level VR players will no longer see unintended papers in their inventory.

Meta Quest Updates:

• Graveyard room is now available Get ready for thrills with our brand-new Halloween-themed room!
• Community Room: The Letters Room Check out this fresh addition to our community room collection!

[ 2024-10-31 17:26:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Were back with another quest to find the brightest stars among the community rooms, and weve got some exciting new picks for you. This time, were kicking things off with the top three rooms from the Mystery Pack Community Challenge, the latest creative effort from our amazing Discord community.

The Top 3 from the Mystery Pack Community Challenge

So, what was The Mystery Pack Community Challenge all about? The challenge invited creators to design unique escape rooms using at least four of ten provided objects which had to be meaningfully integrated into puzzles or storytelling. Let's see which rooms were the best!

The Human Institute of Having Hands

In this community room, you and a friend participate in quirky experiments to learn everything about having human hands. Yep. Designed for two to four players, youll be split up and must communicate through voice chat or text to complete the tests. Created in under 18 days for the 2024 Community Challenge, this co-op room features fun, hands-on puzzles. While some players encountered minor technical issues, the overall experience was praised for its creativity and engaging gameplay. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3357120383

Miasma: The Cursed Amulet

In Miasma: The Cursed Amulet by Dr Krank, you are drawn into the mystery surrounding an ancient amulet buried with Esmeralda, the wife of Edmund Davies. Some believe the amulet, a gift from her husband before her sudden death, is cursed. Recently reported missing, you must sneak into the Davies' mansion to uncover the truth and possibly claim the amulet for yourself. The room offers a rich narrative, atmospheric environments, and creative use of props. Players have praised the immersive story and ambiance, though some encountered a minor issue with item placement that required a restart. Ideal for single or multiplayer sessions, this medium-hard room offers an engaging 1-hour experience. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3333529928

King Tut's Tomb Escape

GetOffMyBeard is behind this community room gem, where you are trapped inside the tomb of King Tut, with puzzles and surprises that hold the key to your freedom. Time is short, and you must offer four sacrifices or risk being trapped forever. This room is part of the Mystery Pack Community Challenge and features contributions from several creators, including an amulet by Brushstroke and a Magic 8 Ball by Arnau Llobera Donoso. While the rooms atmosphere and puzzles were praised, some players found it difficult to interpret certain symbols without a guide. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3343501698

More Great Picks from the Community

The Mysterious Room

SuperFriiz made one the best-looking rooms ever made in the Escape Simulator. "Enter a dimly lit, forgotten space where the air is thick with secrets. At the heart of the room stands an old, intricately designed carousel, its horses still as if waiting for somethingor someoneto set them in motion." https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3352119009&searchtext=

Artblocked

In Artblocked by Endermanifest, you and a friend must work together to escape a mysterious studio. After returning from vacation, an artist finds their studio subtly altered and, soon after, locked inside by mechanical gears. One player takes on the role of The Artist, navigating the space and solving puzzles, while the other plays The Computer, remotely gathering information to assist. With a focus on teamwork and communication, both players must collaborate closely to solve the puzzles and escape the eerie studio. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174983667

In Silence We Fall

Zeekman1400 and Kulprit2 brought In Silence We Fall, that takes you aboard a long-abandoned deep space station where your mission is to uncover its mysterious fate. Set in an atmosphere-rich environment, the room blends eerie, isolated spaces with both digital and analog technology. Armed with limited tools, youll solve puzzles and uncover cryptic clues as the story unravels with each unlocked door. The emotional weight of the narrative is heightened by haunting audio recordings and a sense of finality to the stations silence. While designed for 2+ players, the room also accommodates solo play, offering an equally immersive experience. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3344594508

Elemental Temple Escape

Our community member, cl0mar is the author of Elemental Temple Escape. You enter an ancient temple where the forces of wind, fire, water, and earth converge. Your goal is to retrieve the powerful Elemental Amulet, navigating through mystical puzzles tied to these elements. Created for the Mystery Pack Community Challenge, the room has been praised for its engaging concept, beautiful design, and well-crafted puzzles. It's a short, cozy, and accessible adventure that players find easy to understand and fun to play. you enter an ancient temple where the forces of wind, fire, water, and earth converge. Your goal is to retrieve the powerful Elemental Amulet, navigating through mystical puzzles tied to these elements. Created for the Mystery Pack Community Challenge, the room has been praised for its engaging concept, beautiful design, and well-crafted puzzles. It's a short, cozy, and accessible adventure that players find easy to understand and fun to play. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3338958492

Calling all Pine Creators: Nominate Your Top Rooms!

Here's a friendly nudge to nominate your favorite rooms on the Pine Discord server! Head over to the #share-your-room channel and use these reactions to show your love:
Haven't joined the Pine fam yet? Join the vibrant community of creators and players on our official Discord: Discord Server or our subreddit, r/PlayEscapeSimulator.

New to building escape rooms?

Don't worry! The official Escape Simulator Wiki is your ultimate resource: Escape Simulator Wiki.

Hey, we've released The Talos Principle free DLC and announced the next big DLC, Mayan DLC!

And dont forgetthe completely free The Talos Principle DLC is out now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3193660/Escape_Simulator_The_Talos_Principle_DLC/ Plus, hit that Wishlist button for the upcoming Mayan DLC, releasing on December 5th, to be among the first to explore its mysteries! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644890/Escape_Simulator_Mayan_DLC/ Pine team

[ 2024-10-31 17:00:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thanks you for playing new The Talos Principle DLC! We've been working hard to address the issues you've reported and improve the experience. Here's what's new in this hotfix:

Level Updates

• "Missing Receiver in co-op" is not a buguse [spoiler]the power of friendship[/spoiler] to solve that puzzle!
• Versus mode on The Talos Principle now functions as intended.
• All puzzles in The Talos Principle now have their names displayed.
• Fixed texture issues and made minor color adjustments to text and textures on The Talos Principle.
• Various token-related fixes in The Talos Principle.
• Addressed a bug in The Talos Principle where items could be thrown out-of-bounds and become unreachable.

General Improvements

• Resolved an issue where certain level images would not load correctly in the level picker.

VR Enhancements

• You can now toss items into the trashcan from any distance by simply pointing at it and clicking the trigger while holding the item with the grip (and vice versa).
• Added vibration feedback when manually placing items into the trashcan for a more tactile experience.

Pine team

[ 2024-10-24 14:36:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Weve teamed up with the awesome folks at Croteam and Devolver Digital to bring you one of the best puzzle collaborations ever! The Talos Principle escape room is now available in Escape Simulator. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3193660/Escape_Simulator_The_Talos_Principle_DLC/ Dive into intricate puzzles, uncover hidden secrets, and immerse yourself in the wonders of an ancient civilization.

cleankey Mayan DLC

This week were celebrating Escape Simulators 3rd birthday with a special announcement: our brand-new Mayan DLC is coming on December 5th! Get ready to be transported to a breathtaking jungle, filled with even more tricky puzzles and ancient mysteries. Make sure to wishlist it now and be among the first to explore this epic adventure! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644890/Escape_Simulator_Mayan_DLC/

cleanhourglass SALE!

For a limited time, weve got some awesome deals for you: Escape Simulator is 30% off! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ Escape Simulator X The Talos Principle 2 bundle for an extra 10% off! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/44939/Escape_Simulator_x_The_Talos_Principle_2/

catintime FAQ

Wait, this DLC is completely free? Yep, totally free. How big is The Talos Principle DLC? One room, but bigger than the standard ones. Playtime should be around 45 minutes What about the Room Editor props? We'll be adding new props in the next update, probably next week. Is Talos room available on Meta Quest VR? Yes, it's available! Is it based on Talos 1 or 2? The room works as a standalone experience set in the world of Talos Principle. We made sure there are no spoilers. Enjoy! <3 Pine team

[ 2024-10-22 17:02:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

This weekend marks 3 incredible years of Escape Simulator, and with it, 5 years of hard work from our tiny Pine team. We couldnt be prouder of what weve accomplished, but none of it wouldve been possible without you, our amazing community! Just a few days ago, we revealed the upcoming The Talos Principle DLC (which is free and launching tomorrow). But weve got one more exciting announcement for this special birthday week: we're working on a brand-new escape room pack the Mayan DLC is coming December 5th! Wishlist here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644890/Escape_Simulator_Mayan_DLC/ Get ready to be transported to a world filled with ancient secrets, treacherous traps, and awe-inspiring temples, where only the sharpest minds and bravest souls will emerge victorious. [previewyoutube=rlZBYlVI17M;full][/previewyoutube] Key Features of the Mayan DLC:

• Four New Escape Rooms: Dive into stunning Mayan environments with fresh puzzles designed to push your thinking to the limit.
• Mayan-themed Props: Room builders, weve got new Mayan-themed props to use in your next community room project.
• New Outfits: Explore in style with comfy, adventure-themed outfits that fit the Mayan setting perfectly.
• Brand-new Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in the mysteries of the Mayan world with an all-new soundtrack.
• Cross-platform Multiplayer: Grab your friends and tackle the challenges together, with cross-platform co-op for flat, Steam VR, and Meta Quest (standalone) VR players.

The Mayan DLC will be available for $5.99 USD / 5.99 EUR. Mark your calendars for December 5th and don't forget to wishlist it here!

[ 2024-10-21 16:53:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! We are excited to announce the release of The Talos Principle DLC, a new free room for Escape Simulator, created in collaboration with Croteam as a homage to the critically acclaimed The Talos Principle series! Prepare to explore, think deeply, and unlock new layers of meaning and discovery. Get ready to challenge your mind when the DLC becomes available for free on October 22. [previewyoutube=oRum0CDytOQ;full][/previewyoutube] As huge fans of the series here at Pine Studio, weve worked hard to capture the essence of its deep philosophical themes, mind-bending puzzles, and breathtaking environments. In this DLC, players will face a series of intricate puzzles and challenges inspired by The Talos Principle universe. Whether you are a veteran of Escape Simulator or a fan of The Talos Principle, we believe this room will offer a unique, engaging experience that bridges the gap between these two beloved puzzle game worlds. We cant wait to see how youll fare in this puzzling tribute to The Talos Principle. Join us and immerse yourself in the world of complex riddles and beautiful philosophical exploration!

But, before you go, here's a small FAQ!

Wait, this DLC is completely free? Yep, totally free. How big is The Talos Principle DLC? One room, somewhat bigger than the standard ones. Playtime: around 45 minutes What about the Room Editor props? Not at launch, but planned with the next update (eta: a week) Is it coming to standalone, Meta Quest VR? Definitely! Sometime next week (probably Thursday). Is it based on Talos 1 or 2? The room works as a standalone experience set in the world of Talos Principle. We made sure there are no spoilers. As always, thanks for being the awesome community that you are, and happy escaping! Pine Studio

[ 2024-10-18 17:47:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

With the Meta Quest release, weve also updated the Steam version (v33780). This update includes new features like brightness adjustment, automatic language detection, better VR interactions, and plenty of bug fixes to improve your experience. General Improvements

• Meta Quest Version Released: The game is now available on Meta Quest 2 & 3!
• Brightness Adjustment: Added an option to customize game brightness.
• Automatic Language Detection: The game now automatically sets the language based on your system settings upon first launch.
• Steam Deck Support: You can now quit properly on Steam Deck when running on Linux Proton.
• Updated Steam SDK: Integrated the latest Steam SDK for improved compatibility.
• Improved Dark Mode: Enhanced dark mode with a new background video.
• Visual Enhancements: General theme improvements across the game.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where lobby codes were not displayed in the "Can't find lobby" pop-up.
• Resolved a bug where no button was selected when using a controller after failing to join a lobby.
• Fixed controller navigation for walkthrough buttons.
• Resolved an issue where the character in the main menu would incorrectly appear.
• Fixed item rotation freeze in multiplayer when taking an item from a slot filled by another player.
• Addressed a memory leak in Workshop rooms related to audio management.

VR Improvements

• Customizable VR Hover Time: Added an option to adjust the hover time needed to show VR item info.
• Enhanced Manual Interaction: Improved manual interaction with joysticks.
• "Reconnecting" UI: Added a clear "Reconnecting" message when players disconnect during multiplayer.
• Precise Interactions: Interactions with slidables are now more accurate in VR.
• Improved Pop-up Messages: Enhanced clarity and added better animations to pop-up messages.
• Token Pickup: Improved positioning of the token pickup message in VR.
• Vignette Effect: Enhanced rendering of the VR vignette effect.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where changing game language didnt update item names in the VR trashcan.
• Resolved a black screen bug when failing to join a lobby in VR (e.g., when host puts down headset).
• Fixed a bug where slot object names would appear incorrectly when hovering with an item in community rooms.
• Resolved an issue with "Slot" gizmos being visible in mirrors and inventories in community rooms.
• Level Improvements
• Token Accessibility: Fixed tokens that were previously unobtainable in certain levels (Lost Spirits, The Underground Lab, Leonardo's Workshop).
• The Attic (Globe Puzzle): Improved UXnow displays the last pressed button to avoid confusion.
• The Top (Level Exit): Added a proper exit when finishing the level.
• Tutorial: Fixed localization issues.
• The Attic (VR): Enhanced Jack-in-the-box interaction.
• Space Walk (VR): Player helmet is now correctly positioned.
• Improved Readability in VR: Increased item sizes in certain levels (The Library, The Attic, The Lab, The Lobby) for easier reading.
• Adrift in Space (VR): Text on tablets is now enlarged in VR for better visibility.
• Special Interaction Hints (VR): Added clearer hints for special interactions in specific VR levels (e.g., rotating statues in "The Top," rotating pipes in "Space Walk").

[ 2024-10-11 09:26:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Weve got some exciting newsEscape Simulator is now live as a standalone release on Meta Quest 2 & 3! That means you can now jump into your favorite escape rooms directly on your Quest, no PC required! If youre on Quest, its time to grab your headset and start solving puzzles in VR. Escape Simulator on Meta Horizon Store Heres what you get:

• Single-player and Multiplayer Co-op: Enjoy Escape Simulator solo or gather your friends for an online co-op adventure for up to 10 players, though each level is ideally suited for groups of three.
• Cross-platform Co-op Multiplayer: Escape Simulator supports Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 and Steam version (flat of VR) in multiplayer co-op, ensuring seamless fun across platforms.
• Full VR Integration: Experience intuitive movement with Meta Quests Touch Controllers, fully immersing yourself in the interactive environments.
• Varied Play Modes: Choose to play sitting, standing, or in roomscale mode, adapting the game to your preferred play style.
• Community-Created Content: Meta Quest users can also access a curated selection of the best community-created escape rooms, hand-picked by Pine Studio and ported to Meta Quest for VR.
• Downloadable Content & Updates: Internet connection is required to access downloadable content, which includes regularly added rooms and puzzles, providing ongoing updates to keep the experience fresh and exciting.

[previewyoutube=EtD3p04QL2E;full][/previewyoutube] And finally, we want to thank our VR testers from Discord for their tremendous help, without whom the Meta Quest version would have been extremely difficult to achieve.

But wait! Take this FAQ before you go!

How much does the game cost on Meta Quest? Escape Simulator for Meta Quest is priced at $19.99 USD or 16.99 EUR. Will there be cross-platform multiplayer between Meta Quest and Steam versions? Definitely! Is the content of Escape Simulator identical to the PC version? Yes, but at launch, the game will include 16 rooms, all of which are completely free. When will the other rooms and DLCs be released? Additional rooms and DLCs will be released over the next few months. Why are you doing it this way? I want all the rooms right away! We understand you'd like everything immediately, but optimizing larger rooms for Quest takes extra time to ensure they run smoothly, and we want to do it right. Im confused about the community rooms. What do you mean Pine Studio will be selecting them? Since there's no way to link the Meta Quest version to Steam Workshop, Pine Studio will carefully curate the best community rooms and manually upload them to our server, where they will be available to Meta Quest players. Can I create my own community room on Meta Quest? Unfortunately, no. The Room Editor is currently only available on the Steam version of the game. Will there be a discount for Steam owners of the game? Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a discount for Steam players due to technical limitations. Will Quest VR testers get a discount? Our Quest VR testers will receive Escape Simulator for Meta Quest completely free as a thank you for their tremendous help. As always, thanks for being the awesome community that you are, and happy escaping! Pine Studio

[ 2024-10-10 17:00:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

The much-anticipated sequel to The Collab: Museum, one of the most popular community-created rooms for Escape Simulator, has arrived! Click the link below and start downloading! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3318371149 [previewyoutube=JgAz6vepaCE;full][/previewyoutube]

A Journey Through History

The Collab: World Tour, Volume 1 begins with the discovery of a grandparents old scrapbook, sparking an adventure that takes players through four historically rich and culturally significant locations:

• The Palace of Minos in Greece
• An Ancient Atrium in Rome, Italy
• A Quaint Town Square in Germany
• The Wat Arun Temple in Thailand

As the authors say, each location is designed to challenge players with puzzles deeply rooted in the history and culture of these iconic sites. Whether deciphering ancient scripts in Greece or unlocking the secrets of a town square in Germany, the experience promises to be both challenging and educational.

Crafted by a Talented Team

At Pine Studio we can't stress enough how incredibly proud we are with our incredibly creative community. This project represents a collaboration between veteran builders in the Escape Simulator community, each bringing their unique expertise to create a cohesive and engaging experience. Wollo crafted the intricate details of the German town square, Dr. Krank brought the Palace of Minos to life, apa-games meticulously recreated the ancient Roman atrium, and namo-krub designed the stunning Wat Arun temple in Thailand. The journey home was built by Brushstroke and Robin, providing a memorable conclusion to this global adventure. Robin also created the story and provided the narration, adding depth to the experience, while Cryptic1 composed the atmospheric soundtrack that accompanies the journey. The entire project was managed by Brushstroke, GG3L, and Zesty Mordant, ensuring that every element came together seamlessly.

Accessible and Inclusive Gameplay

The team says The Collab: World Tour, Volume 1 is designed to be accessible to a wide audience. It is colorblind-friendly, with sound recommended but not required to solve puzzles. In-game translations are available for all languages supported by Escape Simulator, making the adventure accessible to players around the world. Suitable for all ages, the adventure can be played solo or with friends and takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete. Its also playable on the Steam Deck with the Half textures setting.

The team

This project was made possible by yet another incredible collaboration between the members of Escape Simulator community.

• Germany: Built by Wollo
• Greece: Built by Dr. Krank
• Italy: Built by apa games
• Thailand: Built by namo-krub
• Home: Built by Brushstroke and Robin
• Story: Created and built by Robin
• Narration: Robin
• Soundtrack: Cryptic1
• Translations: Provided by Eureka Paprika, Robin, Wollo, and ChatGPT
• Project Management: Brushstroke, GG3L, and Zesty Mordant

Other Contributors Bartololomeo, Belgi, ChazzyB, Elkondo, Eureka Paprika, Franch, K8sparrot, & Melonverse First-Class Beta Testers Alice_inBlackParade, Aprikosengelee, Autumnlight91, Carson267, Jomaboe, Moe, Ravn But wait! Wanna play previous Collab rooms, first? Say no more, fam! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2812287004 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2985569031

Want to be a part of something great? Join our community!

Want to connect with the talented creators behind these epic works? Join our community on official Discord or the official subreddit our subreddit. New to room building? The official Escape Simulator Wiki is a valuable resource!!

Pine team

[ 2024-08-27 18:15:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Today, we have the pleasure of chatting with Mihail (AKA GG3L), a full-stack developer from Romania, who has made a significant mark in the Escape Simulator community through his impressive modding and scripting skills. Mihail's journey into the world of Escape Simulator began with a casual YouTube discovery that quickly turned into a passion. Since then, he has become an integral part of the community, contributing innovative LUA scripts and room designs that enhance the gameplay experience for everyone. Join us as Mihail shares his insights, experiences, and the creative process behind his engaging and intricate escape room projects.
Enigmas of the Nile

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into playing Escape Simulator?

My name is Mihail, and I am a full-stack developer from Romania. I currently specialize in web-related application development but have also dabbled in game testing, software testing, game design, and development. As for how I got into playing Escape Simulator, I was watching random YouTube videos and stumbled upon one about it. After watching it for a few minutes, I paused the video, went to Steam, and bought it. I've never stopped playing since.

Modding in videogames in general is a pretty fun way to expand on what the developer originally envisioned. But we really want to know what made you say: Fine, Ill do it myself? :-)

Chronicles of the Forgotten Wisdom - Ch. I When I first started building rooms, I made it a rule to only use the editor logic. I thought it would be a fun challenge. After I eventually tried LUA for the first time, it became a new challenge. I spend a lot of time on the official Discord server and take note of what others are having trouble with or would like/need to be added to the game. I realize that most of these problems/requests arent a priority for the developers, as they have more important things to focus on, so I try my best to create the functionality and share it with the community.

Did you mod other games before, or Escape Simulator is the first one you started fiddling with?

Ive always had an attraction toward computers in general. Ive started tinkering with them since I got my first one back in 2002. I first learned all of the how not to do it ways the hard way. As for modding, I started with custom private servers and client modding for popular games of the era in 2005.

How do you approach the creative process when starting a new LUA script or escape room project? Do you begin with a concept, a puzzle, or something else entirely?

When it comes to room building, I start with a simple idea. I then give it a name, a story, and a visual representation. If Im happy with the result, I then start building puzzles. Scripting is different. When most people want to relax, they watch a movie, play a game, or do some other activity. I like playing around with the LUA API.

How did you first discover the potential for creating LUA scripts for Escape Simulator?

Ive played around with a lot of programming languages, but LUA wasnt one of them. At first, I was reluctant to learn another one, but that quickly changed when I couldnt find any other way to implement a feature for one of my rooms and realized it was extremely easy and fun to use.

What motivates you to continue developing and refining your LUA scripts for Escape Simulator? Are there specific feedback or experiences from our community that drive your work?

Ive always enjoyed helping people. All of the scripts Ive shared were designed with the community in mind. Most people find coding intimidating, thats why my scripts dont require coding knowledge to be used and are configurable through the editor directly.
GG3L is an active community member on Pine's Discord server and often helps other members

Besides your own creations, are there any other LUA scripts on the Steam Workshop that you think are total game-changers for the Escape Simulator community?

Thoroniuls and apa-gamess work is some of the best out there. Thoroniul is the original LUA master, and apa-games, while relatively new to the community, has created some great things and also spent the time to create a detailed guide to help others get into LUA easier.

Were there any specific resources or tutorials that helped you learn LUA scripting for Escape Simulator?

I think most people interested in trying LUA scripting, myself included, probably started with Thoroniul's LUA Tutorial as a guide. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2809817128

Are there any specific game mechanics or features in Escape Simulator that you haven't explored yet but are interested in experimenting with through LUA scripting in the future?

I feel like Ive almost reached the limits of the current API. Im looking forward to the new update.

Every creator faces hurdles. What are some valuable takeaways you've gained through your experiences as a creator for Escape Simulator, especially those that were hard-earned lessons?

Always test and playtest your projects thoroughly before publishing and make sure you always have backups that you can roll back to in case you ever need to.

If someone in the community is interested in getting started with LUA scripting for Escape Simulator, what advice would you give them?

Start small and go up from there. It might look intimidating, but its not really that hard. You could think of using the editor logic props as a simplified form of coding and LUA as a more manual but less restrictive way of doing the same thing. The guide created by apa-games is perfect for both beginners and experienced coders. If you have any questions or need help, the official Discord server is your friend. Someone will always be there to help.
Pine's Discord community member apa-games has created a famed Unofficial Escape Simulator LUA Guide. Check it out!

Has your experience with LUA scripting in Escape Simulator influenced your approach to other games or activities outside of the game itself? Has it sparked an interest in programming or scripting in general?

Ive been meaning to go back to game development, but could never find the time. LUA scripting was the answer to that problem.

Can you recount any funny moments, unexpected discoveries, or bursts of inspiration that happened while working on your projects for Escape Simulator?

I once spent around 30 minutes trying to figure out why my script wasnt working, only to realize that I accidentally deleted the script prop from the room. Some of my scripts were unexpected discoveries. I usually play around with the API, trying different ideas. There were multiple instances where I discovered something new or got new ideas while working on something completely different.
Possibly one of the most hilarious thumbnails you'll find for a LUA script.

Are there any upcoming projects or LUA scripts youre currently working on that you can share with us?

I do have some projects in the works, but theyre still in early development. As for scripts, the ones I havent already shared news about are part of the new Collab room.
Pine's Discord member Brush$troke has announced a new Collab room. Make sure to check out the previous The Collab: Museum. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2985569031&searchtext=collab

Do you have a favorite community room (or rooms) you've created so far?

I dont have a favorite one. I love and hate all of my rooms equally. :-)

And finally, can you name the 3 best rooms by other room builders?

Ive played a lot of great community rooms, but the first that come to mind are the ones created by Zesty and Cico. From both a technical and gameplay point of view, my favorite would be The Devilish Diorama. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2774254073&searchtext=the+devilish+diorama

[ 2024-07-10 17:00:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Calling all Escape Simulator enthusiasts! Prepare to embark on a brand-new adventure as the beloved community-made room, The Collab returns for a thrilling sequel - The Collab World Tour Volume 1! Following the enormous success of the first and second community collaboration, this new collaborative effort promises to be even grander. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2812287004 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2985569031 Due to its epic scale, The Collab World Tour will be released in three volumes, with Volume 1 kicking off its beta testing phase in mid-July, and will be available to everyone on Steam Workshop this summer. To whet your appetite for this international escapade, be sure to check out the announcement video created by Robin from Pine Discord community! [previewyoutube=JgAz6vepaCE;full][/previewyoutube] The Collab World Tour Volume 1 is a testament to the incredible creativity of our community. A talented group of creators, including Zesty, GG3L, Eureka Paprika, Bartololomeo, Elkondo, Wollo, ChazzyB, Dr. Krank, APA games, namo-krub, k8sparrot, Robin, and more, have joined forces to craft this unforgettable experience. Mark your calendars, escape room fanatics The Collab World Tour Volume 1 is coming this summer! Get ready to join the adventure and see what treasures await you across the globe!

Want to be a part of something great? Join our community!

Want to connect with the talented creators behind these epic works? Join our community on official Discord or the official subreddit our subreddit. New to room building? The official Escape Simulator Wiki is a valuable resource!!

Pine team

[ 2024-07-05 17:00:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! We are back! In our next quest of searching for the shiniest and the brightest stars among community rooms, here we have the newest picks. So let's dive in!

Quantum Quests, Inc.

Quantum Quests, Inc. is a highly-rated escape room created by Wollo, a well-regarded name many of you probably already recognize. Woll's theme for this room was AI; well, not AI per se, but a a humorous take on artificial intelligence. Quantum Quests Inc. also features voiceovers, DMCA-friendly music, and players praise the room's creativity, intuitive puzzles, and well-integrated difficulty curve. Make sure to check it out! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3227309807

Glitz, Jazz and Murder

Calling all armchair detectives! Glitz, Jazz and Murder is a murder mystery room set in 1962 New York City. Created by paullwetzel (author's first room btw!), this escape room transports players to the Birdland Jazz Bar where the famed saxophonist, Jax O. Phone, has been found dead. According to the comments, players laud the room's enjoyable puzzles and immersive murder mystery theme, making it a great choice for players seeking a fun and thematic escape room experience. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3231882757

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

Help Fred and George Weasley escape detention in this challenging Escape Simulator room by MelonVerse, a popular community builder! Work together (singleplayer or multiplayer) to solve puzzles, bypass their wacky security measures, and retrieve a mysterious prototype from their Diagon Alley shop. MelonVerse notes that this high-end room is estimated to take 1-1.5 hours to complete, so grab some pen and paper for notes, adjust graphics settings if needed (the room is graphics-heavy), and turn up the volume for all the Weasley-related fun! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3173127089

Cabin Riches V2

Unearth a family secret in Cabin Riches V2! This escape room by AbsoluteMinimal casts you as the inheritor of a potentially wealthy cabin. While on their deathbed, your relative confessed to embezzling funds over a 25-year career and hiding the loot within the cabin. This first-time designer's creation offers a treasure hunt experience with puzzles and secrets to uncover, and it's nice to see players praise the room's design and puzzles, although some found themselves stumped by a particular four-digit keypad lock. The good news? An in-game walkthrough is available to help explorers who get stuck. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3202726968

Lost in the Loo (Toilet Trap!)

Hold your nose and prepare for a hilarious escape in Lost in the Loo (Toilet Trap!) by Pancakemaster. This single-player (with support for multi-player, although some players found some bugs when playing in co-op) room throws you into a bizarre situation: trapped in a public restroom after a secret government mission goes wrong. Players rave about the room's humor, fun puzzles, and creative use of a surprising location. So put your training to the test and see if you can escape this wacky predicament! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3175521401

The Secrets of Harriets Study

Unleash your inner scientist and crack the case of Harriet Anne Heartmeyer's disappearance in Dr Krank's The Secrets of Harriets Study. This community room challenges your logic and observation skills (60% each) as you explore Saint Paulos Study Hall, rumored to hold her hidden research. With difficulty geared towards 1-2 players, this puzzle-heavy escape room (20% succession puzzles, 0% knowledge puzzles) is perfect for those seeking a mentally stimulating challenge. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3241439973

Cool Cash!

Calling all game show fanatics! Hurry's Cool Cash is a love letter to classic shows, transforming Escape Simulator into a 16-room game extravaganza! Inspired by The Price is Right, The Crystal Maze, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and more, this experience caters to all playstyles. Test your mettle in Versus Mode (30 minutes) a fast-paced competition where you race against others to solve puzzles, collect "Cool Cash" across themed rooms, and be the first to grab 15! Craving a solo challenge? Embark on a 2-hour single-player odyssey to find all 50 Cool Cash, with an extra-difficult hunt for a legendary 51st hidden somewhere! Feeling the teamwork spirit? Although not officially supported (expect some bugs!), a co-op mode lets you tackle the challenges together (around 1.5 hours). Especially interesting part about this room is how it was made. The author says the room was started in august 2023 and completed in june 2024, though with intermittent month-long breaks. Nice work, Hurry! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3266496526

Black Beards Golden Treasure - Escape Room

Ahoy there, mateys! Prepare to plunder Blackbeard's booty in Blackbeard's Golden Treasure, a quick 15-minute Escape Simulator adventure. You'll need to scour the captain's quarters for six golden keys, forged from the heart of the ocean itself, before Blackbeard's crew returns and reclaims their riches! Can you solve the puzzles and escape with the legendary pirate's treasure? https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3267600093

Build-a-Room #6

If you're still looking for a great room to play, this spring we hosted another fantastic Build-a-Room competition. If you missed it, you can check out and play the winning rooms here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/4187863868000595623

Make sure to nominate your favorite community rooms on Pine Discord!

Here's a small reminder that you can nominate your favorite room using these reactions on Pine Discord, in the #share-your-room channel using these reactions

Wanna join our community?

Want to connect with the talented creators behind these rooms? Join our community on official Discord or the official subreddit our subreddit. New to building? The official Escape Simulator Wiki is a valuable resource!!

Pine team

[ 2024-07-03 16:00:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here's a very tiny but very important hotfix:

• Fixed an issue where items wouldn't enter slots in custom rooms. Items were exiting the trigger before being processed by the update loop.
• Added the long-awaited Omega Pillar!

Happy escaping! -Pine team

[ 2024-07-02 13:48:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Escape Simulator isn't just a gameit's an ever-expanding universe of puzzles. With the recent releases of the PowerWash DLC and a vibrant community crafting endless puzzles, nows the perfect time to dive in. Take advantage of a huge 40% discount during the 2024 Summer Sale, and join us as we call all puzzle enthusiasts and escape room fanatics!

Why Choose Escape Simulator?

Massive Variety

Start with 26 themed roomsfrom Ancient Egypt to Spaceand explore further with 14 major updates packed with new challenges.

VR Immersion

Experience puzzles like never before with VR support right out of the box. [previewyoutube=Xf67kvq5haE;full][/previewyoutube]

More Adventures

Enjoy 3 free DLCs including fan favorites like Portals and Among Us, plus premium DLC packs that add magical, Wild West, and Steampunk adventures.

Community and Creativity

Access over 4,000 community-created rooms and unleash your creativity with our Room Editor. Check out some of our favorite ones here.

Engaging Challenges

Participate in community and Build-A-Room challenges for fun and prizes. Check out who won $1000 in our last Build-a-Room #6 challenge.

What's Coming Next?

Keep an eye out for more exciting updates, including a major DLC, two free DLCs, and an autumn Build-a-Room challenge. Plus, we've got even more surprises up our sleeve!
Dive into Escape Simulator today and discover the ultimate puzzle adventure! Now 40% off! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ -Pine team

[ 2024-06-27 16:55:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here's a quick hotfix update for the PowerWash Update. Thank you all for playing and reporting!

• Fixed an issue where you could change the speed the game runs forever. Shoutout to apa-games for the report!
• Fixed a problem with the broken pipe item in the PowerWash room.
• Added two brand new rock songs to the PowerWash room! \m/
• Van lock fix: The reset button is now clickable after solving the puzzle.
• Added colliders to the closed-off part of the key maze.
• VR: Fixed the powerwasher gun not working correctly when triggered away from the cleaning surface and then turned to clean.
• VR: Fixed an issue where items would snap to a slot and automatically release, even if the grip button was still being held.
• VR - Victorian 4: Improved handling of the zoetrope device.
• Multiplayer: Both VR and flat version players can now take items that were pinned by a VR player to their hand/inventory.

-Pine team

[ 2024-06-26 14:09:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Ever asked yourself if you could clean stuff in Escape Simulator? Well, grab your power washer because the wait is over! Grab it here, it's free: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2879620/Escape_Simulator_PowerWash_DLC/ We've joined forces with FuturLab, the brilliant minds behind PowerWash Simulator, to bring you PowerWash-themed room for Escape Simulator! Get ready to dive into the iconic PowerWash garage, transformed into a mind-bending escape room. Instead of sparkling surfaces, blast away grime to uncover hidden clues and conquer this all-new challenge. [previewyoutube=-1titjsVpYs;full][/previewyoutube]

• VR Mode: Fully playable in VR or flat version!
• New Editor Props: Use new 3D props to build your own garage or whatever your imagination creates.
• Rock and Roll Soundtrack: Enjoy a brand-new rock and roll soundtrack that amps up the excitement.

The PowerWash DLC for Escape Simulator is available now! So grab your friends (or go solo!) and get ready for a squeaky-clean escape!

[ 2024-06-20 17:02:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Escape Simulator fans! Ever thought, "What if we had a simulator within a simulator?" Well, hold onto your power hoses because PowerWash Simulator is coming to Escape Simulator! Get ready to dive into the iconic PowerWash garage, now transformed into an exciting escape room. Thats right, its the ultimate Simulator Simulator experience! [previewyoutube=3mazUTyOvwQ;full][/previewyoutube] Read more about the new room here and wishlist (it's free!) so you get a reminder once it's live! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2879620/Escape_Simulator_PowerWash_DLC/ Mark your calendars it's coming out on June 20th and it's completely free!

Build-a-Room #6 Winners!

While you're waiting to play the PowerWash room, check out the winners of our Build-a-room #6 competition! The theme was Party Time to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We received 28 awesome submissions and here are the winners and their prizes:

First Place: The Forever Party made by Kukelia & Frama. They won $1000!

Second Place: Wrong Party made by nemo_krub. They won Meta Quest 3 VR headset!

Third Place: Secret Party made by med1nh0 and he won $100 Steam gift card!

Rookie Category

(first time Build-a-room competitors)

First Place: The Birthday After made by apa-games and won Meta Quest 3 VR headset!

This time we decided to give out one more rookie prize to of $100 Steam gift card to Capybaras in the Club made by MilkyQueen! That song rocks!

The community vote

The winner of the community vote is Raise the Rooftop by Brush$troke. She's also getting a $100 Steam gift card!

You can check out the winners announcement stream here (once it uploads): [previewyoutube=7BrbGJlpU94;full][/previewyoutube] All the winners also won upcoming DLC, but more about it later. ;) Thank you all for building and being part of our community! Can't wait to see you all in the garage! -Pine team

[ 2024-06-06 20:13:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

We can't believe Pine Studio is already 10 years old! From over 40 flash games, SEUM, six Faraway sequels, and two Birdcage games, to Cats in Time and our dream project, Escape Simulator. We are proud of everything we've achieved in these 10 years. We are especially grateful to our team and all the incredible people with whom we work side by side doing what we love. Thank you for playing and being part of our journey! [previewyoutube=5UR6yykHXIQ;full][/previewyoutube]

It's our birthday...

Let's throw a Build-A-Room Party!!!

Join us for the Party Time Community Challenge and design the ultimate party-themed escape room! We're tapping into the limitless creativity of our community to create the most engaging and immersive escape rooms for Escape Simulator. Imagine anything from a cozy birthday bash to a wild office party, a luxurious yacht celebration, or an energetic night outthe sky's the limit! (don't forget it has to be an escape room ) We're excited to see what you come up with! Let us know if we should bring anything to your party.

Prizes Galore!

To make this celebration even more special, we are again featuring several categories to ensure that both seasoned and first-time builders have a chance to shine.

Experienced Builders Category

This is the main event, open to participants who already have one or more rooms in their portfolio. The top prizes include:

• 1st place: $1,000 cash + a surprise gift
• 2nd place: Meta Quest 3 + a surprise gift
• 3rd place: $100 Steam gift card + a surprise gift

Rookie Builders Category

Is this your first time competing in one of our Build-A-Room contests? Fantastic!

• You have a chance to win Meta Quest 3 + a surprise gift!

Community Award

After the submission deadline, we'll open a poll for the community to vote on their favorite room. The winner of the Community Award will receive

• $100 Steam gift card and a surprise gift.

How to Enter

To submit your party-themed escape room, simply post a link to your creation in the #competition-submissions channel on the Pine Studio Discord server. Remember, you can only submit one room, and multiple builders can collaborate on a single entry. The submission deadline is May 27th at 8AM CEST / 2AM EST. We'll then review all the amazing rooms and announce the winners during a special livestream a few days later (TBA). Stay tuned for more details on the stream!

Rules

• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• Multiple builders can work together on one room, but there will be only one prize for them.
• It has to be an escape room.
• The gameplay should ideally be under 30 minutes, but it can be longer.
• You can make your room as big as you wish.
• You need to record a video walkthrough and post it on YouTube or similar video sharing site.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but can not resubmit an entirely different room.
• All references to existing IPs (including names, images, models and sounds) must be edited, parodied or otherwise modified to infer a likeness to the original IP without directly copying it.
• Use models, textures, sounds and other assets that are either Creative Commons (CC0) with attribution, that are from the ES library, or that you have paid the license for. Give credit if needed.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive content, etc.. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.
• The Pine team will choose the winners for the Rookie and Experienced Builder Categories this time! The Community prize will, naturally, be decided by community votes.

Some Useful Tips for Building the Perfect Party Room

• Keep it simple!
• Aim for a playtime of 15-30 minutes
• Test your room thoroughly and get feedback from the community
• Focus on quality over quantity a few great puzzles are better than many mediocre ones
• Consider accessibility features like color blindness and hearing impairment
• Most importantly, make it fun! At the end of the day, that's what matters most.

We can't wait to see what you'll come up with for this special 10th-anniversary celebration.
Let the party planning begin! Happy building, Pine Team

[ 2024-05-10 17:47:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey adventurers, here's a third round of fixes and improvements for the VR Update! This brings our total to over 100 fixes and improvements since the release of VR mode! Check out what's new in v32852:

General Improvements:

• Added a confirmation window for "Exit To Menu" to prevent accidental exits during gameplay.
• Enhanced feedback upon pressing keys to join a lobby.
• Updated missing translations for various settings and textures.
• Resolved display issues of main menu news for Traditional Chinese.
• Fixed a double-trigger issue with the lobby code toggle button.
• Updated the theme color for the link button in the main menu.
• Fixed a display issue for the trophy icon in completed but uninstalled community rooms.
• Upgraded pop-up dialogs and interfaces to a dark theme.

VR Improvements:

• Added item information display (name and category icons) when hovering over items in VR.
• Improved the realism of player torso movements.
• Introduced settings for VR item hover pop-ups and hand visibility (options: hidden, transparent, opaque).
• Fixed bugs related to inappropriate item hints, unresponsive books in multiplayer, simultaneous grip and trigger presses, hit indicators passing through portals, disappearing hands in Versus mode.
• Enhanced visual effects for item sparkles and added sound for shoulder stashing items.
• Added a Halloween ghost character skin.
• Ensured correct orientation for player nameplates in multiplayer.

Level Improvements:

• "Tutorial": Fixed a visibility issue for VR players when flat version players pick up a book.
• "The Underground Lab": Improved item handling to prevent stuck items.
• "Leonardo's Workshop": Enhanced the VR paintbrush puzzle experience.
• "Decompression Chamber" & "Space Walk": Addressed VR helmet setup issues.
• "The Engine Room" (Steampunk DLC): Clarified fire extinguisher usage in VR tutorial.
• "Chronomancy Hall" (Magic DLC): Resolved a desync issue with the clock puzzle.

We're really happy with how our VR mode is shaping up! Next up, we're shifting our focus to getting the game ready for the Meta standalone. Your feedback means a lot to us, so if you have any cool ideas or suggestions to make the game even better, hit us up at community@pinestudio.com or drop us a message on Discord. -Pine team

[ 2024-05-07 16:11:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Escapists and VR Enthusiasts! We heard you loud and clearyou wanted visible VR hands, and we've delivered! The VR Hands Update is now live, not only featuring those much-requested VR hands (It's not hand tracking. Other players now see your avatar move hands in multiplayer.) but also packed with over 40 fixes and improvements, all thanks to your feedback.
We've completely remade player models so you can finally see your partner grab objects, solve puzzles, and even high-five (virtually) in celebration. But that's not all! We've also added a brand new feature for managing your inventory in VR: over-the-shoulder item stashing! Quickly stow away items you're not using for easy access later, all with a natural over-the-shoulder motion. Here's what the VR Hands Update brings you:

• Visible and Interactive Partner Hands: Witness your co-op teammate's actions in VR for a more collaborative escape experience.
• Over-the-Shoulder Item Stashing: Manage your inventory seamlessly with a new, intuitive VR inventory system.
• Improved Player Models: We've revamped player models for a more natural and responsive VR experience for both you and your partner.
• General Bug Fixes and Optimizations: We've ironed out some wrinkles to ensure a smooth VR escape for everyone.
• Check the full changelog at the bottom of this article. It's HUUUGEEE!

Ready to escape together in full view? Grab your partner and dive into Escape Simulator's VR Hands Update! Oh, btw, just one more thing! There is a new Build-a-Room Competition on the horizon, and it's coming next week! So, stay tuned for more news!

Important announcement regarding the Escape Simulator VR Steam Page

To avoid any confusion in the future, we've decided to remove the Escape Simulator VR product page, so all discussions related to VR will be held in one place; in the Escape Simulator discussion boards.

Got questions? We have answers!

Head here to find a small FAQ that hopefully answers all your questions. Have more inquiries? Ask away on the Escape Simulator forum or our Discord!

VR Improvements:

• Player characters now feature realistic head and hand movements and are fully integrated into multiplayer settings.
• Introducing a novel inventory addition method: simply hover and release items over your shoulder to store them.
• New movement option "Smooth With Turn" allows seamless movement and turning with a single thumbstick.
• For a more immersive experience, we've added the "Off" movement option, which disables thumbstick navigation.
• You can now customize the thumbstick deadzone under VR settings (VR -> Other -> Thumbstick Deadzone).
• Movement settings are now individually adjustable for each hand.
• Celebrate your victories with a dynamic confetti effect that surrounds you upon completing a level.
• Witness a visual "poof" effect when players add items to their inventory in multiplayer.
• Enhanced Room Editor now offers improved control over VR item sparkles, with settings for "Automatic," "Enabled," and "Disabled."
• Tools such as fire extinguishers, wands, and revolvers have been upgraded to project effects in the direction they face.
• Hands remain visible and turn transparent when holding items, enhancing realism.
• Weve removed obstructions caused by trigger colliders to the raycast hit indicator.
• Simplified the toggling between snap and smooth turning in the settings menu.
• Added a new tutorial step to guide you through changing settings anytime via the in-game menu.
• Smooth transitions between game and in-game menu with newly integrated post-processing effects.
• Fixed several bugs including issues with the level loading spinner, teleport marker visibility, and performance hiccups in community levels due to excessive colliders.

Level Fixes:

• Tutorial: Resolved an issue allowing players to access items from a locked chest in VR.
• Emergency Awakening: Enabled the collection of flying glass pieces.
• Hallway Accident: Addressed a glitch where the cable part could become stuck and uncollectible.
• Space Walk: Corrected a problem allowing item retrieval from sealed containers in VR.
• Chamber of Dead:
• Corrected the scaling issue with the slot, preventing the ball ghost from appearing egg-shaped.
• Improved the accessibility of the crowbar in VR to prevent unintended easy grabbing.
• Gold Chamber: Enhanced the interaction with the pickaxe to avoid unintentional easy grabbing in VR.
• Metaverse: Fixed a VR issue where players would not correctly spawn in metaverse rooms upon loading.
• Versus (Beginner and Expert): Eliminated an unwanted VR vignette effect visible in the final room.
• Among Us (DLC): Resolved a difficulty with activating the hint box, particularly in VR.
• The Engine Room (Steampunk DLC): Clarified the use of the fire extinguisher in VR instructions.
• The Helm Room (Steampunk DLC):
• Resolved a glitch where VR night goggles effects incorrectly applied to the in-game menu.
• Improved the readability of the note gear in VR.
• Fixed an issue with placing an opened container in the mailing tube in VR.
• Magic Shop (Magic DLC):
• Addressed a coloring issue with hints appearing pink.
• Fixed the orientation issue with the eye book in VR.
• The Saloon (Wild West DLC): Improved the readability of the deadbeat note in VR.
• Chronomancy Hall (Magic DLC): Enhanced the usability of turnables and slidables in VR.
• Potions Garden (Magic DLC): Fixed a VR-specific bug affecting player movement when carrying ladders.

-Pine team

[ 2024-04-26 20:09:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey adventurers, we're back with another round of fixes and improvements! VR Update Hotfix #2 focuses on enhancing both the general and VR gameplay experience. Whats New:

General Fixes:

• No more freezing when picking up certain items.
• VR and flat players can now co-play in all community rooms.
• New default step sound for community rooms.

VR-Specific Fixes:

• Completed levels now save correctly.
• Closing zooms in VR is now a click away.
• Level complete UI has a new "Stay" button.
• Fixed level complete UI spawning issues.
• Community room rating now available in VR.
• Trigger function refined for better interaction: Trigger no longer grabs item from other hand (only grip does so), rather it is now used for interactions only.
• Improved press indicator for VR grip.
• Token and community rooms beta popups are more readable.

Level Adjustments:

• 'Emergency Awakening': Fixed disappearing zoomable in multiplayer.
• 'The Greenhouse' (Steampunk DLC): Enhanced turnable interaction.
• 'The Jail' (Wild West DLC): Fixed the VR bug with the picture on the table.
• 'Divination Towers' (Magic DLC): Fixed table turnable snapping issue.(could be set in-between 2 towers)

We're committed to making your gaming experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Keep the feedback coming, and let's keep the game great together! Pine team

[ 2024-04-09 16:01:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

First off, a massive thank you to all who've been diving into our new VR mode and an extra shoutout to the 1171 supporters who've showed love by getting the Supporter Pack. Your support means the world to us! This week, we've been all ears and got down to squashing those pesky bugs to make your VR experience smoother. And yes, we're already on the case with some exciting updates in the pipeline like bringing your own arms to the multiplayer, an over-the-shoulder inventory, and polishing up the VR version of the amazing community-made rooms. And yes, we're working on a standalone Meta Quest version of the game! Heres whats new in v32311r:

General Fixes:

• No more double-clicking in-game menu buttons.
• Fixed non-referencing items for some zoomables.
• Smoother item grabbing.
• Enhanced room selection in the menu.
• Moved network protocol option to the Advanced tab.
• Extra checks before item respawns to keep things smooth.

VR Enhancements:

• Fixed camera spawn issues no more floor view when you start.
• Credits roll in the right place now.
• Zoomables and slots handling in VR got a major tune-up.
• Swappable slots and distance placing now work like a charm.
• Crouching into out-of-reach spaces? Fixed that.
• Level completion now comes with more confetti and no black UI squares.
• Flat version motion sickness settings won't mess with VR anymore.
• Meta Quest Pro controllers should work better now.

VR Custom Rooms & Editor:

• No more air-spawn in custom rooms.
• Zoomables in VR now stay put and only move with significant player motion.
• Picking up items in VR stops unnecessary animations.
• Fixed the VR trashcan duplication in custom rooms.

Level Adjustments:

• 'Among Us' room manual is now VR-friendly.
• 'Emergency Awakening' has its screw slots sorted for VR.
• 'Magic Shop's hungry book and hidden zoomables behave better.
• 'Versus Expert' chess puzzle is now VR ready.
• 'Gold Chamber' has improved gold slot interaction.

We're pumped to keep improving and expanding the game based on your feedback. -Pine team

[ 2024-04-05 15:44:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here it is! Escape Simulator just leveled up! Weve seamlessly integrated VR mode into the game, and is now yours, absolutely FREE! [previewyoutube=fD5cxMeadws;full][/previewyoutube] Whether youre deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, escaping from haunted mansions, or solving intricate puzzles, you can do it all in a captivating VR environment. The adrenaline rush? Off the charts. The thrill? Unmatched. Immerse yourself and experience your favorite challenges like never before. Before you ask - yes, non-VR and VR players CAN play together!

Supporter DLC: Exclusive Goodies

Weve noticed many of you are looking for ways to further support the game and our team. To answer this, weve created the Supporter DLC. This fun little package is a treasure trove for fans, including exclusive digital goodies such as a unique in-game skin, a golden token badge, a digital art book, ES wallpapers, and even the first playable ES prototype version. Its our way of offering you something special in return for your incredible support! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2843390/Escape_Simulator_Supporter_Pack_DLC/

Price Adjustment

With the game evolving and expanding, especially with the addition of VR, we're adjusting the price from $14.99/14.99/12.99 to $19.99/19.99/16.79 and DLCs from $4.99/4.99/3.99 to $5.99/5.99/4.99, effective April 14th. We believe this price change better reflects the current value of the game and allows us to keep supporting it long into the future.

Final Sale Alert: Grab It Before the Adjustment

Before the price adjustment takes effect, dont miss our final sale! From April 2nd to April 13th, seize the opportunity. Whether its for yourself or as a thoughtful gift, nows the time. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

More stuff to come!

Since the initial release, our journey with Escape Simulator has been nothing short of extraordinary. Heres a quick recap of our achievements:

• 12 Additional Rooms: Weve expanded the escape universe, adding twists, turns, and surprises galore.
• 3 Developed DLCs: New challenges, fresh mysteries, and brain-teasing conundrums await.
• 2 Free DLCs Released: Because we believe in giving back to our community.

But hold onto your hats2024 promises even more excitement! Heres whats in store:

• At Least One More DLC: Brace yourselves for mind-bending puzzles and heart-pounding escapes.
• 2 More Free DLCs: Yes, you read that right. More free content coming your way!

It's dangerous to go alone. Take this FAQ

Before you go, weve compiled a list of common questions about Escape Simulator to keep you informed. Lets dive in: Q: What about the standalone Meta Quest version? A: Yup, we are working on it and we plan to release it by the end of this year! Q: What about the standalone Steam version? A: We do not plan to release a standalone Steam version because weve included it for FREE in the base game! We believe that this approach is not only more fair to our players but also helps us tackle technical challenges while maintaining the game efficiently with our small team. Q: Can flat-screen and VR players play together? A: Absolutely! Weve enabled non-VR and VR players to join forces seamlessly. Give it a try! Q: Can community rooms be played in VR? A: Yes, but community rooms are still in BETA, and theres work to be done to bring them up to satisfactory standards. We appreciate your patience. Most rooms should function well, but occasional issues may arise. Check out the curated Verified for VR list in the game, where weve added several maps that work beautifully in VR. Q: What about VR motion sickness? I suffer from it. Can I play in VR? A: Weve implemented a range of options that you can enable and adjust to minimize VR motion sickness. Q: What movement options do you support in VR? A: The game offers a variety of movement options, including smooth locomotion, teleportation, and both snap and smooth turning. Additionally, we cater to your preferred play style with both sitting and standing modes. Check out the in-game settings to discover a wide range of customizable options designed to ensure a comfortable and immersive gameplay for all players! Q: I encountered a bug! How do I report it? A: If you encounter the same bug again, follow these steps: Locate the Player.log file:

• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Pine Studio\Escape Simulator\Player.log
• MacOS: ~/Library/Logs/Pine Studio/Escape Simulator/Player.log
• Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/Pine Studio/Escape Simulator/Player.log

Send the Player.log to community@pinestudio.com.

Here's to new adventures!

To each and every one of you, thank you! Your excitement and support mean the world to us. Dive into the immersive world of Escape Simulator, explore the mysteries, and get ready for surprises galore. Stay curious, stay daring, and keep those escape skills sharp. Adventure awaits! -Pine team

[ 2024-04-02 16:01:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

We've got some exciting news and updates about Escape Simulator we want to share with you. First off, we're super grateful for all the support you've given us over the past 2.5 years. It's been an amazing journey, and we're not stopping yet. Its time for the new chapter of Escape Simulator!

In short (TL;DR):

• VR Update is coming out April 2nd and it will be FREE for all ES players!
• Supporter DLC also launches April 2nd with cool digital goodies.
• More DLCs (both free and paid) are coming out later this year!
• Escape Simulators price is going up on April 14th from $14.99 to $19.99.
• Youll have a chance to get it cheaper one last time before the increase during our last huge sale (April 2nd till April 14th)

Introducing ES:VR - A New Dimension of Escape

[previewyoutube=Xf67kvq5haE;full][/previewyoutube] First off, the big reveal: We're integrating VR mode into Escape Simulator! This means every owner of Escape Simulator will automatically receive the ES:VR version for FREE. We believe this approach is not only more fair to our players but also addresses technical challenges, making maintenance more manageable for our small team. Experience your favorite puzzles and adventures in a completely immersive VR environment, at no extra cost. This major update brings a new depth to the gameplay, making your escapes more thrilling than ever.

Supporter DLC - Get Exclusive Goodies

Weve noticed many of you are looking for ways to further support the game and our team. To answer this, weve created the Supporter DLC. This fun little package is a treasure trove for fans, including exclusive digital goodies such as a unique in-game skin, a golden token badge, a digital art book, ES wallpapers, and even the first playable ES prototype version. Its our way of offering you something special in return for your incredible support!

More Adventures on the Horizon

Since the release, we've been on an incredible journey of growth and expansion. To date, we've added 12 additional rooms, developed 3 DLCs, and released 2 DLCs absolutely free! Looking ahead, this year promises to be even more exciting. We're thrilled to announce plans for at least one more DLC, alongside 2 more free DLCs, ensuring your adventures in Escape Simulator continue to evolve and surprise. Stay tuned, as the best is yet to come!

Upcoming Price Adjustment

With the game evolving and expanding, especially with the addition of VR, we're adjusting the price from $14.99/14.99/12.99 to $19.99/19.99/16.79 and DLCs from $4.99/4.99/3.99 to $5.99/5.99/4.99, effective April 14th. We believe this price change better reflects the current value of the game and allows us to keep supporting it long into the future.

Last Sale!

Before the price adjustment, don't miss out on our final sale. If you've been eyeing Escape Simulator for yourself or as a gift, well have one final sale before the price adjustment starting April 2nd till April 13th. We're deeply grateful for your continued support and excitement for Escape Simulator. We can't wait for you to dive in and experience everything new. Thank you for being an integral part of our community! -Pine team

[ 2024-03-13 22:00:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch for Hotfix #2 (v31785r)

• Fixed issue causing workshop rooms to get deleted

[ 2024-03-07 10:21:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! We're diving back into the search for the cream of the crop in Community Rooms, and this time, it's even more excitingit marks the kickoff of the Community Room Picks in 2024! Also, a quick heads-up if you somehow missed it: Magic DLC has been released so make sure to check it out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ No time to waste! Let's find out who stood out the most!

The Aurora Treasure

You're a MIGHTY PIRATE YARRRRRRR! This one goes a bit back in December of 2023, but we had to feature it. The Aurora Treasure is an incredible new map by Asshai who is responsible for an additional two, equally awesome Escape Simulator community maps. However, "The Aurora Treasure" stands out as a unique gem. In a nutshell, you find yourself as the last surviving member of a pirate crew on the quest for the legendary Aurora Treasure in the frozen North. Guided by the enigmatic Dark Compass, your destination is tantalizingly close. With no alternative but to press on or risk freezing in icy waters, the journey unfolds in this gripping escapade. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3110105378

The Eccentric Studio

Brush$troke stands out as one of the most esteemed room builders in Escape Simulator, and this latest creation initially began as an experiment. What started as a casual endeavor to explore new ideas swiftly evolved into an entirely new room that we now have the pleasure of experiencing. Way to go, Brush$troke! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3131713950

The Immortal Legacy - Part 1 - The Philosopher's Stone

Embark on a mysterious adventure with Emma, daughter of the famed Professor Robert, who vanishes under puzzling (get it, get it?) circumstances. Tasked with uncovering her father's groundbreaking discovery, you navigate a secretive mansion filled with traps and puzzles. The goal? Locate the immortality stone before it lands in the hands of looters. It's a perilous journey where your wit and courage are the keys to unveiling secrets and preserving history. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3139599402

Lost Lines: A Sketch Odyssey

In this interesting community room, join a stick man navigating a sketch world, grappling with grief following the loss of his wife. The author suggests simply taking your time, absorbing the atmosphere, and delving into the narrative through sound and story. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3149800025

Got Games On Your Phone?

Step into a nostalgic journey as you go back in time to play beloved mobile games from your childhood. This map features four fan-favorite games, with an optional bonus awaiting at the end. Despite a few bugs, the experience remains enjoyable and innovative. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3160892509

Extra

So this is the first time we're adding an "Extra" category to Community Picks because in this category we'll put stuff that's not necessarily a community room, but some creators are making content that helps other builders make community rooms even better.

LUA scripts

GG3L is rocking the Escape Simulator scene by taking the Room Editor to the next level with LUA scripts. Ever heard of LUA? It's a cool coding language that spices up games with extra stuff. Escape Simulator didn't have stairs due to its square room design, but GG3L said "no problem" and used LUA to add stairs, elevators, and slopes. It's a great example of how modding can totally transform a game, giving it a fresh twist beyond what was originally planned. Big props to GG3L for their awesome work! GG3L's work on Steam Workshop Which leads us to...

The official Escape Simulator Wiki

Great news for all Escape Simulator Builders! We've launched an official ES Wiki to enhance your room editor experience. It's packed with everything you need to know about the game and in-depth guidance for the Room Editor. Just a heads-up, it's still in Beta, so you might encounter a few incomplete sections here and there. Find it here https://docs.escapesimulator.com/ If you would like to become a part of our community and reach out to some of the amazing builders featured here, then be sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit.

Pine team

[ 2024-03-05 17:00:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch for Hotfix #2 (v31705r)

• Fixed the issue preventing the game from running on Linux and Steam Deck.

[ 2024-02-28 19:33:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Escapers and Builders! Good news: our latest batch of magical props is here for ALL BUILDERS no Magic DLC needed! A huge thank you to everyone who has purchased and supported our work.
Get ready to elevate your magical room creations with our massive new prop pack, featuring over 240 items! From wands and books to crystals and hats, it's all you need for your wizarding escapades. Plus, the Magic DLC is still at a 10% launch discount, making it a great time to grab it if you haven't already. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ We've also rolled out hotfix #2 (v31704r) alongside the room editor enhancements, squashing some pesky bugs and smoothing out the experience. Here's the changelog:

• Fixed the bug with HUGE ladders.
• Versus mode is now fully operational in the Deviation Tower room.
• Fixed decimal point errors in the room editor for precise editing.
• Enhanced the save system to ensure more reliable updates.
• Resolved several translation errors.
• Fixed minor audio glitches.
• Eliminated the floating candy.

We're excited about the spells you'll cast and the adventures you'll craft. Happy building! Pine team

[ 2024-02-28 16:39:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

If you've missed it, our Magic DLC and an update for the base game were launched yesterday. You can read more about the DLC here. Thank you to everyone who has played the DLC and shared your thoughts. Your positive feedback has been overwhelming, and we're grateful for it! Following your reports, we've released a hotfix (v31630r) to address some issues. Here's the updated changelog:

Level Fixes:

• Fixed a player navigation bug in Chronomancy Hall.
• Fixed the mandrake drawer not working after a certain checkpoint in Potions Garden.
• Fixed the wrong collider in Potions Garden.
• General tweaks for the Magic DLC checkpoint system.

General Fixes:

• Improved sorting of custom levels in the community tab in level pickers.
• "Save And Exit" now displayed only on host and singleplayer games.
• Badge for completed custom rooms is now displayed properly.
• Added a Delete button for player-created rooms.
• Tokens for the Tutorial are now displayed correctly.
• Fixed game freeze when entering controller mode while in the workshop screen.
• Fixed some audio issues in Magic DLC.
• Fixed a room editor bug where decimal numbers would lose their decimal point, e.g., 0.25 turning into 25.

If you enjoy the DLC, please take your time and leave us a Steam review. Your feedback is very important to us and helps us make better games! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ Thank you for your support and feedback. <3 Pine team

[ 2024-02-23 16:42:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Ready your wands and brew your potions, because the Magic DLC is finally here! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ Embrace your magic potential, and follow in the footsteps of great witches and wizards! First, grab your equipment in the mysterious magic shop... From there go onward to the school of magic where three more classes await your mastery!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What's included in the Magic DLC? The Magic DLC has four (magical) rooms, and new wizard/witch outfits! Each of these rooms provides approximately 45 minutes of gameplay.
What is the price of the DLC? The Magic DLC is priced at $4.99 / 4.99 / 4.29, but you can get it 10% off during the launch sale! Will there be new achievements introduced with the DLC? Although we would love to add more achievements, we've decided against it. Our concern is ensuring that players who have already completed the game aren't required to start over due to the addition of new achievements. Do my friends need to purchase Magic DLC to play it with me in co-op? Yes, all players participating in multiplayer mode need to have the Magic DLC purchased. How many friends can I invite to play Magic DLC multiplayer with me? Multiplayer mode supports a maximum of 10 players, though for the best gameplay experience, it's recommended to play with 2-3 players. I have a VR headset. Will Magic DLC be available in VR? Absolutely, the Magic DLC will be fully compatible with VR (coming out later this year). I don't have Escape Simulator yet. Is there some special deal I can grab right now? Escape Simulator is currently on its biggest sale yet and you can get it for only $9,89 / 9,89 / 8,57! But the absolutely best deal is The Collector's Edition which contains base game, 3 DLCs and OST. I want to use Magic DLC props in my room design, but I can't find them in the Room Editor. What should I do? Magic DLC props will be added to the Room Editor next week. The props will be available to all players (with or without the DLC). What should I do if I encounter a bug or experience a crash while playing? If you encounter a bug or experience a crash while playing, please report the issue via email at community@pinestudio.com or on our Discord server in the #bugs channel. You can help us by sending your .LOG file. <3

Full Changelog:

New Content

• Added brand new Magic DLC!
• Two new mystical outfits from the Magic DLC.
• Added bald haircut (not sure if it's consider a haircut, but it looks awesome!)
• Menu redesign, navigate more clearly in the new main menu.
• Options redesign, all of the options are in the same place, making it easier than ever to tweak.
• Saves (checkpoints) are now supported on all official levels (including all DLCs).
• You can now restart the level from the in-game menu.

General Fixes

• More stable networking.
• Fixed some hats not fading on other characters.
• Pinging can now also be performed in single-player (the only difference is that no chat message is shown).
• Fixed UI overlap bugs with the controller while using the trashcan.
• Connectable interactions are more clearly visualized.
• Optimized the code so the game is more performant.
• Level saves are now in JSON, which are now more modifiable.

Room Editor & Workshop

• Fixed menu slider not updating position properly.
• You can now input float values with a dot.
• Fixed some objects being repeated two times inside the same Theme but under different categories.
• Fixed .bin files being deleted when publishing rooms.
• Graveyard floor can now be deleted.

Level Fixes

• Fixed several interactions and translations in the Among Us DLC.
• Fixed several interactions and glitches in the Tutorial.
• Fixed portal gun where it doesn't play animation when the cores are inserted too quickly in Portal DLC.
• Fixed bad colliders in The Library.
• Fixed weird ghost token texture in 70's Room.
• Fixed unnatural badge animation in The Jail.
• Quieter drone in Hallway Accident.
• Fixed wrong Italian translations in The Saloon.
• Changed the turnable direction on the chess box in The Greenhouse.
• Better controller support for TV games in 70's Room.
• The robot controller in The Lab is now mounted on the wall.
• Fixed planets lost behind cupboard in Lost Spirits.
• Fixed floating batteries and wire interactions in Space Walk.
• Added more bugs so we can fix something in the future.

See you in the realms of wonder and magic!

Pine Team

[ 2024-02-22 18:01:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

February is all about spreading the LOVE! Looking for a fun activity this week? Look no further! Join us on Friday, February 16th, 2024, for the third installment of our Escape Simulator Date Night, this time called, Escape Simulator Friday Date Night! We'll pair you up with another player for a two-player session of Escape Simulator! To participate, simply hop onto our official Discord server, and reserve your spot by reacting to the latest message in the announcements channel. Registration for the event will remain open until February 16th at 9 AM CET, at which point we'll start pairing up players. All match-ups will be announced on Discord! Not sure which room to tackle? Here's a small guide:

• Rooms from the latest Community Challenge
• Rooms by Build-a-Room contest winners (Build-A-Room #1, Build-A-Room #2, Build-A-Thon 2022, Build-A-Room #3, Build-A-Room #4, Build-A-Room #5)
• Best of 2023 recommended by Pine's SuperJura
• or virtually any room crafted for two players

Calling all players!

Ready to switch up your usual hangout routine? Just hop on our official Discord server, follow the steps in the announcements channel, and you're all set for a unique online experience. Can't wait to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2024-02-13 17:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Iggy here from Pine and I'm bringing some exciting news for y'all! Escape Simulator VR is taking a next step forward with the unveiling of VR Demo 2.0. This refined version has been shaped by the invaluable feedback we received from you guys! Were sincerely grateful for the suggestions and constructive criticism weve received so far.

So, what's new in Demo 2.0?

Among the notable additions are a newly introduced camera and a sleek wristband, injecting a fresh perspective and style into the virtual escape room adventure. Weve optimized the VR experience for smoother gameplay, and numerous bugs have been squashed to ensure a polished and seamless encounter for players. You can check the full changelog down below.
Our collaboration with you guys doesnt end with Demo 2.0. Were eagerly anticipating further comments and suggestions to fine-tune the game even more, with the goal of releasing a super-polished full version in the near future.

Support [for more VR devices] incoming!

In terms of supported VR devices, the demo will be accessible via Steam VR (or the new Steam Link App) on popular devices such as Meta Oculus Quest 2, Meta Oculus Quest 3, Steam Index, HTC Vive, and more. Moreover, our goal is to extend support to numerous other VR devices following the official release of Escape Simulator VR. We highly value any feedback or suggestions that can enhance the player experience on your preferred headset. Your input is incredibly valuable and greatly appreciated!

Get ready for some VR magic!

Mark your calendars because Magic DLC is not only for the flat-screen players! The Escape Simulator Magic DLC will launch on February 22nd and it will be compatible with VR when Escape Simulator VR comes out - very soon! So make sure to push that Wishlist button! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/

Join us on Discord and Reddit!

We are eager to hear your thoughts and feedback! Join us on our official Discord server or our subreddit.

Pine Studio

Full changelog:

• Added instant camera that autospawns in your inventory.
• Added new tutorial intro part where you can pick locomotion type and stance.
• Added VR band on both hands with the settings and inventory buttons for easier controls and imersion. The band has a screen to display the token count.
• Hide all VR control panels on the tutorial as controls are now shown directly on the hands.
• Fixed various issues with VR tutorial controller visuals, such as thinner lines, improved text positions, and binding mismatches.
• Removed bloom in the game menu in VR.
• Fixed a bug where sparkles would not spawn in VR.
• Updated the HTC Vive tutorial controller message to indicate the upper button is now the secondary button. Removed the background panel from VR tutorial controller texts for a cleaner look.
• Logged OpenXR device for easier Meta Quest 3 detection.
• Fixed a critical bug where non-VR and VR lobbies would not work.
• Refactored VR grabbing to make transferring items from one hand to another faster and cleaner, without weird resetting of scale for items that have hand scale defined.
• Disabled trigger actions if the VR picture camera is held to prevent unintended picture taking.
• Slightly offset the Meta Quest controller position to better match real-life hand positioning.
• The VR picture camera now has a 1-second cooldown to prevent spamming or accidental double clicks.
• Disabled VR picture camera rendering when no more pictures are left.
• VR pictures are set to always respawn.
• Added utility methods for easier manual addition of items to VR inventory and for visualizing drawing bounds.
• Improved VR watch button presses to be easier to trigger.
• Set proper offsets for HTC Vive and SteamVR Index controllers and improved the throwing mechanism.
• Added a shadow to VR inventory bubble icons for "key," "hint," and "container" items.
• Fixed a bug where the VR raycast indicator would not be shown in the main menu.
• Fixed a bug where VR watches would show in the main menu, causing confusion.
• VR performance and memory optimizations across several updates, focusing on reducing allocations and improving efficiency in raycasting, memory usage, and controller updates.
• Added the ability to disable VR item sparkles.
• Toy2 VR improvements included making drawer handles collidable and puzzle slots triggers in VR.
• If entering a wall (out-of-bounds) in VR and the menu is entered, the VR position is reset to the last valid position on the map.
• Improved VR locomotion prompts in Toy1 to ensure buttons are all the same size.
• VR button interaction improvements, including a new algorithm for calculating finger touch points and adding vibrations to VR button and finger interactions.
• Added feedback to all inputs for all VR devices in Toy1, ensuring a consistent experience across tutorials and gameplay.

[ 2024-02-05 16:53:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! Iggy from Pine here! Following our Magic DLC announcement back in December 2023, we now have an official release date!

Magic DLC is coming on February 22nd, 2024

So gear up with your mystical apparatus, grab your enchanted broomsticks, and place magical hats upon your heads, for it is time to explore the magical unknown! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ So here it is, dear esteemed practitioners of the mystical arts! The official release date has been set! Also, we're thrilled to share some exciting updates with you. Check out the refreshed trailer, explore a collection of new screenshots, and don't forget to wishlist! [previewyoutube=dP-Q6HBSb78;full][/previewyoutube]


Additionally, make sure to join your fellow enchanters on Pine's Discord and become an integral part of our magical gathering!

Pine Team

[ 2024-01-25 17:00:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Welcome to our "Meet the Builders" series, where we delve into the creative minds behind some of the most remarkable room designers in Escape Simulator. In our previous conversations we had a fun chat with Zesty and Cico, and now it's time for (drumroll.....) - Duc! Duc stands out as one of the crme de la crme in the realm of room building for Escape Simulator. His creations, such as The Projectionist, Under the Sea, The Clockwork Games (and more), rank among the finest available on the Steam Workshop.
Under the Sea

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into playing Escape Simulator?

My alias is Duc, Im 28 from the UK. During working hours, Im an air traffic controller that dabbles in IT. Other interests include motorsport, photography, and laying down. The date is 16 Dec 2021 - Some friends and I had just finished Overcooked 2 and were looking for more co-op fun. We had completed some escape rooms in real life so Escape Simulator seemed like an ideal purchase. We binged through the developer's rooms in short order and dove into the community rooms. The unhealthy obsession continues to this day! I used to play a serious amount of Rocket League in my spare time. As of the time of writing, Ive played 2467 hours of it. Steam tells me I havent played the game since Feb 2022 so escape sim has done pretty well to displace rocket league from my life.

What inspired you to start designing rooms in the game?

Riddles, Books and a Lab A friend of mine, TheChubbyWalrus created a room for our group of 4 to have a go at. As soon as we finished it, I knew I had to return the favour. That room became Riddles, Books and a Lab. I published it as public, but it never occurred to me that anyone else would play it. The next day it had 20 likes, a couple of weeks later it had 1000. And from that moment on it just got out of hand.

Can you walk us through your process of creating a room? (you sketch on paper, what tools, how you start)

Whatever you think my creative process is, it is far less sophisticated than that! Rooms 3-8 were created around the same question. What interesting real-world environments can be feasibly created within the escape sim editor? Ill crack open OneNote and brainstorm ideas with my partner. Before the model importer, skyboxes, and advanced lighting were added to the editor, outdoor environments were extremely challenging. I have an old experimental room where I probably spent 30 hours playing around with various props in the editor trying to get it to work. But it never saw the light of day due to the editors limitations. And these 30 hours arent me trying to develop puzzles or playing with logic. This is 30 hours of retexturing random props and rescaling them so that I can create whatever monstrosity it is I need for the environment to work. If there is a world record for the longest time spent rescaling a folded stack of clothes to turn it into a distant set of green hills, I am the record holder. Once Ive got an environment with a nice-looking floor and established a new horizon, then Ill start planning out the total playable area in the editor. Ill grab the nearest envelope and a biro and sketch a very simple plan. That envelope will then sit on my desk for the next for weeks/months whilst I clumsily place props in the editor. Once the room is 60-70% physically assembled, then I will start thinking about adding puzzles. Generally speaking, the environment inspires the puzzles rather than the other way around. Now the editor has more tools, there are fewer limitations. The model importer being the big one. Fortunately, the days of using random props to create things are over! Most of my time is spent in Blender having a crack at modeling things. Imported models are the best way of getting the most performance out of a room, so long as the number of vertices and the texture sizes arent ridiculous.

You were one of the winners during last years Build-A-Thon, for which you made a tiny room within only 48 hours. How was it to work under such pressure?

The Projectionist Shockingly, the 48 hours was far less stressful than Build-a-room #2 & #3s 2 weeks. And I would put this down to the scope of the room (The Projectionist) being relatively simple from the start. I knew that if I made the room too complex then any minor setbacks during creation would cause the room development to fall behind and eventually feel incomplete once the timer runs out. I made this mistake in Build-a-room #2 with The Virtual Prison. Learned from the mistake with The Projectionist. Then forgot the lesson again in Build-a-thon #3 with Relativity... The 48 hours even included a picturesque walk in the lovely British countryside to record the footage for the movie clips in the room. That being said, I must have gotten 6 hours sleep within that 48-hour period.

What are some of your favorite rooms you've created so far, and what makes them unique?

Let me out Creating a room is a labour of love. It consumes a considerable proportion of your life. In a way, they are all my favourite for their own reasons. Let Me Out is probably my current favourite as Im a fan of horror rooms. It was the first room (to my knowledge) to use a professional voice actor. Looking back its not the greatest and it doesnt even have many puzzles in it despite being in a game about puzzles! Nevertheless, I have a soft spot for it.

Aside from winning the Build-A-Thon, you also entered several other room-building contests. How does your room-building process differ when youre creating for a contest as opposed to rooms that you are building in your free time?

Pure chaos. Ive entered 3 contests and the 2 build-a-rooms were just madness. Creative direction is constantly changing. Entire ideas evaporating or appearing out of thin air due to necessity. Id put this down to myself always wanting the scope of the rooms to be as large and impressive as possible. At first, 2 weeks feels like an eternity. Oh yeah, I can get that done in a day. Oh that puzzle will be easy to sort the logic for. Then you realise youve got 2 days left, nothing is ready, and the original concept is a husk of its former self. Great puzzle ideas get ditched because the time to properly execute them no longer exists. So yes. Chaos But you better believe Ill be doing the exact same thing in the next competition! In my free time, ideas can come and go naturally. Assets can be created slow-time and if something is a creative dead end, it doesnt matter. Whats the rush? Ideas that turn out to not be fun or dont make sense can be deleted and better ideas have the time to be developed and sculpted.

Most of your rooms contain a lot of animations, visuals, and environments that exist outside of the puzzle room itself. How do you go about making these environments feel alive?

Relativity All I try to accomplish is the same feat that all other games employ. If theres a window, you should be able to see something nice out of it. If you pour a bucket of water, the bucket should be animated nicely, make a water pouring sound, and have water coming out of it. Its fair to say I spend 80% of the room creation time on these finer details. They often add nothing to the puzzles. But its these details that make a room more memorable and enchanting to me.

How do you come up with the themes and puzzles for your rooms?

Virtual Prison The usual scenario is to pick a theme that hasnt been done before. A theme that is possible within the confines of the editor. A theme that has the potential to look pretty or striking or both. As mentioned previously, the puzzles are centered around the environment. For example, in Under the Sea I was making a colourful animated fish as a background prop and thought ahhhh, I can use that!

What do you think are the key elements to creating a challenging yet enjoyable escape room?

In my crazy dreamworld, I like to believe that its possible to create a room that everyone plays and has a fun time with. This is not what happens. Everyone has different tastes. And thats okay. The next best thing is to make a room that most players will enjoy. That room has a difficulty that is easy/moderate. It might be challenging, but it most certainly will not be hard. A good room should not require the player to be very smart. But a good room should leave the player feeling smart.

What are some tips and tricks you can share with players who want to try their hand at designing rooms in Escape Simulator?

Virtual Prison Do you have a best friend? Forget them. Your new best friend is the empty. It is nothing, yet it can do everything. It might not be today, tomorrow, or even next week. But one day you will realise that the empty is the most important thing in your creative life. Most effects can be retextured for some pretty impressive and often chaotic results. Play around with the effects and let your imagination run wild. I was able to create a bubbles effect by taking the snow effect, flipping it upside down and retexturing the snow particles with a simple bubble png.

What are some lessons youve learned the hard way as a creator for Escape Simulator?

What I like isnt always what the rest of the world likes. And thats okay. A great example is found within my Build-a-room #2 submission, The Virtual Prison. In that room, there is a mini game which is essentially just basketball. Theres a little scoreboard and an announcer. I loved it. But this is Escape Simulator, not NBA 2k23. People hopped into that room and got frustrated that they were having to throw basketballs into a moving hoop. And I completely understand. This is a puzzle game after all, and I handed the player something that isnt a puzzle. That room also contained a frogger rip-off. Im now asking the player to do some action/platforming in a puzzle game. I was hard on myself for months after this room was released due its less than favourable reception. It wasnt until Dr_Poly played through the room on a stream that I decided to play it again myself And I loved it! It sounds horribly narcissistic, but I had a great time throwing balls with an over exuberant announcer and dodging cars like an 80s frog. Its important for creators to understand that you should create what makes you happy. If you have fun playing it, theres a good chance that most others are going to enjoy it too!

Can you share any memorable experiences or funny stories that have happened while you were designing or playing your escape rooms?

Under the Sea I was putting together the layout of Under the Sea in the editor and realised I had backed myself into a corner. I had accidentally placed all the assets in such a way that it wouldnt be possible/make sense for the underwater facility to route where it needed to. I certainly didnt want to undo hours of work. Then my partner said to me, why dont you just go underground? And I thought, Nah thats mad. Id have to cut out a hole in the mesh of the sea floor and build an entirely new section off to the side to create an indoor space. Crazy. Too much work Hours go by and I thought, well actually she is right. Going underground whilst underwater sounds quite fun and unexpected. Youre at the bottom of the ocean and you end up going even lower! It started as a simple ladder down into a basement. Somehow that morphed into creating some sort of London Underground ripoff with a moving train section. I wouldnt have even attempted a moving train section because I wouldnt have considered it possible. Then I remembered towards the end of Zestys Ominous Obelisk; he had a moment where all the players move vertically in an elevator in a very convincing fashion. So why wouldnt it work horizontally? In summary, Under the Seas most memorable section only exists due to my poor planning and a bit of lateral thinking from my partner.

What are some of the nicest reactions or interactions youve had with people who played one of your rooms?

Clockwork Games Its difficult to narrow it down. Im grateful to have received a lot of positive support over the past 20 months (at time of writing) of this escape sim journey I find myself on. The comment section for Under The Sea is a great place to start. Actually, scratch that. I know what it is. After the Build-a-room #3. Mumbo said this to me on the Pine Studio Discord regarding Relativity.

"Duc I think you are the number 1 greatest 3d environment artist escape simulator has to offer and this is the number 1 most beautiful room in ES."

There was plenty of helpful constructive criticism in there as well but the above comment has always stuck with me.

What do you feel has been your greatest Escape Simulator accomplishment so far?

Pine choosing me for this!

Are there any features you would like to see added to the room editor in future updates?

True 2D sprites. We have transparents which is incredible. (RIP Space sticker.) But a transparent that rotates itself to always face the player would be neat. Having more animation keyframes. The current workaround for fancy animations is to stack parented empties or whip out LUA. But its a bit cumbersome and certainly a roadblock for newer creators. More animation curves. Linear and smooth are good, but it is not enough for all purposes. For example: an object falling off a shelf and hitting the floor. I challenge someone to animate that in ES and make it look realistic. I know how I would do it and it would be such a pain to put together. Blender allows you to hold shift while interacting with an object to adjust it in finer increments. Having that in escape sim would change my life. And would save me needing to change the numeric values each time I want something lined up with something else. Having granular control over minute distances would be excellent. Stairs. Stairs. Please.

Are there any other room designers in the game whose work you admire or draw inspiration from?

The creators that stand out are the ones that are doing things that nobody had done before them. Pioneers. Visionaries. The list is colossal. I believe there are least 20 creators whose rooms Ive played and gone Wow, what a fantastic idea! Sadly, I didnt write down every time that happened so apologies to those not listed. Cico: The OG pioneer. Those who have been playing workshop rooms from the very beginning will remember A Pirates Legend. A Cico room which is no longer available today. However, it was the first true example of a very well executed outdoor environment. Before this, I had no idea the editor had the capability! If Cico hadnt made that room, its a fair shout to say I probably wouldnt have created 8 rooms by now. But this is surprising to no one. Im certain every creator looks up to Cico in the same way as I do. Zesty: He showed the community that escape sim can be far more than just a series of connected rooms. Devilish Diorama was a fantastic idea fantastically executed. A feat unmatched until he brought out a sequel. The game design in these rooms is so intelligent and intuitive. The player is transported into the mesmerising world that Zesty has created. Ive spent the past few months continuously pressing refresh on Zestys workshop page hoping for a 3rd installment. Any. Day. Now. Robin: In every Build-a-room competition Ive entered, Robin has finished 1 place ahead of me. This is no accident. I remember playing those rooms and being overwhelmed with amazement. Immortal Canvas stands alongside the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Machu Pichu. Absolute perfection in every regard and I have no idea how it was made. No doubt during my next room, Ill be looking at Immortal Canvas and trying to capture a glimpse of its excellence. Shout-out to Spellbound. Franch: Because audio is vital to creating a complete game experience. INSIDE, The Bastet Cat, and This Way Up are all auditory treats! No creator has put as much dedication into sound as Franch. Im hardly scratching the surface here. The community is rich with talent, and I would need a few thousand more words to give the credit where it is due.

What are your future plans for designing rooms in Escape Simulator? Do you have any big projects in the works? ;)

I like to think that Under The Sea was a spiritual successor to Clockwork Inc. This next one is a spiritual successor to Under The Sea. Its still early in development but the scope is very large. Far larger than Under The Sea.

Do you often collaborate with other creators?

The Collab: Museum Beyond contributing towards the incredible Collab 2 Museum project. My main collaborator is my partner, Haze. Every room Ive created has contained ideas, puzzles, concepts from Haze. Even voice acting on occasion! Many of the rooms would have been completely different if it wasnt for Hazes influence. TheChubbyWalrus and AngryLasagne joined the team during The Virtual Prison for Build-a-room #2. Without their combined efforts, that room would have been an absolute shambles!

Thank you, Duc!

Thank you, Duc for taking the time to respond to our questions! Interested in chatting with other room builders from our community? Or perhaps you've been contemplating becoming a room builder but aren't sure where to begin? If that's the case, make sure to hop on over to our official Discord server or join the conversation on our subreddit. We look forward to seeing you there!

Pine team

[ 2024-01-16 17:00:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! Iggy from Pine here! It's that time again! We're on the lookout for the top Community Rooms of the last month, and this time around, we're extending our search to cover the winter season. That means we'll be selecting outstanding rooms from both December and November! This is also the first time I'm doing Community Picks, so I would like to give a big shout-out to our Discord gang who helped me with putting this together. Hope I did well! Also, just a tiny reminder we've recently unveiled our latest addition to the Escape Simulator series: a Magic DLC! Don't forget to hit that wishlist button and stay in the loop! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/ Now, let's get into it!

Our favorite picks this Winter

A Medieval Adventure

A Medieval Adventure - In this visually unique and stunning room you'll find yourself wandering through enchanting woods, encountering a jewelry merchant in need of your help. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, this room created by two authors; Elkondo (responsible for story, dialogue & puzzle mechanics) and Zweetkonijn (who did models, environment & music) will take you on quite a journey filled with fun and engaging puzzles, as well as inventive twists on, well, let's call it "battle planning"?

The Puzzler's Dungeon

The Puzzler's Dungeon - This room is a treat for all you mystery and (light) horror lovers out there. Clears throat and starts talking in that dramatic movie trailers guy voice: "The day was going so well. Birds were chirping. Grandma's pie was smelling so good. But then, all of the sudden, you find yourself in a dungeon. Puzzler's Dungeon". Ok, we went a bit overboard here. It's a fantastic room filled with great and intricate puzzles; created by Easter.

Puzzles Galore 3: Sign Clutter

Puzzles Galore 3: Sign Clutter - Ah, traffic the driving experience that can either be a breeze or the most stress-inducing day of your life. Enter our esteemed room builder, Wollo, who has crafted a room tailored for everyone who loves traffic - SIGNS. So, no worries, no rush hour here. This cleverly designed room invites you to clear out those pesky road signs by solving their puzzles.

Tax Evasion

Tax Evasion - The first-ever room made by GeriHatrick is also one of the very best among our Winter Season picks. What it is about? Well, this isn't a how-to-evade-paying-taxes-simulator even though the room title could suggest that Imagine finding yourself in a tax office that you can't exit from. We are pretty sure this would be a horror scenario for most people, but this room is far from it. It is an incredibly well-designed escape room filled with some very clever and challenging puzzles.

The Hacker: matrix meltdown

The Hacker: matrix meltdown - In case you've watched that Hackers movie from 1995, you'll know the drill. You find yourself on a super-important mission where your job is to investigate the apartment that belongs to a teenager who's a suspect in strange signals which may have led to a security breach of one of the biggest space stations. The room itself is somewhat medium-hard, but at the same time incredibly well put together. Great work, Dr Krank!

The Puppet Master

The Puppet Master - One of the most unique rooms our community has favored during this Winter Season is certainly The Puppet Master. Your task is to finish the work of the old puppet master who has passed away. We won't spoil what exactly you have to finish in this great room by Brengo. But you'll certainly find it most amusing

Secrets & Alibis

Secrets & Alibis - For our final pick, this one is a treat for fans of books and movies based on Agatha Christie's work. In this room, you have to solve the mystery of Madam Green's murder by investigating the Royce Manor. This great room has been masterfully put together by Brush$troke, but the author is also crediting Robin, Chazzy B for making some of the assets, as well as k8sparrot, GG3L, Wollo and Autumnlight91 for playtesting. A prime example of a fantastic community collaboration.

Happy New Year to our incredible community!

We are wrapping up our Winter Season community picks and would like to seize this moment to extend our warmest New Year wishes to our incredible community. We truly appreciate the time and effort you invested in creating these fantastic rooms for Escape Simulator. If you would like to become a part of our community and reach out to some of the amazing builders featured here, then be sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit.

Pine team

[ 2024-01-03 18:00:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi all! Today were announcing the winners of the final Build-A-Room contest of the year! Your goal was to channel all the cozy and comfy vibes into an escape room, worthy of the holiday season.Which, now we think of it, would just be a room you dont want to escape from at all! Weve had a total of 34 submissions, however, in the end there can only be one winner. Scrap that, twelve winners! So, without further ado, lets go to the winners!

Rookie Builders Category (RBC)

Were starting with the first timers! This category is meant for everyone who submitted a room for the first time in a Build-a-Room contest!
Green Ribbons by ChazzyB - won a Meta Quest 3 and the Magic DLC Transportation by CuberToy/Cub - won a 100$ Steam gift card and the Magic DLC Maggie's Cabin by Ryan - won a 100$ Steam gift card and the Magic DLC #4 -. Cozy Christmas Countdown by bigTbone59 - won the Magic DLC #4 - The Night Before Christmas Cabin by Ph0rx - won the Magic DLC

Community Award

Before we go to the Experienced Builders Category, wed like to first let the community speak. The community voted and together theyve chosen their winner. The Community Award winner gets a 100$ Steam gift card + a surprise gift
The Community Award goes to The Enchanted Snow Globe by Clomar and won 100$ Steam gift card and The Magic DLC!

Experienced Builders Category (EBC)

And at last, but not the least, were moving on to the Experienced Builders Category winners. These are the veterans of our community whove built the coziest of the coziest room of them all, and it will probably not be their last. A room no one wants to escape from.
The Art of Being Cozy by MelonVerse - won 1000$ in cash + Meta Quest 3 + The Magic DLC Cats & Christmas by Bartololomeo - won a 100$ Steam gift card and The Magic DLC Home Alone by med1nh0 - won a 100$ Steam gift card and The Magic DLC #4 - Slinte Mhath (Good Health) by Brengo - won the Magic DLC #4 - The Enchanted Snow Globe by Clomar - won the Magic DLC #4 - Naughty or Nice? by GG3L - won the Magic DLC

Whats Next?

Did you already know we announced the Magic DLC yesterday? Always dreamt of embracing your magic potential, and follow in the footsteps of great witches and wizards? This is your chance! Grab your equipment in the magic shop and then go onward to the school of magic, where three magical classes await your mastery. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/

Thats a wrap!

A big shoutout to everyone who participated. You've outdone yourselves with creativity and ingenuity, and we couldn't be prouder.

Winning Ceremony Recap

Missed the live ceremony? Don't worry, catch the replay here: [previewyoutube=8I8rvDo3wEw;full]https://youtu.be/8I8rvDo3wEw[/previewyoutube] Have a great holiday season and a happy new year! Cheers,

Pine Studio <3

[ 2023-12-22 15:20:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! As our last announcement of the advent calendar were glad to announce a new Magic DLC will release for Escape Simulator in 2024! Always dreamt of embracing your magic potential, and follow in the footsteps of great witches and wizards? This is your chance! Grab your equipment in the magic shop and then go onward to the school of magic, where three magical classes await your mastery. [previewyoutube=QGwsySKsDxA;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419810/Escape_Simulator_Magic_DLC/

Magic DLC

With the upcoming Magic DLC, four new rooms will be available for you to explore. Where each room tells a story in your magical journey to become a great sorcerer! Be sure to pay attention or everything might become abracadabra to you, and that will make escaping a lot more difficult as well.

Magic Shop

Be it a young student of the arcane, or a seasoned sorcerer, everyone knows that all their wizarding needs can be met here at the Magic Shop. The latest in wizarding fashion trends, ancient tomes, finest wands and floating candy - this magic shop has been the first stop on each and every adventure.

Chronomancy Hall

A symphony of ticking echoes in the marble halls. Clocks of all shapes and sizes count every moment that passes, for most people, irreversibly. But for a sorcerer, the past can not only be observed, but brought back. Control the flow of time, and uncover secrets hidden in the timeline. As the age old saying 'time is just an illusion'.

Greenhouse

Tucked away in the castle grounds, the sunlit greenhouse hosts a myriad of plants and mushrooms which are happily growing. Learn the strict art of potion making - pick the right plants and read the instructions carefully, lest you lose your eyebrows or grow a tail! But hey, maybe it will great on you!

Divination Towers

For many, the future is uncertain, but for students of divination, it is only a matter of understanding the signs. High above the land, in two spires above the clouds, you will find many methods for seeing the future. However, you will have to make sense of these glimpses, to find a way to ultimately escape.

Advent Calendar

With this last announcement we conclude the advent calendar. The past month has been loads of fun with the surprise launch of the free Among Us update, build-a-room #5, Escape Simulator VR demo , loads of giveaways and now concluding with the announcement of 'Magic DLC'. We at Pine Studio hope that everyone enjoyed the past month and in extension the past year.
We want to thank everyone in the community that's played or build in the past year and welcome all the new players that have joined. Be sure to join our Discord if you haven't already! See you next year!

Pine Studio <3

[ 2023-12-21 20:13:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear players, Thank you so much for the positive feedback and reactions for the Among Us DLC! We heard your feedback and already addressed some of the issues in today's hotfix:

• Enabled tokens in the Among Us DLC. Good luck hunting!
• Simplified the circuit puzzle
• Changed the wording of the Specimen puzzle hint
• Fixed turnables in some community rooms
• Fixed minor alien hat issue
• Fixed some other minor issues

Thank you for all the feedback! It would mean a lot to us if you could take the time to write a review on the Among Us DLC steam page, or the base game if you already haven't. Pine team <3

[ 2023-12-14 14:28:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Attention Crewmates! Weve received an emergency call from The Mini Skeld! They seem to be running into some issues with the ship. Could there possibly be an Impostor amongst the crew? Time to board the ship and help the crew escape in this new official Among Us-inspired room, available now for everyone! [previewyoutube=ryIPx9awOzg;full][/previewyoutube] You and your Crewmates have to work together, solve puzzles and make your way out. However, now that youre stuck in space, the stakes may be even higher! Or, maybe you and your friends are all just hard-working, puzzle-solving, qualified space adventurers and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644870/Escape_Simulator_Among_Us_DLC/

Lightning fast escape

Taking care of a spaceship is never easy. Especially when you have a lot of things to worry about such as the O2 running out, reactors in meltdown or the worst of all, no internet connection. For the Crewmates that want a real challenge, if youre able to escape from the ship within an hour, youll win a special trophy!

Non-suspicious Steam Sale

To celebrate this Among Us DLC release, both the base game and soundtrack of Escape Simulator are on sale with a 25% discount. If you want more Escape Simulator after playing this free one, you can get the Steampunk & Wild West DLC with 10% off and try our other free branded Portal Escape Room.

No escape from the festive season

December means festivities and holidays! The Among Us DLC is already a lot to celebrate, but were not stopping here! Were counting down to Christmas on Twitter and revealing something every day, so be sure to follow us and keep an eye out.

Join our dedicated community

That's it for today's announcement! You can come talk to us and other community members on our official Discord server or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

<3 Pine Studio

[ 2023-12-13 17:58:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Are you ready to get fully immersed?

Wait, has it really been six months since we officially revealed Escape Simulator VR? Well, guess we owe you an update on how the development is progressing, right? Luckily, we bring good news as the development on this VR version of Escape Simulator is going smoothly and hopefully the wait for its full release will be over sooner rather than later!

VR When?

Well, now, but not entirely. So, 'not yet' is the best answer. However, we do have a nice surprise as Escape Simulator VR is part of the Steam VR Fest. Which means you can actually play the demo RIGHT NOW! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR The demo is available till December 11 as part of Steam VR Fest! Since this is our first VR game ever, we are treating the demo more like an open beta. We're curious to hear your feedback, as it will greatly help us in making the final game the best VR experience it can be. Be sure to download the demo via the store page by clicking the link above and definitely share any feedback you might have about the demo over on our official Discord server!

Escaping the simulator; for real!

As for the VR devices supported, the demo will be playable through Steam VR (or the new Steam Link App) on the most popular devices like Meta Oculus Quest 2, Meta Oculus Quest 3, Steam Index, HTC Vive and more. Additionally, we aim to support as many VR devices as we can in the future after the official release of Escape Simulator VR. Any feedback and suggestions to improve the player experience on your headset of choice is highly valuable to us and would be greatly appreciated! You can share any comments and feedback over on our official Discord server or our subreddit.

Advent Month

We're not even 4 days into December and we already announced two surprises! With the opening of the advent calendar (and our first surprise) we announced the build-a-room #5 contest, where rookie builders and experienced builders can compete with each other by building the coziest escape room of them all! You can read all about the build-a-room #5 contest here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3814047346173395597?l=english
See you in another reality!

Pine Studio <3

[ 2023-12-04 18:00:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Introducing the Pine Festive Month!

The holiday season has arrived, and here at Pine Studio were celebrating with a special Escape Simulator advent calendar!
On the days marked on the calendar well be opening each door to reveal surprises that could range from giveaways to exciting special events. To find out whats behind each door as it opens, follow along on our Discord and social media channels! As you can see, the door for day 1 is already open, revealing

Build-A-Room #5 - Will you build the coziest room of them all?

It's time to get festive, room builders! With holidays approaching, it's the perfect time of the year to get nice and comfy. Whether that means you'll be spending your time reading a good book by the fireplace or by getting together with your friends and family, December is the perfect month to kick back and relax a little! Now, we know the room builders from our community have been eagerly awaiting the next contest, which is why we are pleased to announce the final Build-A-Room of the year! This time round, we want to challenge the builders from our community to channel all of their coziest vibes into a room worthy of the holiday season. Think fireplaces, hot cocoa, warm blankets, wooden cabins, comfy easy chairs and extremely good gameplay of course! Doesn't that just sound wonderful? Since it's the season of all things cozy, we wanted to shake things up a little for this Build-A-Room and introduce some new prize categories with a special place for new builders to get comfy. For Build-A-Room #5 there will be: 2 distinct prize categories and a community award:

• Rookie Builders Category
• Experienced Builders Category
• Community Award

Prizes

As always, we will be rewarding the greatest creations (and their creators) with some astonishing prizes! This time around, room builders will get a chance to win the following rewards in the new categories:

Rookie Builders Category (RBC)

Is this your first Build-A-Room competition? Then we have some great news! A special set of prizes reserved exclusively for first time competitors!

• BC first place winner gets a Meta Quest 3 + a surprise gift
• RBC second and third place get a 100$ Steam gift card + a surprise gift
• Fourth and fifth place get a surprise gift

Who is eligible for this category? This must be your FIRST submission for an official Escape Simulator competition. This means any of the four Build-A-Rooms or the Build-A-Thon competition. You can have other workshop submissions for Escape simulator under your profile. You are automatically qualified for this category if you meet the above standards, in addition to being entered into the Experienced Builders Category. You dont have to choose which category you want to enter.

Experienced Builders Category (EBC)

This is the main set of prizes. Every submission is qualified for this category and will be taken into consideration. Note that you cannot win in both categories - if you win an EBC prize, you wont be eligible for any RBC prizes even if youre a first time competitor.

• First place winner earns 1000$ in cash + Meta Quest 3 + a surprise gift
• Second and third place get a 100$ Steam gift card + a surprise gift
• Fourth and fifth place get a surprise gift

Community Award

After the submission deadline has passed, we will open a poll containing all rooms that were submitted. Voting will last until the Winners Announcement Stream on December 21st.

• The Community Award winner gets a 100$ Steam gift card + a surprise gift

Everyone is eligible to win the community award. Vote for the map you had most fun playing, the one that charmed you and stuck to you the most.

Rules

Other than the new prize categories, the rules for Build-A-Room #5 are the same as usual. Entries must have a cozy theme.

• Create a cozy escape room that's worthy of the holiday season in the Room Editor.
• To submit a room for the competition, post a link to your room in the #challenges channel in the Pine Studio Discord.
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• Multiple builders can work together on one room, but there will be only one prize for them.
• It has to be an escape room.
• The gameplay should ideally be under 30 minutes, but it can be longer.
• You can make your room as big as you wish.
• You need to record a video walkthrough and post it on YouTube or similar video sharing site.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but can not resubmit an entirely different
• All references to existing IPs (including names, images, models and sounds) must be edited, parodied or otherwise modified to infer a likeness to the original IP without directly copying it.
• Use models, textures, sounds and other assets that are either Creative Commons (CC0) with attribution, that are from the ES library, or that you have paid the license for.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive content, etc.. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.
• The Pine team will choose the winners for the Rookie and Experienced Builder Categories this time! The Community prize will, naturally, be decided by community votes.

Dates:

• Submissions are open until December 18th 8PM CEST / 2PM EST
• We'll play and review all the submissions before December 21, which is when we will host a stream to announce the winners. More info about the stream will follow later!

General guidelines for your submission

• Less is more. Keep the map short. 15 to 30 minutes is ideal. If you arent sure if a puzzle is good or not, redesign it, or even better, cut it from your room. Its better to have 3 amazing puzzles, than 10 mediocre ones.
• Test test and test. Join the community in discord. Share your room and test it before submission.
• Less is more considering size. Walking simulators arent preferred. This is a puzzle game after all. :)
• Try to gear your map towards the average audience.
• Dont forget to create a good looking thumbnail and room description.
• Ask for help on discord. Most builders are willing to help.
• Dont forget about color blindness and hearing impairment when designing your puzzles.
• Try to show what happens when you solve a puzzle in the immediate vicinity. If you solve a puzzle, and a door opens in the other room - thats bad design.
• In the end its all about fun. Your room can have the most complex puzzles, or the shiniest graphics and amazing sound design, but if its boring it wont work!
• These are only guidelines that might help to make your room better. You can choose to ignore them all and go with your own flow.

It's to time start building your cozy rooms!

We hope you are excited about this final Build-A-Room contest of the year and we cant wait to see all of your cozy creations! Don't forget to join us over on our Discord or our subreddit where you can talk to other builders and exchange tips. Our December Festivities will be shared across our Discord and social media channels, so we hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-12-01 18:11:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

For your consideration!

The end of the year is approaching fast, which also means the Steam Awards 2023 are just around the corner! Even though Escape Simulator has been out on Steam for more than two years now, we have been adding as much interesting content to the game as possible and we aren't planning on slowing down any time soon! Just this year alone, we released 3 room updates for free and of course, the Portal Escape Chamber DLC, which is also available free of charge. Additionally, we are still improving on the in-game room editor by offering even more tools and utilities to the community room builders! With that in mind, we would like to bring to your consideration that Escape Simulator is still eligible for a nomination in the Labor of Love category! If you want to show us some additional love and support, please consider nominating Escape Simulator for this category. You can cast your vote by checking the box at the top of this announcement. It would truly mean a lot to all of us here at Pine Studio!

Start escaping today!

Don't own Escape Simulator yet, but have you (and your friends) been interested to try it out? Good news, because both the base game and the DLCs are part of the Autumn Sale which just kicked off! You can currently pick up the base game with a 25% discount or you can get the Steampunk and Wild West DLCs with a 10% discount!

Join our dedicated community!

That's it for today's announcement! We hope you will consider Escape Simulator for the Labor of Love award and if you'd like to talk to other escapists, be sure to join our community! You can come talk to us and other community members on our official Discord server or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-11-21 20:57:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Even more monthly picks?

That's right, we've prepared yet another batch of freshly picked community rooms for you to check out! In case you missed out last week's special Spooky Edition of our top community room picks, be sure to check it out right here. If you're not up for anything spooky right now, we've got plenty more room suggestions that might be just what you're looking for. So without any further ado, let's dive right into our monthly picks for October!

A mysterious talisman!

Napoleon's Lost Talisman by MajesticWind takes place at a museum featuring an exhibit on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. We always love a good museum room, but what makes this one special is that it's based on a real-life escape room that was designed by the builder of its digital counterpart. Interestingly, we haven't seen a whole lot of escape rooms that were rebuilt in Escape Simulator so far! Now... who will be the first person to recreate an in-game community room in the real world?

What a twist!

Sometimes, the title of a community room doesn't really require any further explanation from us. Case in point: A Space Room... With A Twist! by bigTbone59. The title pretty much says it all, doesn't it? It's a space room with a twist! What could that twist be? Why, you'll need to find out for yourself, of course!

An insightful escape room

We always love to see it when the room builders from our community manage to create a unique experience and that's exactly what Brush$troke achieved with No Escape. No Escape features a narrative that explores a darker theme by putting players in the shoes of someone who's diagnosed with depression. It manages to tell a very personal and immersive story, which really sets it apart from most other community rooms.

It's a cat-astrophe!

APOCATLYPSE by ilybitch definitely isn't the first cat-themed room to ever get featured on our monthly picks and we hope it won't be the last one either! APOCATLYPSE features excellent humour and some VERY interesting puzzles. Absolutely purrrrrfect for cat lovers and enthusiasts!

Don't let this sale escape!

Surprise! Escape Simulator is currently discounted with 25% off until November 13. Don't let this sale escape you, and get yourself a copy of the game to start your big brain adventure! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

See you next month!

And that's it for all of October's monthly picks! We hope you'll all enjoy these rooms as much as we did. If you would like to talk to some of the amazing builders featured here, then be sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-11-09 13:08:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Spooky rooms galore!

November has arrived and despite the fact that Halloween has already come to an end, we can't help but feel like some of you might still want to play some very spooky rooms! If that's indeed the case, we hope your ready for this extra edition of our monthly community room picks. Last month was absolutely filled to the brim with amazing creations by the builders from our community. That's why, for the first time ever, we are splitting our monthly picks into two editions! Today we will be having a look at some especially creepy rooms, whereas the regularly scheduled monthly picks will be posted somewhere over the course of next week! So without further ado, let's dive right into some of the most spine-chilling community rooms of October!

This is Halloween!

Let's kick things off with a setting that will be very familiar to anyone who has ever seen The Nightmare Before Christmas! Halloween Town by cl0mar takes place in the titular town that's inhabited by all sorts of creepy crawlies. But don't be scared, because they're not mean! It's just how they live in this town of Halloween. Don't forget to take in all of the familiar sights and if you want to add an extra challenge to this room, try playing it without singing along the iconic soundtrack!

Can somebody please turn on the light?

If you're scared of the dark, you might want to avoid this next room! Abandoned Floor is the third room in CUZT4RD's Dark Room series and as the title of that series implies, you will hardly find a single speck of light in these bone-chilling rooms. Abandoned Floor features a mysterious setting, so if you're up for a thrill, be sure to check it out!

Can you break the witch's curse?

Next up, we've got Joca's Room Halloween Edition by a.dalpozzolo! In this room, you will need to break a curse that was cast by an evil witch. In order to so, you will need to find six hidden keys that are being protected by magical puzzles. Think you're up to the task?

Ghosts like coffee too, you know!

After going through all of those creepy rooms, you might be inclined to play through something a bit more cozy. Luckily, even ghosts sometimes go on well-deserved breaks too! When they do, you might just find them at the Bewitched Beans Caf! In this cozy, haunted room by brushstroke, you will need to brew up some hot beverages and serve them to your undead customers. So wholesome!

Time to get your spooky on!

And that's it for all of our spooky community room picks! We hope you're all looking forward to our regularly scheduled monthly picks which will be announced over the course of next week. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy this extra spooky edition! If you would like to talk to some of the amazing builders featured here, then be sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-11-03 16:14:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Two years have truly flown by!

Can you believe it's already been two years already since Escape Simulator originally launched on Steam? After two years of consistent updates and many, many amazing contributions from our community builders, we are truly proud to see how far our little escape room game has come! We are also incredibly thankful to each and every one of you for sticking with us and for checking out every update we've added to the game since its initial launch. In this blog, we'll be looking back at the biggest accomplishments we've seen throughout the past twelve months, but first... let's look at a nice summary in the form of a neat infographic!
As you can see, the past twelve months have been incredible for all of us at Pine Studio and we can't express enough how much we appreciate all of your support. Now that we've looked at some hard data, let's dive a little bit deeper into all of the changes and updates that have been made since the one-year anniversary of Escape Simulator!

Ghosts, cowboys, artists, pirates, game show competitors AND scientists? What's next?!

It really has been a busy year, hasn't it? Ever since the one-year anniversary of Escape Simulator, we have added four free rooms, one free DLC and one paid DLC to the game! We kicked things off by releasing the free spooky Graveyard room just before last year's Halloween. In December, we launched the rootin'-tootin' Wild West DLC. In March, we added the free room Leonardo's Workshop, in which you can explore the many secrets of the grandmaster of arts and inventions: Leonardo da Vinci.
Mamma mia! It's a ma-ma-masterpiece! Next up, we didn't just add a single room, but an entire island. Treasure Island was another free room updated that allows you to live out all of your swashbuckling fantasies! Another surprising location came in the form of the free Versus Room, which has two difficulty modes and takes place on a game show from the 80's. This was part of the Versus Update, which also included Versus Mode, a brand-new way to experience the game with your frenemies!
Who's smarter? You or your friends? Last but certainly not least, we added the very first free DLC to Escape Simulator just last month. This cake had been in the oven for a while and we still can't believe it's not a lie! We're talking about the Portal Escape Chamber DLC, of course! It has been an incredible honour for us to work on this Portal-inspired room and we have tried to put as much of our love for this legendary game series into the room as possible. We would like to once again thank Valve for approving this amazing project and making this dream of ours come true.
Have you already uncovered all of Aperture's secrets? In addition to all of the new content for escapists, we are still trying to add as many features and props to the in-game room editor. Some significant features that were added during the past twelve months include functional mirrors, in-game walkthroughs and the option to add flowing water! Once again, the builders from our community proved their worth and showcased their creativity during the third and fourth editions of the Build-A-Room contest. The stakes were higher than ever with amazing prices like a trip to Paris, multiple Steam Decks, VR sets and even a cash prize of $2,000! Not everything turned out to be a competition however, as our community also proved that team work can lead to great accomplishments. One of our favourite initiatives from last year was the amazing community room The Collab: Museum!
Finally, we were beyond excited to reveal that the much requested VR version of Escape Simulator is officially in development. We can't wait to share more about this upcoming project and we hope you continue to look forward to it. In case you haven't already, be sure to add Escape Simulator VR to your wishlist! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR/

...and there's still more where that came from!

The fun won't stop, because we still have a lot more stuff planned for Escape Simulator! By now you might already be familiar with our roadmap for 2023, but just in case you haven't seen it already, let's have another look!
As you can see, we still have some surprises in store for you this year, but what happens after 2023? Well, we are delighted to tell you that plenty of new plans are already in the works for the upcoming year! We hope you'll continue to look forward to even more awesome content and in the meantime, we would like to thank all of you one final time for your continuous support. Please be sure to join us over on Discord and our subreddit to talk to us and the awesome builders from our community.

Pine team

[ 2023-10-19 14:18:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Who's ready to get spooky?

It's October, which means the month of Halloween has officially arrived! Played through the Portal Escape Chamber DLC and looking for some new rooms to check out? Well, the builders from our community have got you covered! Whether you're looking for an eerie room or something a bit more cozy, there's sure to be something for you to play here. So without further ado, let's dive into our monthly picks for September!

Escape artist or art escapist?

First off, we've got Art Reflects Reality by Noodl Eatr! As the title implies, this room is filled with various pieces of art that you will need to contemplate in order to find your way out. Art Reflects Reality is a shorter room with some very interesting puzzles that will definitely require you to rack your brain. A great debut room by Noodl Eatr and we can't wait to see more!

A mystery is afoot!

Who doesn't love a good old spooky mystery? If you're looking for some suspense during the month of Halloween, then we can definitely recommend you to check out Masonic Mystery by kingz ~ A! In Masonic Mystery, you play as the new librarian at the King James Library. After your first day at the job, you realize that the keys to the library have gone missing! This unfortunate turn of events plunges you into a search that will lead to a series of discoveries about the hidden history of the Masonic order. Can you uncover all of the library's secrets?

Time to relax!

Treasure of the Onsen Resort by Gingerbelle is a visually stunning room in which you play as a detective who's on a well-deserved holiday. Ever wanted to visit a beautiful mountain resort with hot springs and excellent views? Well, this is your chance! However, not everything at the resort is as it seems and your relaxing holiday might just get cut short by an impending mystery!

Competitive grocery shopping!

Did you know that going out to get some groceries can actually be fun? Don't believe us? Then be sure to check out Supermarket Scramble by Robin, which literally turns grocery shopping into a fun little game! In this room, you will need to find each item on your grocery list, but there's a twist... all of the items you need are written down as anagrams! Additionally, the items on your list are randomized every time you play, making it a perfect room to play in Versus Mode. Be sure to check this one out with a friend!

Honorable mentions!

Finally, we would like to highlight a couple of additional rooms that caught our attention and are also definitely worth checking out! So if you still want more rooms to play, be sure to have a look at these as well!

• Locked In 2 [An Among Us Map] by KingBaconTape
• House off the Highway by kirinokaku.ttv
• Brews & Cues and SWAT by brushstroke

And that's it for now!

And that's it for September's monthly picks! As always, we hope you'll enjoy these rooms much as we did! If you would like to talk to some of the amazing builders from our community, then be sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-10-04 14:35:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Meet Cico!

Welcome back to our "Meet the Builders" series, where we delve into the creative minds behind some of the most remarkable room designers in Escape Simulator. Last time we talked with Zesty and now it's Cico's turn! Today we are putting the spotlight on Cico, who's known for some of the spookiest rooms ever to be created in our in-game Room Editor. Cico is one of the veteran builders from our community, who made the Little Emily series, The Motel II, Grandma's Kitty and many other excellent rooms! Now without further ado, it's time to meet the builder!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into playing Escape Simulator?

Hi, my virtual name is Cico, my real name is Anton, I'm French and I've been playing Escape Simulator since October 2021. Escape rooms have become a passion of mine since my first one in 2015. I've been working in a French escape game for two years now. For some time I've been looking for a game that would allow me to create my own rooms and share them with other players. Escape Simulator became an obvious choice when I saw all the possibilities it could offer. And it has to be said that in a video game, there's no need to reset the room and tidy up after the players have gone through ahah.

What inspired you to start designing rooms in the game?

After creating games and scenarios in real life, I needed a place where I could realise my greatest follies in a simple and inexpensive way, to take my ideas and scenarios from paper to virtual in a simple and intuitive way. When I discovered all the possibilities offered by the game and the constant support of the developers, I was immediately won over. I think it's the steam purchase I've hesitated least to make in the last five years.

You are known to make some very spooky rooms and the name Emily even sends shivers down the spines of many Escape Simulator players. How do you manage to effectively scare people every time?

First of all, I'd like to apologise to all the Emily's who must hate me by now. I think the most important thing is to focus on the story and the atmosphere. The fear doesn't just come when you're walking down a corridor and something pops up in front of you, but also when you have to open a heavy wooden door, it opens slowly and you have no idea what might be waiting behind it, hiding in the shadows and seemingly watching you for a long time. Playing on phobias, giving "the fear of being afraid" are important elements that give the player a feeling of never really being safe.
That name still sends shivers down our spines...

Out of all the people you managed to scare with your rooms, which one are you most proud of and why?

I've been lucky enough to see several steamer or youtube videos on my rooms, and the DisguisedToast and Valkyrae videos are still hilarious moments for me. But I think the people I'm most proud of having scared or impressed are my close friends who test my rooms first and I love seeing their reactions. They know me and they're hard to surprise, so it's always a source of pride for me to impress them.

Can you walk us through your process of creating a room? (you sketch on paper, what tools, how you start)

I usually start by putting my first ideas down on paper. First I think about the theme, the setting and above all the story. Once my ideas are clear, I think about the puzzles that might fit the story and the complexity I want the play to have. It's after these steps that I finally launch the game for some long and exciting hours of construction. I often change everything in the middle of construction, give up and start again from scratch, but I always get the same joy out of writing and designing a room. There's also a whole creation process that takes place on the side, with the images, clues and textures being put in place using photoshop and other software for the sound.
You'll just need to take care of grandma's kitty. What could possibly go wrong?

Even though you are known for your spooky rooms, you also created a bunch of rooms that were more light-hearted in tone like Grandmas Kitty. In which ways does your process for these rooms differ from your scary rooms?

In reality, it's not so different from the horror rooms. The difference is mainly in the design of the atmosphere. Of course, seeing blood running down the walls of a little grandmother who just wants to feed her cat would be strange I like to put little references to my past and future rooms in each adventure. For me, rooms that don't have a horror theme are always more complicated to design. It's harder to convey emotions, but I like to put a little moment of suspense in all my rooms. Players who have played Grandma's Kitty may remember a little mouse that startled them.

What are some of your favorite rooms you've created so far, and what makes them unique?

It's hard for me to choose but I'd have to say Grandma's Kitty and The Motel II are my favourites. I loved working on Grandma's Kitty with a colleague and friend to design the story and puzzles, it was rewarding to share ideas and design a fun room. For The Motel II it was a pleasure to rework an old room that had appeared in 2021, to revise the atmosphere, improve the puzzles and add the game's new technology. This room also allowed me to try out a new way of telling a story and to work more on the narration.
The Motel II turns a spooky classic into an even spookier place than before!

How do you come up with the themes and puzzles for your rooms?

I find them in my dreams in the morning, by watching films, reading commentaries or talking to players at work. I'm also lucky enough to have a colleague at work who's full of crazy ideas.

What do you think are the key elements to creating a challenging yet enjoyable escape room?

The most important thing is the story, the puzzles and the atmosphere. You have to be able to bring these three elements together for the whole thing to work. You don't want it to be too complicated, but you want to keep it fun and find ways to surprise players. It's also very important to follow players' opinions when publishing the room. Fix bugs (because there are always bugs that you wouldn't have thought of).

What are some tips and tricks you can share with players who want to try their hand at designing rooms in Escape Simulator?

I'd say the most important thing is to take your time and make sure everything is as elaborate as you imagine it to be. Don't rush to get a piece out quickly, but apply yourself, as mentioned above, to the story, the puzzle and setting the atmosphere.

What are some lessons youve learned the hard way as a creator for Escape Simulator?

I've learned that most players don't like rooms that are too complicated or too long. In my "Alton Manor" room, I wanted to create a multi-story adventure, but I realized that it was too easy to lose players in the space. I wanted a "difficult" room, and I think I've made the puzzles a little harder than I'd intended. It's a room that will appeal to players who like challenges and long rooms, but will confound players who want a fast-paced adventure.

Can you share any memorable experiences or funny stories that have happened while you were designing or playing your escape rooms?

I'll call this story "the sprinkler sprinkled". After a month-long break from designing a horror room, I'd totally forgotten where I'd put half the screamers in the game. Thinking I'd deactivated them, I launched the simulation on the editor and screamed every time a little girl called Emily appeared. I ended up removing the sound and elements from the game for the day, so that I could continue working on the room.

What are some of the nicest reactions or interactions youve had with people who played one of your rooms?

I love watching streams of the game and I'd say that any time I can interact live with players in the room is a fun interaction. I also love to see my friends testing my rooms live on discord, it gives me immense joy and pride to listen to their reactions. Their laughter, their comments or their shrill cries (I'm sure they'll recognize themselves reading this)

What do you feel has been your greatest Escape Simulator accomplishment so far?

I don't know... maybe I'll say this interview and all the comments I can read on steam and discord. It's always a pleasure to know that we've been able to bring emotion to players, that we've made them laugh, that we've scared them, that we've made them think for a long time about an enigma or that we've allowed them to have a good time with friends.

Are there any features you would like to see added to the room editor in future updates?

There are three features that interest me more than anything else. The first, for me, a fan of horrific rooms, would be a controllable flashlight that would make it possible to create truly dark rooms where only the player could light up, and give us, the sadistic room designers, the possibility of turning it off or making it blink in the worst (or best) moments of the adventure. The second, more open, would be the possibility of adding short videos, and the last, which is close to my heart, would be to add a translation tool that, depending on the version the player has chosen in the settings, would display a different, translated texture or sound, as with the clues, for example (as I am currently trying to do in my rooms but in a way that is more accessible to everyone).

Are there any other room designers in the game whose work you admire or draw inspiration from?

I confess that I don't play much in the workshop room, but rather enjoy designing them. In the few rooms I've been able to play alone or with friends, I've enjoyed Robin's Immortal Canvas, Zesty's The Devilish Diorama and namo_krub's Karakuri Castle. This game is full of talent and people with overflowing imagination to create more and more surprising rooms.

What are your future plans for designing rooms in Escape Simulator? Do you have any big projects in the works? ;)

I've got a LOT of projects on the go, room redesigns, rooms already teased on the network (Pirate, Magic...) and I'm gradually making progress on the rooms I'm happy with. But I'm happy to announce that I'm working on an even crazier Grandma's Kitty sequel, and an even more disturbing The Motel room continuity. I'm also working on a "tutorial" room with assets for new players wishing to start creating rooms. Among all these rooms, I'm planning to release a big project that's particularly close to my heart, a room that's got nothing to do with what I'm used to releasing until now. It will be not only a room, but also an immersive experience that will play on a range of emotions such as fear, joy and sadness, and where narrative will be the main focus. It's still too early to say more about this adventure, but I can't wait to tell you all about it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions in your "Meet the Builders". I look forward to seeing the evolution of this game and all its talented creators. I also thank you for giving us a game and a space for unlimited imagination, and for giving us the opportunity to share that imagination with player. Thank you for taking the time to tell us all about your process, Cico. We are looking forward to all of the exciting new projects you've got in store for us! Want to talk to some of the room builders from our community yourself? Or maybe you've been thinking about becoming a room builder yourself, but you don't know where to start? Well, if that's the case, be sure to join our official Discord server or come talk to us on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-09-21 14:39:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Attention all Aperture personnel, The day has finally come for you to (re-)enter the highly esteemed Aperture Science Laboratories! We expect you all to achieve many great things within these chambers, which are of course packed to the brim with all the resources necessary for you to [strike]escape[/strike] do science stuff. Of course, any and all major scientific breakthroughs will be duly celebrated with some scrumptious [strike]lab rat treats[/strike] cake. Not a lie! [previewyoutube=sfr0LCS67-U;full][/previewyoutube] We are thrilled to announce that the wait is finally over, because the Portal Escape Chamber DLC (approved by Valve!) is out now! This means that anyone who already owns a copy of Escape Simulator can now add this free DLC to their library on the official store page. Don't own a copy yet? You're in luck, because Escape Simulator is currently on the biggest sale ever with a 33% discount! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator

Science isn't about WHY, it's about WHY NOT!

Picture this: a minor workplace mishap has led to a complete lockdown within the Aperture facility, and you and your fellow scientists find yourselves trapped within the labs. When life gives you lemons you strap on your thinking caps, lace up those metaphorical puzzle-solving shoes, and dive into a maze of mind-bending puzzles. Safety protocols be damned!
Team up with up to nine other scientists to strategize, and put your ingenuity to the test as you navigate through meticulously crafted puzzles and intricately designed [strike]test chambers[/strike] lab rooms. Who knows, maybe youll even be rewarded with a flour-based confection for all your efforts! With the new Portal DLC out, were looking forward to our next major milestone, Escape Simulator VR! In this VR version, you will be able to play all the rooms from the base game as well as all the community-created rooms. So wishlist it now as it helps us greatly! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR Of course we still have a lot of additional updates and much more exciting news planned for Escape Simulator, so we hope you'll continue to look forward to that! In the meantime, have a quick look at our updated roadmap for 2023. What could possibly be hiding behind those last two images?

So how are you holding up?

Theres a lot more exciting news on the way, so keep those portals primed, and those cubes cuddled, and be sure to keep in touch on our channels for more updates! Love the game and want to talk to other players and room builders? Then please consider joining our official Discord or subreddit! In the meantime, wed like to thank you all again for your unwavering support. We hope you enjoy this update as much as we do, and we cannot wait to hear what you think about it!

Pine team

[ 2023-09-07 17:02:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Looks like my summer vacation is over...

Wait, it's september already? Where DOES the time go? As some of the more dedicated players (and builders of course!) may have noticed, we unfortunately missed out on our August edition of the monthly community room picks due to a well-deserved holiday break. That's why this month, we would like to make it up to you all with an XL-sized Summer Edition of our monthly picks! But before we get into the very best creations of the past few months, we would once again like to direct your attention to the free Portal Escape Chamber DLC, which is releasing in two days! We are incredibly proud of this brand-new room, which was officially approved by Valve and we can't wait for all of you to play it. If you haven't done so already, it would help us immensely if you could add the free Portal DLC to your Steam wishlist by going to the dedicated store page via the button below! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2000170/Escape_Simulator_Portal_Escape_Chamber Now, let's get right into things as we reveal some of our very favourite community rooms that were published this Summer. There were a LOT of incredible rooms to pick from, so we hope you're ready!

Such a peaceful garden...

We're kicking off this Summer Edition of the monthly picks with Chronicles of the Forgotten Wisdom - Ch. III by GG3L, which takes place in a beautiful garden filled with secrets! But not all is as it may seem, as this garden is filled with optical illusions and enigmas for you to decipher. Be sure to check this one out!

Are you up for a challenge?

Looking for some deceivingly tricky puzzles that will have you racking your brain? Then you can always rely on room builder Wollo to scratch that itch! This definitely goes for his latest room Neon, which has you solve a series of mind-bending puzzles in what seems to be some sort of hyper-futuristic dataspace. A big departure from Wollo's last room Joe's Garage, which deserves an honorable mention for telling a truly gripping and emotional story. Fun fact: Wollo also helped us out with the puzzles for the hard mode version of the Versus Room!

This labyrinth is a-maze-ing!

Still in need for another sequence of intricately designed puzzles? Then be sure to check out The Crystal Labyrinth by Leo as well! In this titular labyrinth, you will need to collect multiple crystals by solving a series of puzzle rooms, with each one being slightly more devious than the last one. Puzzles galore!

All bets are off!

Time for a completely different type of setting now, because Burgle Battle at the Canary by Crusty White Dog takes place at a grand casino! You're not just here to gamble though, because you have entered The Canary with a much bigger prize on your mind: The prestigious Canary Diamond! Chances are, you won't win this prize through fair play alone.

Have you been studying well?

Leave it up to MelonVerse to create a truly magical room with some excellent visuals! During the Potions Class Semester Test you will need to prove that you can brew up tonics and potions like no other wizard could before. What's especially interesting about MelonVerse's latest creation, is that it has randomized puzzles! This means you can technically replay this room in 362880 unique ways. No cheating your way through this semester test!

A worthy tribute to a classic pirate game!

At Pine Studio, we absolutely love ourselves a good old Point & Click Adventure game. So when it comes to this genre, you simply HAVE to pay respect to the Monkey Island series. That was exactly what room builder CuberToy set out to do while creating The Barbery Coast! This room is chock-full of references to this classic series and it perfectly represents the visual style of The Curse of Monkey Island in a 3D environment. We love to see it!

An enchanting garden!

If you've ever played one of Robin's rooms before, you will know that the voice acting and room design are undoubtedly going to be absolutely stellar. The Glass Garden is a visually stunning room taking place in a magical garden, in which you will need to undergo four trials relating to the four elements. It goes without saying that if you enjoy great room design and intricate puzzles, that you should definitely check this one out!

Ready to enter the Aperture Science Laboratories?

And that's it for this very special edition of our monthly picks! We hope these seven excellent rooms are enough to keep you busy until the free Portal Escape Chamber DLC launches next Thursday (September 7th!). As always, we hope you'll enjoy these rooms much as we did! If you would like to talk to some of the amazing builders from our community, then sure to join us on our official Discord or come talk to us on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-09-05 14:50:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey there Builders! The past few weeks have been incredibly exciting for us here at Pine. Your enthusiasm and participation in the Build-A-Room #4: Versus Challenge have been nothing short of amazing. It's been a wild ride full of creativity, jaw-dropping designs, and fierce competition. Now, the moment you've all been waiting for has arrivedthe winners are here!

First Place:

• Get Down, Get Down! by Franch

Congratulations! You've nailed it with an exceptional room. Your prize is $2,000 in cash and an escape room board game by PostCurious.

Second Place (It's a Three-Way Tie!):

• The Clockwork Games by Duc
• Pet The Cat by Bartololomeo
• Game Master Wanted! by Eureka Paprika

Amazing work, all of you! Each of you will receive a $100 Steam gift card and an escape room board game by PostCurious.

Winners #4-10

Well done, folks! Each of you gets a $100 Steam gift card.

• Hungry Hungry Bovines! by Tim J
• Castle of Secrets: The King's Escape by GG3L
• TaskFaster by CeruleanK
• Stranded by Cl0mar
• The Labyrinth Race by BenignCyborg
• ROOM RUSH by Scrumpus

A big shoutout to everyone who participated. You've outdone yourselves with creativity and ingenuity, and we couldn't be prouder. Winning Ceremony Recap Missed the live ceremony? Don't worry, catch the replay here: [previewyoutube=GZlACwqiXKo;full][/previewyoutube] Whats Next? Keep an eye out for the next Build-A-Room challenge! More awesome prizes and excitement are in the pipeline. Huge thanks to all of you for making this competition an unforgettable experience! Cheers, Pine team

[ 2023-09-04 08:00:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear test subjects, Your services are required in this new Portal Escape Chamber on September 7th. This chamber is approved by Valve and based on the Aperture Science Enrichment Center from the Portal games! We are of course incredibly thankful to the entire team at Valve for letting us create this new free DLC, which is truly a wish come true for all of us at Pine Studio! [previewyoutube=qQplViipOW4;full][/previewyoutube] In this free-to-play DLC for Escape Simulator, you and fellow [strike]subjects[/strike] scientists (up to nine) were part of a minor workplace incident, causing the place to go into a state of complete lockdown. Now that youre trapped in this laboratory, its up to you all to stay calm and escape.
Solve puzzles, repair the Personality Core, reunite with some familiar cube-shaped friends, and break the Aperture Laboratories safety protocols to gain your freedom. And to make your escape a little bit sweeter. we promise that there will be cake. No lie.
Read more and wishlist on the Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2000170/Escape_Simulator_Portal_Escape_Chamber/

Build-a-Room contest is still going!

To our builders, dont forget our current Build-a-Room challenge! To coincide with our Versus update that was released last week, we want you to create your own room that fits with this theme ! For more information, be sure to read the announcement! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3666544940498467272

Join your fellow cake enjoyers

We sure hope that this announcement gave you some appetite for this new sweet escape adventure! Theres a lot more exciting things coming to Escape Simulator, so be sure to join our Discord or subreddit so you wont miss out on anything!

Pine team

[ 2023-08-10 15:01:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

We're packing our bags for a (well deserved) 2-week summer break, but not before delivering a sizzling hotfix packed with bunch of fixes! Don't forget to enter our Build-a-Room #4 challenge it's your chance to get creative and win a cool $2000!

Changelog:

Versus Core

• Fixed freeze if you are playing versus mode with a room that has an eject slot at the beginning of the map
• Removed "You Lost!" message if you are left alone in a versus map.
• Versus trophy screen is visually much more consistent across all maps.
• Fixing freeze at Versus rooms where the game would freeze if other players disconnect at the trophy screen.
• Fixed bug where versus leaderboards would display 1 instead 10.

Versus Rooms

• Adjusted lasers in "Versus Apprentice" room so its easier to see if you finished the puzzle
• Adjusted hints for "Versus Apprentice" room.
• Adjusted laser block time in "Versus Apprentice" so it's a more fluid feel.
• Adjusting Japanese translations in "Versus Apprentice".
• Fixing bug where rotating cubes could be rotated at a weird angle in "Versus Apprentice".

Random Lobby

• Adjusted random lobbies so they look for additional regions for a match.
• Searching for a random lobby now shows "Connecting" panel and disallows click spamming random matches.

Level Specific

• Fixing freeze in "The Elevator" in coop when picking up a key.
• Fixed wrong player spawn locations in "The Metaverse" in versus mode.

Other

• Removed token UI in rooms that have no tokens.
• Fixing soft lock if you leave a zoom
• Fixing bug where big items would clip through a player when entering a slot.
• Changed "Dynamic Walkthrough" Steam tag to "Versus".

Pine team <3

[ 2023-08-04 11:56:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Room Builders! In case you missed it in yesterdays VS Update announcement, a new Build-A-Room has started! With only one condition, it needs to be a Versus room, perfect for our room escapers to put on their smarty pants and racing shoes! [previewyoutube=weeOjkY0Ais;full][/previewyoutube] You can submit your rooms until August 21st 8AM CEST / 2AM EST. The Pine Team will play and review all the submissions until August 31st. Like before, well host a winning ceremony stream and announce the winners. Once we have a date for that, well let you all know!

What are the prizes this time?

• The first place winner will earn themselves $2.000 in cash + an escape room board game by PostCurious!
• The second and third place winners get $100 Steam gift card + an escape room board game by PostCurious!
• Winner #4-10 get a $100 Steam gift card!

Rules

• To submit a room for the competition, post a link to your room in the "#challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord, or you can send a submission via this Steam thread.
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• Multiple builders can work together on one room,but there will be only one prize for them.
• It has to be a room escape.
• The gameplay should be ideally under 30 minutes, but it could be longer.
• You can make the room as big as you wish.
• You need to record a video walkthrough.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but you cant resubmit an entirely different room.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive, etc. content. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.
• The Pine team will choose the winners this time!

Tips & Tricks

• Go to Escape Simulator, "Workshop" button, "Your Rooms," and press "Create". This creates an empty room, and you can start building.
• To get some help, you can look through "Tutorial Rooms" and learn the basics such as puzzles and animation.
• Watch our tutorial video.
• Finally, you can also join our dedicated Discord community to ask about anything you might need help with!
• Less is more sometimes! ;)

Pine Q&A Livestream

To celebrate the Versus update and the new Build-A-Room competition, well host a livestream here on our Steam store page on August 3rd, 8PM CEST/1PM CDT. We hope to see you all there!

Pine team

[ 2023-08-02 17:09:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

[previewyoutube=weeOjkY0Ais;full][/previewyoutube]

Are you ready for a battle of the brains?

Always wondered if you were the one with the biggest brain among your friends? Today you'll be able to find out for yourself by challenging them in Escape Simulator's brand-new Versus Update! Rise to the top of the ranks by being the first to solve all the puzzles in one of our many escape rooms. To commemorate this new way to play, we are also adding a truly challenging room that takes place on a quiz show from the 80s. Finally, we would like to challenge all of our community's incredibly talented room builders to create their own Versus rooms! That's right, we are kicking off our fourth official Build-A-Room challenge TODAY! As always, there are some awesome prizes involved. Be sure to keep reading for more information on this new Build-A-Room challenge down below! The Versus Update is absolutely huge and it features a new game mode, new rooms, soundtrack, outfits, a few very interesting additions (such as "join random multiplayer lobby" option), and a bunch of fixes. The full massive changelog is in the bottom of the page.

But how does it work?

As the title implies, in this brand-new Versus Mode, you will be able to take on other players to prove that you are the greatest escape artist. Just like in the regular Co-op Mode, one player will need to host a game to create a lobby for your opponents to join. Once that's settled, youll have to select a room that each of you will be tackling individually. You can choose any room you want, even the community rooms made in the in-game room editor! Once you've selected and entered a room, the game begins. In order to keep track of how far along your opponents are, we've added an in-game progress bar that shows you exactly whether you're ahead of the game or if you should step it up a notch! This progress bar will allow you to see the exact progress of your opponents. No pressure or anything.

Back to the 80s!

In addition to the new game mode, we are also adding another free room with two different difficulties (the hard one is designed in collaboration with Wollo!) as part of this update! This time, you will find yourself on the set of a classic game show from the 80's. This room was specifically made with Versus Mode in mind, so you can definitely expect a truly challenging room this time around! Finally, we are also adding a brand-new outfit that will come in two different colours; red and blue! Will your team come out on top and steal the show? Only time will tell!

Build-A-Room #4: Versus Challenge!

As mentioned earlier on in this announcement, the next Build-A-Room contest kicks off RIGHT NOW! The only condition for this contest? Create your own Versus Room that is explicitly made to have players race against each other. But what can you win? Well, we're glad you asked!

Prizes:

• The first place winner will earn themselves $2.000 in cash + an escape room board game by PostCurious!
• The second and third place winners get $100 Steam gift card + an escape room board game by PostCurious
• Winner #4-10 get a $100 Steam gift card!

Rules:

• To submit a room for the competition, post a link to your room in the "#challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord, or you can send a submission via this Steam thread.
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• Multiple builder can work together on one room together but there will be only one prize for them.
• It has to be a room escape.
• The gameplay should be ideally under 30 minutes, but it could be longer.
• You can make room as big as you wish.
• You need to record a video walkthrough.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but not resubmit an entirely different room.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive, etc. content. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.
• Pine team will choose the winners this time!

Dates:

• This Thursday, August 3rd at 8PM CEST, we'll host a Steam stream with Q&A
• Submissions are open till August 21st 8AM CEST / 2AM EST
• We'll play and review all the submissions till August 31st when we will host a winning ceremony (stream) and announce the winners. More info about the stream later.

We hope you're all excited for this new challenge and we can't wait to see what all of you will cook up!

Another mystery solved!

With this update, we have officially unveiled four announcements from our roadmap for 2023! You can find the updated roadmap version below, but what could those other announcements be?

Time to prove your worth!

We hope you will all enjoy this brand-new game mode and the free Versus room! Are you still looking for some people to challenge in Versus mode? Then you should definitely join our official Discord server. You can also find us over on Reddit where you can also talk about all things Escape Simulator. We hope to see you there!

Full Changelog

New Content

• 3, 2, 1, Race! Two Versus specific rooms just landed in the game.
• Immerse yourself in Versus mode with new customization options featuring 2 racer outfits.
• Try the new Random Game finder if you can't find players to play with.
• Use Versus props in room editor to create thrilling racing rooms.

Room Editor & Workshop

• New Roulette Logic Prop! Finally some randomness. Activate one random target from the Targets list!
• Camera movement speed setting! Now you can modify the camera movement speed setting while holding right click and scrolling. Use shift/ctrl while moving to temporarily modify the speed.
• Added tooltips for all targets. Now you can tell which target is which by setting its Descriptive name and checking the tooltip.
• Right click prop selection window UX fixes. Modified when the window is closed, how it reacts to other right clicks, right clicking over gizmo and more.
• No more double clicking after using the prop search field.
• Fixed highlighting hovered props behind tranform gizmo which cannot be selected.
• Fixed some props rotations.
• Fixed some props being in multiple groups.
• Fixed loading older rooms not opening due to wrong serialized data.

Tweaks

• Added a new Host screen with additional options.
• Added option to change lobby options while already in a lobby.
• Added option to choose game difficulty in lobby - Normal or Hard
• Added new a hover outline type that is less intrusive. You can change it in Options -> Hover Effect Type.
• Added interaction when clicking the dial that moves the dial for one step.
• Changed versioning system to one number, removing prefix 1.0. For example v1.0.27288n became v27288n.

Level Fixes

• Fixed game crash when spamming water turning on and off in "The Lab".
• Removed Steam Cats in Time popup in "Cats in time".
• Fixed not exiting zoom on specific locks in "Leonardo's Workshop".
• Fixed wrong lock click direction in "70's Room" and "Treasure Island".

Core Game Fixes

• Fixed flashing objects when selecting them in inventory.
• Fixed custom models changing size in certain conditions.
• Fixed invisible items when being dragged in zoom.
• Fixed bug where you could lose an item when spamming click on zoomed item while throwing it out.
• Items no longer shrink if you leave zoom while they animate.
• Fixed bug where you could duplicate item while spamming E and changing item via numpad.
• Fixed bug where you could end some interactions too soon if you click alt.
• Added error screen if you try to enter a lobby with corrupted data or the lobby doesn't exist anymore.

UI Fixes

• Fixed Steamdeck UI bugs in co-op screen.
• Fixed UI bug where some dropdowns would have extra white elements on edges.
• Fixed rare case of UI overlapping after finishing room ("Use" was behind room stats on the top right).
• Fixed buttons staying highlighted in the in-game menu when exiting the menu with ESC.

Pine team

[ 2023-08-01 15:59:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

[previewyoutube=50_Ao47FEyo;full][/previewyoutube]

Versus Mode is coming to Escape Simulator!

Team work makes the dream work? As if! In the upcoming Versus mode, every player must fend for themselves. Which puzzle fanatic within your friend group will come out on top? Theres only one way to find out! Challenge your friends to an escape room extravaganza in the FREE Versus Update, which will let you experience all of your favorite rooms in a brand-new way. Coming to Escape Simulator on August 1st!

The race is on!

In the brand-new Versus Mode, you will be able to take on your friends to see which one of you is the best puzzle solver. Just like in the regular Co-op Mode, one of you will need to host a game to create a lobby. Next up, youll have to select a room that each of you will be tackling individually. This means everyone will need to make it through the same room on their own merit! As soon as you have all entered the room that youre about to escape from, the game is on. Not feeling the pressure yet? Well, perhaps the in-game rank list can help you with that! While playing in Versus Mode, you will be able to see the progress of your opponents. Try to keep a cool head to rise through the ranks!
Versus Mode will also be compatible with community rooms made in the Room Editor. This means you will still be able to challenge your friends to tackle new rooms even if you have already played through the entire base game!

Are you ready for your close-up?

In addition to Versus Mode, we are also adding a brand-new room with two different difficulties that is specifically designed to take on your friends. Ever wanted to be on a game show from the 80s? Good news, because both you and your friends got invited to be participants in the most challenging game show on broadcast television! And dont worry, if your friends cant make it, youll still be able to play this room in Solo Mode. Finally, we are also adding a brand-new outfit that will come in two different colours; red and blue! Which team will you join?

1v1 me, bro!

We hope youre all excited for this brand-new way to experience Escape Simulator! Want to find other players to challenge when Versus Mode launches on August 1st? Then you should definitely join our official Discord. You can also find us over on Reddit to talk about all things Escape Simulator. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-07-25 15:00:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

It belongs in a museum!

Ever since Escape Simulator originally launched, we've seen many excellent community rooms get published on the Steam Workshop. Today, another very ambitious room joins the ranks! The Collab: Museum is an incredible team effort, created by sixteen different builders from within our community. The Collab: Museum is a follow-up to last year's The Collab: Boardgames that sets the bar for community rooms even further!

Subscribe here: The Collab: Museum

As the title implies, you will need to escape from an awe-inspiring, spacious museum in which many imposing showpieces are put on display. The Collab: Museum is a true team effort that perfectly showcases what the Escape Simulator community is capable of and we are honored to see such an awesome creation come to fruition. Be sure to subscribe to this room on the Steam Workshop or check it out via the in-game room selection screen!
The Collab: Museum was made by:

• ChazzyB
• Duc
• Elkondo
• Eureka Paprika
• Franch
• GetOffMyBeard
• Klemes
• klov3r
• Kusane
• LeoWolfbane
• Mumbo
• namo_krub
• Robin
• Thoroniul
• Wollo
• Zesty Mordant

Be sure to check out the other rooms made by these builders as well. We can assure you that each and every one of these builders is incredibly talented and their previous work is incredible too!

Join our community!

Has this collaboration room piqued your interest and do you want to start building rooms yourself? Then you should definitely join us over our official Discord or our subreddit, where you can talk to other room builders who are always more than happy to help out! We hope to see you there!

Pine team

PS: New small update is live now!

Earlier today, we pushed a new Puzzle Logic Prop and fixed The Train Totem bug. You can check the full changelog and tutorial for the new prop here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3669921372334273139

[ 2023-07-19 15:59:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Changelog:

• The Puzzle Logic prop has been updated and it had it's functionality changed to better suit general use and our next update!
• Fixed "The Train" totem freeze.

Quick Tutorial:

The updated Puzzle will automatically change visible walkthrough hints based on puzzles that can be solved at a certain time. Hints: Connect only the walkthrough steps that solve that puzzle Conditions: Connect all puzzles that need to be solved before the hints for this puzzle can be displayed Solving puzzles that have a condition before solving the condition will silently solved all previous puzzles so be careful with how you set up you conditions and if players can access them before solving previous puzzles You can update rooms with the old Puzzle prop by going to the Room config and pressing the 'Activate' button next to the 'Remove all legacy Puzzle components' option. This will remove all Puzzle components from the room and you will have to add new Puzzle props. Vinka made a video tutorial in which you can learn how to use new Puzzle Logic Prop and create dynamic walkthroughs: [previewyoutube=-zElYyd9wD4;full][/previewyoutube] "In this tutorial, we'll teach you how to create dynamic walkthroughs for Escape Simulator using the Puzzle Logic Prop in the Room Editor. If you want to dive deeper into the Puzzle Logic Prop, you can find the example room in the link below. Simply subscribe to the room and copy it in-game to open it in the Room Editor." https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3003134474 For any additional questions about the Room Editor, feel free to join our Discord community where numerous room creators gather to help and support each other! Pine Studio <3

[ 2023-07-19 09:05:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Changelog:

• Fixed Puzzle prop not saving properly
• Time scale of the water prop can now also be transitioned

Important note for builders!

Last night's update broke the Puzzle prop save. If you've updated your room (saved over the previous save) after the props update (13 hours ago) you need to check you puzzle props!

How to fix your room if your puzzle props are empty:

[olist]

Just update the puzzles in the room editor by hand. Easiest to do if you remember your settings.

Revert to a room backup from the Backups folder. This will revert any changes you've made to the room since last night. Go to your UGC room folder and find the Backups folder inside. Choose one of the backup files that was made before the update. Copy and paste it to your room folder and rename it to "Room.room". This will override you Room.room file and delete any changes you made, so you might want to make a backup of that old Room.room file as well (just to be safe).

Copy some settings from the backup. This will revert only the puzzle props but it's harder to do. Find the same backup file as mentioned in 2. Open it and the original Room.room file with some text reader. Find all puzzle components you want to revert and paste their settings into the Room.room file on the exact same position (you'll need to do some detective work to figure out which puzzle props match). [/olist] This is how the empty puzzle props look. You can search for "puzzle" to find all of them in the text reader. "puzzle": [ { "puzzleName": "", "activeOnStart": false, "hideHints": [], "showHints": [], "targets": [], "locks": [], "muteSound": false } If you need some help with reverting your settings you can file a bug report on our Discord and we'll do our best to help you out! Pine team <3

[ 2023-07-07 08:09:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Summer has arrived!

Ahoy there, mateys! In case you missed it, last month we released a brand-new, free room update for Escape Simulator. This update contains the biggest level in Escape Simulator so far: Treasure Island! This pirate-themed level provides the freedom to explore a vast island hiding a secret treasure chest filled with gems, jewels and other valuable items.
Speaking of treasure, we are also opening up a treasure chest filled with assets for builders to design their very own tropical settings with! That's because as of today, we are adding a whole bunch of palm trees, beaches and many pirate-themed objects to the in-game Room Editor! We are also adding a new water logic prop (and it's awesome!) We can't wait to see what the ever-so-talented room builders will create with all of these new items.
Last month, we also revealed that Escape Simulator VR is now in development! It would mean the world to us if you could add Escape Simulator VR to your Steam Wishlist, as it helps us immensely. You can do so right here or via the button below. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR/ Finally, Escape Simulator and all of its DLC's are currently on sale as part of the Steam Summer Sale. Be sure to tell your friends or grab one of those DLC's if you haven't done so already! Of course, June also saw the release of an abundance of brilliant rooms made by the room builders from our community. We are incredibly thankful for their never-ending creativity, so without further ado... let's have a look at our monthly picks for June!

Fun at the laundromat!

In the past, we have already seen many incredibly original locations recreated in our Room Editor, but so far we have never seen a room based on a laundromat yet! However, with the release of Laundry Day by namo_krub, you can now do wash your clothes while also solving some tricky puzzles! Can you make a clean escape from this laundromat?

Donut miss out on this tasty room!

Managed to make your way out of the laundromat, but now you're feeling hungry? Then you should definitely pay a visit to the Jobville Donut Shop. In this room by GetOffMyBeard, you will need to perform a series of tasks to make sure the titular donut shop keeps running properly. This includes managing the orders, fixing the Wi-Fi and starting up the Donut Maker 5000. Can you get it all done before your boss returns?

or ?

In Tic-Tac-Tomb by A Really Short Hobbit. you take on the role of an archaeologist who uncovers the tomb of the forgotten pharaoh Tic-Tac-Tut. In order to make your way through the tomb, you will need to solve a series of puzzles based on the ancient game of Tic-Tac-Toe. The one who manages to solve all of them will be rewarded with a valuable golden orb!

Time to get spooked all over again!

Just when you thought you were safe, the ghost of Little Emily returns! For Little Emily: Chapter I THE REMAKE, Cico revisited one of his classic and probably most infamous community rooms so far and enhanced it to make the experience even spookier! If you're not familiar with Little Emily yet, be warned! This room is not for the faint of heart.

It's a wrap!

And that's it for June's monthly picks! As always, we hope you'll enjoy these rooms just as much as we did! Want to talk to some of the room builders from our community or just share your enthusiasm for Escape Simulator? Then be sure to join us on our official Discord or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-07-06 19:25:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join us for another Pine Studio livestream!

We hope you've got your mind-boggling questions ready, as tonight we aim to answer as many of your questions as possible during this AMA livestream! It will kick off today, July 6 at 8PM CEST / 11AM PST. The livestream will take place right here on Steam. During the livestream, we will also be announcing June's monthly community room picks! If you've got any questions for us; be sure to ask them in the comments down below. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-07-06 12:09:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

General Fixes

• Fixing rare case where you couldn't use slot in tutorial
• Zoomables do not rotate weirdly in coop anymore
• Fixed item not entering correct slot if it enters 2 slots in the same frame
• Fixed parenting issue in Room Editor

Level Specific Fixes

• Reduced number of packets in "The Elevator"
• Fixed weird navigation hole in "The Elevator"
• Fixed badges puzzle in "The Saloon"

[ 2023-06-29 09:40:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

General

• Fixed token on "The Top"
• Fixed some sound issues in "Treasure Island"
• Fixed crash caused by pinning items
• Fixed crash in "Executive Office" caused by a screwdriver

Room Editor and Workshop

[olist]

Added additional options for the Puzzle logic element

Reducing RAM usage in room editor if texture failed to load

Fixed pins hiding in the room editor in certain situations

Fixed custom models not saving settings on import [/olist]

[ 2023-06-27 07:50:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

X marks the spot!

Ahoy there, scurvy dogs! Arrrr ye prepared for another swashbucklin adventure in Escape Simulator? Yed better be, because were plottin a course to Treasure Island! This free update features a brand-new room in which youll be able to explore a vast island thats said to hide an invaluable treasure. The Treasure Island update also comes with a matching outfit and an additional soundtrack to accompany you on your quest for booty! Finally, we also made a whole bunch of fixes and additions for which the full changelog can be found all the way at the bottom of this announcement! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ To celebrate the launch of this new room, you can now get Escape Simulator with a 25% discount! So if you haven't purchased the game yet or want to gift it to a friend, now would be the perfect time to do so!
With this new update, two secrets from our roadmap for 2023 have been revealed! In case you missed it, we recently announced Escape Simulator VR, which is coming soon. In this VR version, all rooms from the base game will be playable, meaning you will soon be able to explore Treasure Island from up close as well! We would truly appreciate it if you can add Escape Simulator VR to your wishlist on the Steam Store here or via the button below. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR

Avast, ye landlubbers!

We hope youre all ready to set sail to Treasure Island and we cant wait to hear your thoughts on this brand-new room! As you can see in our roadmap for 2023, theres still plenty of updates coming up, so please look forward to even more announcements soon. In the meantime, feel free to join us over on our official Discord or subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

Full changelog: New content:

• Shiny new room: Treasure Island
• New character customization options for Treasure Island
• New Puzzle logic prop for the room editor

General fixes

• Saves are now in Json format.
• Fixed some RAM memory leaks
• Reduced size of the game
• Objects cannot enter two slots by throwing
• More performant Mirrors
• Mirrors work in zoom
• CJK Fonts now work on Steam deck
• Added zoom in hint on controller when possible to zoom in
• Internal rework of sliding puzzles so they are less error-prone
• Fixed all small UI input offsets in levels
• Added rounded corners where they were missing
• Next Level now works across all extra rooms
• Particles are now hidden in ghost placement objects
• Changed the way items are interacting with physics engine, resulting in more fluid collisions

Co-op fixes

• Every puzzle now has a name
• Every sent data packet is smaller, Coop should work better
• Rework of syncing object poses, the packets are much more smaller, bigger rooms are more smooth now
• Fixing crashing when interacting with items with weird parenting in custom rooms
• Items are now spawned into host's inventory when a player disconnects
• Items are now thrown from the hand resulting in smoother animation

Workshop & Room editor fixes

• Audio crashes with sound props fixed
• Better handling of audio on large rooms
• Zoomables now with free camera position
• Walkthrough text cutting off and not saving fixed
• Editor Tutorial rooms - fixed teleport buttons
• Fixed Game freeze on dragging objects to slots
• Locks don't need to trigger sound props with a 1
• Open walkthrough with H for testing in room editor

Level specific fixes

• Fix "The Top" bug where multiple people would "solve" slider puzzle.
• Far objects in "The Top" are now pingable in coop
• Orange is more orange than ever in "Leonardo's Workshop"
• Fixed wrong syncing of balls in "Chamber of Danger"
• Better colliders in the clock of "The Underground Lab"
• Fixed keypad position in "The Lab"
• Fixed "Decompression Chamber" bug where tool would be fly in the air after using it.
• Reduced amount of net packets sent in "Space Walk", should be smoother
• Better controller handling of rope puzzle on "The Engine Room"
• Fixed disk syncing in "The Engine Room"
• Better controller handling of final puzzle on "The Helm"
• Better colliders in sink of "The Saloon"
• As always, we've added more bugs to fix later

Love, Pine team <3

[ 2023-06-22 17:00:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

[previewyoutube=Ty58-Uc-lyo;full][/previewyoutube]

Set sail for adventure!

Arrr, mateys! Are ya ready for the treasure hunt of a lifetime? Prepare to join our jolly crew on June 22, when we launch another free update next week featuring the brand-new Treasure Island room! In this new room, you'll be able to explore a vast and extensive island that's said to be hiding a big chest full of invaluable knick-knacks, gems and jewels. Treasure Island is our biggest free room yet and we can't wait for you to discover each and every corner of this tropical setting. Avast, ye landlubbers!
With this new update coming out next week, we have now officially revealed two columns from our 2023 roadmap! In case you missed it, we recently announced Escape Simulator VR which will be coming soon. If you haven't already, it would mean the world to us if you could wishlist it here or via the button below! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR/

Exploring in style!

Whether you're hunting for treasure on your own or with a mighty pirate crew, you're going to need some new threads to withstand the summer heat. No worries, we've got you covered! As always, this new update will come with an exciting new outfit that will fully prepare you for all of the challenges you will face on this island. Additionally, Treasure Island also comes with a brand-new soundtrack that will surely get you in the mood for some swashbuckling action!

A pirate's life for me!

We hope all of you are excited to set sail to Treasure Island when it launches next week on June 22! There be a lot more updates on the horizon, so be sure to keep an eye (or two) out on our various channels. In the meantime, join the excitement over on our official Discord or subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

PS. Yes. We ARE adding a crab as well!

[ 2023-06-15 13:36:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

[previewyoutube=ujc7uMIzXrg;full][/previewyoutube]

VR WHEN?!?!

If theres one question weve seen in our community a lot, its definitely VR when? We know many of you are very eager to experience Escape Simulator in VR and we're thrilled to reveal that development of Escape Simulator VR is officially underway! The official store page for Escape Simulator VR is live right now! It would mean a lot to us if you could add ES: VR to your wishlist, as it helps us immensely! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440240/Escape_Simulator_VR While we cant share any specific details about the expected release date just yet, we are working hard to bring this new way of experiencing Escape Simulator to you soon.
There ain't no party like a VR dance party!

The Roadmap

Finally, while part of our team is working on this VR version, we still have many other updates in store! Currently, we have five free rooms in development, the first FREE collab DLC, and the third paid DLC. Last but not least, we are also preparing another Build-A-Thon which will undoubtedly result in many excellent new rooms made by the community! To summarize everything thats coming up for Escape Simulator, heres a handy little road map to guide you!
We hope you are all just as excited as we are for everything thats coming and if you want to share your excitement with us and other players, be sure to join us on Discord or Reddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine Studio <3

[ 2023-06-07 13:00:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

June has arrived!

It's another new month, which can only mean one thing! Time to look back at everything that happened last month. In case you missed it, we introduced a brand-new recurring section called Meet The Builders. In this first edition of Meet The Builders, we interviewed room builder Zesty Mordant. Of course, a whole bunch of excellent community rooms got released as well! So without further ado, let's dive into our monthly picks for May! (PS. We have a bunch of exciting new announcements coming up soon, so be sure to stay tuned! )

Who wants to play pool?

Who doesn't love to play some rounds of pool? Well, as luck would have it, there's a pool tournament going on at The Red Lion! The only problem is the billiard balls, as well as the key for the Old English Pub have gone missing. In this room by builder Mocklate Donkey, it's up to you to find the missing items and get the tournament going!

An enigmatic escape!

Enigmas of the Nile by GG3L is an incredibly polished looking room, set in an ancient Egyptian temple. This room stands out for its fun and intuitive puzzle design that probably won't have you doubting your puzzle skills for too long, On top of that, it's always fun to explore some ancient ruins, right?

Time to go back to school!

Room builder GetOffMyBeard has become a bit of a household name within our community and his latest room 4 Privet Drive is a very interesting one! For this room, GetOffMyBeard took a very different approach by locking your character in place to recreate the feeling of a point 'n click adventure game! Before returning back to Hogwarts, you'll need to gather your stuff and place them in your trunk. Definitely give this one a try!

A remake of three classic rooms!

Our in-game Room Editor has gone through a numerous amount of updates since launch, providing our community with more and more options to optimize their room. Recently, we've been seeing several 'remakes' of classic community rooms pop up and that's exactly what Brengo did for The Scientist's Breakthrough! This room serves as both a remake and a compilation of Brengo's first room series, reimagined as a continuous adventure. If you've never played these before or want to see how they have changed, this one is an absolute must-play!

More awesome stuff coming up!

And that's it for May! As always, we hope you'll enjoy these monthly picks as much as we did! Want to talk to some of the room builders from our community or just share your enthusiasm for Escape Simulator? Be sure to join us on our official Discord or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-06-02 18:15:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Meet Zesty!

Welcome to our brand new "Meet the Builders" series, where we delve into the creative minds behind some of the most remarkable community room designers in Escape Simulator. Kicking off our first edition, we introduce you to Zesty, also known as Paul from Canada. As the mastermind behind exceptional community-made rooms like "The Devilish Diorama" and "The Ominous Obelisk", Zesty has gained a reputation for his inventive designs and captivating gameplay. With a background in programming and a deep love for escape rooms, Zesty crafts immersive experiences that keep players enthralled. In this interview, he unveils his creative process, sources of inspiration, favorite creations, and valuable lessons picked up on his journey.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into playing Escape Simulator?

My username is Zesty, my real name is Paul, and I'm based in Canada. I'm a programmer by trade but also for fun. I was introduced by my friend to my first escape room back in 2016. I had played the classic online flash escape rooms like Crimson Room and Vermillion Room back in the day but I fell in love with playing them live. I started building escape rooms for fun out of a vacant room for my annual halloween party. My first one was pretty basic but for later rooms I started investing in micro-controllers, IR and NFC sensors, cameras, 3D printing props, and programming various display interfaces. My favourite part of running homebrew escape rooms was observing players from my "command center". The same friend who introduced me to my first escape room also introduced me to Escape Simulator in late 2020 and I've been playing with them since :)

What inspired you to start designing rooms in the game?

I wanted to continue building physical escape rooms but couldn't due to the COVID-19 lockdown, also they were very expensive to build. I briefly considered hosting them remotely with a body cam while everything was under lockdown, but it wasn't the same. I built my first Escape Simulator map (Perplexing Paintings) in January 2021 to see what the room editor was like and see what was possible with the game engine. I really enjoyed how intuitive the experience was and how quickly I could prototype new ideas.
I was stunned by the sheer volume of players I had access to through Steam workshop. With my physical rooms Id have ~50 players each season - now with Escape Simulator I had access to tens of thousands. I always had ideas that were too expensive or physically prohibitive to implement in real life but with Escape Simulator I could do anything I want so that was a big draw for me.

Can you walk us through your process of creating a room?

I start with a core mechanical theme. I draw out my ideas on pen and paper, just messy doodles and sketches. I write as many puzzle and room ideas as I can think of on a text editor. Then I plan out the progression, starting with some level 1 puzzles (puzzles that require little to no context to solve), followed by 2-3 parallel progression tracks (so players can work in parallel or switch between tracks if they get stuck on one), and a final large scale "meta" puzzle that uses the entire room layout, requires knowledge/context/items gained from previous puzzles, etc.

What are some of your favorite rooms you've created so far, and what makes them unique?

One of my favourite rooms that I created is The Devilish Diorama. The concept is that you're stuck in a room that has a diorama version of itself on a table. I'm quite happy with how the mechanics of the recursive room were communicated to the player and the pacing of the room. I'm quite proud of The Ominous Obelisk as well, which is a map where you're ascending a cyberpunk pyramid (not an obelisk haha) while solving puzzles themed around HyperX and OMEN PC gaming peripherals. Cheesy as hell, and so much fun to make. With this room I started to experiment with presentation, music selection, and more unique assets. I also wanted to make an experience that felt more substantial and fleshed out (since my last map The Devilish Diorama felt very short at 15 minutes). One of my design goals was to create a room that looked nothing like anything else in the workshop and I think it worked!

How do you come up with the themes and puzzles for your rooms?

This is going to sound silly, but I take a letter of the alphabet (A, B, C) and I think of an alliterated title. So P gave me Perplexing Paintings, D became The Devilish Diorama, Q became The Devilish Diorama 2: Quantum Quandary, etc. Its a weird way to come up with room themes, but its also given me some of my best ideas, like a creative writing prompt. That'll give me the core mechanical theme to focus my room around. I feel that it's important to make a room feel unique and cohesive vs. another Victorian-themed escape room.

What do you think are the key elements to creating a challenging yet enjoyable escape room?

Its important to focus on intuitive and clearly communicated puzzles. That's why I limit the number of distracting elements such as visual noise, red herrings, clutter, busywork, and verbose text. Interfaces in game should employ a toyetic quality that naturally invites users to play and interact with them. Its better to show than tell - designers should minimize explicitly writing out rules for puzzles in text. Ideally, players can intuit the rules of a game by experimenting with its systems, seeing what is possible, observing the resulting consequences of their actions, etc. It's also important to focus on guiding the players to win vs. actively trying to stump them - a subtle distinction. Games are meant to be won, not lost. That doesnt mean handing players the solution, rather to empower and guide them towards their solution in as pure and undilated an experience as possible.

What are some tips and tricks you can share with players who want to try their hand at designing rooms in Escape Simulator?

It helps a lot to understand how the lock logic object and its different types work (i.e. continuous, in-place). Knowing how to chain locks together and send values between them allows for some pretty nuanced logic even without Lua. Using the empty logic object and parenting objects together is very useful and can help you build very complex, multi-faceted compound objects. The visibility activator will let you load/unload chunks of your room to save on performance which is crucial for larger maps. I usually delete the standard walls/ceilings/floors the room editor provides you at the start and make my own with the given props, this gives a lot more freedom on laying out the room. It is super important to test your room in different configurations since everyone will play it differently. I test my rooms with 1) an underpowered PC, 2) multiplayer (with a second copy of the game I bought myself), and 3) with a gamepad. To make yourself stand out on steam workshop, use a distinctive preview image with high contrast and a large, legible font. It's also important to sell your room with a unique and instantly recognizable hook. [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2861390478]

What are some lessons youve learned the hard way as a creator for Escape Simulator?

With my first map, I learned the hard way that my puzzles were too hard and too high in frustration. I learned to focus on improving the readability of my puzzles and reduce distracting elements as much as possible. I also have the inverse problem of some of my puzzles being too trivial to be of good gameplay value. Its a tricky balance Im still working and iterating upon with each new map. I also learned how to better analyze and respond to constructive feedback. I learned that sometimes what people say dont always line up with their actual experience. The best indicator for a players experience is to watch them play it live and observe their minute to minute experiences. Another lesson I learned is that no matter what you do, its impossible to please everyone, and thats perfectly fine.

Can you share any memorable experiences or funny stories that have happened while you were designing or playing your escape rooms?

I had a lot of fun designing the final boss room in The Ominous Obelisk. I won't spoil it, but it makes fun of a lot of things like corporate sponsorship and branding, PC gamer culture and streamers. It was super fun making an experience that was ominous but also completely over the top and ridiculous. I had a lot of fun making The Devilish Diorama 2. This was the first time I used a voice actor in my room. Murk (a Twitch/YouTube streamer) is a super talented voice actor so I gave him a lot of different roles including a voice answering machine, an animatronic cowboy, and a businessman (think of the manager from the movie Office Space). I wanted to channel his chaotic and irreverent energy so I gave him exaggerated, over the top lines. He even improvised lines which were so good I had to include them. I included some sus cowboy lines to throw him off like "It's time for a good old rope and choke". A while back he played the Cats In Time room in Escape Simulator, there he threw a kite (a key item) out the window and immediately regretted it - I included the same kite as hidden secret in The Devilish Diorama 2 along with some easter eggs specifically about him haha. It was amazing to watch him play through that live.

What are some of the nicest reactions or interactions youve had with people who played one of your rooms?

I love popping into streams of people playing my maps, it's so funny watching their reactions especially when they don't believe its me. Murk didnt believe me when I first stopped by to watch him play The Devilish Diorama, he thought I was trying to impersonate the creator XD. At the end he was nice enough to offer his voice for the sequel. Its always heartwarming when players offer to help out with playtesting or otherwise just enjoy my maps. After Dr. Poly (Twitch/YouTube content creator from Australia) played through my maps, we did an interview live on Rec Room (social VR game). That was so much fun, Poly is a super cool and funny content creator. It was surreal walking into his TV studio set (which he made in Rec Room!), shaking his hand, waiting behind the studio for my cue, walking out like I was on the set of The Tonight Show, such a fun experience. One of my favourite comments to my rooms was, "this room made me rethink everything I thought I knew about space and time" haha.

What do you feel has been your greatest Escape Simulator accomplishment so far?

Probably the Ominous Obelisk, I'm quite happy I managed to make it in 11 days (for the Escape Simulator Build-A-Room #2 contest) and it turned out as well as it did - normally I take a very long time to release maps.
Also very happy with the way The Collab: Boardgames turned out. It was tough coordinating a large group of creators (13 of us), but everyone pitched in great content and I got a ton of support, especially from Mumbo who was co-managing the project with me. He and Ich helped keep the project scope in check and Wollo and Franch provided lots of insight into project management. I learned a lot about when to step back and delegate work and also when to put my foot down. Everyone was awesome to work with and super enthusiastic.

Are there any features you would like to see added to the room editor in future updates?

Verticality (stairs, ramps, ladders, multiple floors) would be my most anticipated feature. I'd also like to more easily collaborate on rooms with other creators i.e. through real-time multiplayer editor sessions. An in-game Lua code editor that shows available variables would be nice. The ability to render elements/props specifically for different players would make for great supernatural-style experiences. It would also be neat to be able to send requests in-game to external APIs (i.e. my own server) so I can do things like retrieve live information, record statistics from players about their play sessions, or integrate live Twitch features like letting viewers affect the play session. [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2774254073]

Are there any other room designers in the game whose work you admire or draw inspiration from?

When I started out making maps, Zek (Sudoku Puzzle Room) was a huge inspiration. Duc's maps (Riddles, Books, and a Lab) were a great inspiration too, he's really good at putting out polished and consistently engaging experiences. Cico's (Little Emily) maps scared the hell out of me and helped me understand how to make experiences that really drew the player in. I was blown away by the raw scale and ambition of Franch's (INSIDE) and Robin's (It's All Led Up To This) maps. They all set a high bar for me to aspire to.

What are your future plans for designing rooms in Escape Simulator? Do you have any big projects in the works? ;)

We're currently working on a new Collab map. Its a huge group now - before it was the 13 of us for The Collab: Boardgames, now theres 24 with everyone offering varying levels of support. Then I'm releasing The Devilish Diorama 3: Byzantine Box which I've been working on and off for some months now. There's a lot of new ideas I'm excited to show everyone. I wont make the mistake of announcing a target release date too early and missing it again haha. Then Inversion Inc. which will be my first original mainline room in a while. The theme of the room is "binarism" (two sides to everything) and will focus on a mechanic of "inverting" objects (as for what that means, Ill leave it to your imagination).
We're incredibly grateful to Zesty for taking the time to share his insights with us. While we wait for his next fantastic creations, be sure to check out his existing masterpieces here or in-game. If you wish to chat with Zesty or other amazing community room builders, make sure to join our Discord. We hope you enjoyed this new recurring series and we look forward to diving deeper into the creation process of many other room builders. Stay tuned! Pine team

[ 2023-05-11 14:00:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

May has arrived!

As we have reached another new month, it's once again time to have a quick look back at last month's highlights! In case you missed it, we rounded off our latest Build-A-Thon contest. The grand prize for this contest was a trip to Paris, which was won by none other than room builder Robin! But of course a lot more community rooms got published last month, so without further ado, here are our monthly picks for April!

A feast for the eyes and ears!

We love to see all the unique little ways in which the room builders from our community utilize the in-game Room Editor and Colors and Sounds All Around is a very interesting room indeed! For this room, BoomboxGuyJJ lets you explore the relationship between music and art through the use of color study. If you're willing to try out something totally different, then you should definitely check this one out!

The hunt is on!

Next up, we've got Join the Hunt by JetSkiAttack! This room based on the tv series Supernatural puts you in the shoes of a 'hunter' who is looking to become an apprentice to the legendary hunters Sam and Dean Winchester. In order to prove your worth, you will need to solve a case that involves multiple ghost sightings in a small community in Kansas. Good luck, hunter!

An unfinished masterpiece...

The Architect's Legacy by HashtagWarriors is another very unique room that is entirely focused on the art of architecture. You play as someone who's part of a group of architectural historians that gets the chance to visit the studio of the late Charles E. Whitmore, a prolific modernist architect. As you make your way through the studio, you will need to solve many puzzles to find the plans for Whitmore's unfinished masterpiece.

We all live in a yellow submarine!

Finally, we've got another excellent room made by GetOffMyBeard! In his latest room The Yellow Submarine you will be exploring.... well, a yellow submarine! Unfortunately, your vessel is stuck at the bottom of the sea and you will need to get all of its systems up and running again to make it back to the surface. No pressure!

Join our community!

And that's it for April! As always, we hope you'll enjoy these monthly picks as much as we did! Want to talk to some of the room builders from our community or just share your enthusiasm for Escape Simulator? Be sure to join us on our official Discord or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-05-04 17:47:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Astonishing Creations in the Build-A-Room Contest!

[previewyoutube=wlTzZNMP5-o;full][/previewyoutube] The third Build-A-Room contest has officially concluded! We announced the winners during yesterday's Pine Studio livestream. With so many exceptional entries, selecting the top rooms was an incredibly challenging task. To celebrate the amazing talent showcased, we are awarding ALL our top 15 entries with fantastic prizes!

Place 4-15

Reward: 100$ Steam Gift Cards!

We've decided not to rank the rooms from #4 to #15, as it was impossible to place them in order. Each of these outstanding entries will receive a 100$ Steam Gift Card! Winners, keep an eye on your Steam accounts for your prize. Congratulations, and we hope you enjoy your rewards! Check out the twelve winning rooms below:

• The Escher Trap by Leo
• Mozart's Mind by Tommy_NL
• Still (in) Life by Eureka Paprika
• Artopia by med1nh0
• Artception by MelonVerse
• Mel N. Collie Museum of Art by JetSkiAttack
• Nifty Ways To Leave Your Louvre by CeruleanK
• The Legend of the Mysterious Meme Lisa by Bartololomeo
• Escape Museum Takeover by Mumbo
• Le Pretentiousse by Elkondo
• The Silhouettist by Wollo
• This End Up! by Franch

3rd Place: Houdini's Workshop by Cico

Reward: Steam Deck!!

While most entries focused on visual arts, Houdini's Workshop by Cico showcases a different art form altogether. As the title suggests, this magical workshop belonged to the legendary illusionist himself. Congratulations, Cico, and enjoy your Steam Deck!

2nd Place: Relativity by Duc

Reward: Meta Quest 2 VR headset!

[spoiler]VR WHEN?! [/spoiler]
Congratulations to Relativity by Duc, an entry boasting surreal design choices and outstanding puzzles. While we're still working on VR version of ES, we're awarding our second-place winner a Meta Quest 2 VR headset! Enjoy your Meta Quest 2, Duc!

1st Place: Immortal Canvas by Robin

Reward: A trip to Paris, France to see the real Mona Lisa!

We've truly gone all out for our first-place prize: a trip to Paris, France! This reward includes two round-trip plane tickets, a three-night stay at a Parisian hotel, and two tickets to the Louvre to admire the REAL Mona Lisa! Additionally, we will add an in-game portrait of your choice to a room in Escape Simulator and send a physical copy to your doorstep. The grand prize goes to Robin for the stunning room Immortal Canvas. This breathtaking creation in Escape Simulator is a true masterpiece. Enjoy your Parisian adventure, Robin, and don't forget to snap some photos! We'd like to extend our gratitude to everyone who participated in this contest, and we eagerly anticipate the creations in future competitions. We're giving our room builders a few months to rest, but more Build-A-Room challenges are on the horizon! Feeling inspired and want to start building rooms yourself? Our Discord and subreddit communities are here to help you get started. If you're not a builder but want to chat and explore more community rooms, you're welcome to join as well. See you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-04-13 13:10:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Who will be the big winner?

Over the past few weeks, the room builders from our community have once again been hard at work to craft some truly excellent creations! As we are reaching the end of another successful Build-A-Room contest, it's almost time to announce the winners of this contest! This time around, we asked the room builder to create a true masterpiece in our in-game Room Editor. And we have to say, our community delivered! In total, we received 33 entries that really managed to raise the bar! We were absolutely blown away by the sheer quality of these rooms and it definitely wasn't easy to select the winners this time around. We will check out our [strike]top 10[/strike]top 15 rooms and officially announce the winner (and his/her super-awesome prize!) during our next livestream tomorrow, April 12th at 08:00 PM CEST (11 AM PT). You won't want to miss out on this one! You can check out this stream right here on Steam. In the meantime, be sure to join us over on Discord or our official subreddit for more Escape Simulator fun! We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-04-11 19:02:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Time marches on!

March was another great month for Escape Simulator! Not only did we release another update that included the brand-new Leonardo's Workshop room, but we also kicked of our third Build-a-Room contest: The Masterpiece Challenge! You're going to have to wait a little longer for us to announce the Build-a-Room #3 winners, which we will do during our next stream on April 12 at 8 PM CEST. Finally, we've been busy working on last Saturday's EscapeGPT announcement! In case it wasn't clear yet, this was of course our April Fool's joke this year. You didn't think we would actually let you miss out on all of those mind-boggling puzzles through the use of AI, right? On top of all this, we of course also saw a lot of excellent new rooms being published again last month. We hope you're ready to play a bunch of really cool new rooms, because these are our top community room picks for March!

I'm a what?

If you're in the mood for a pinch of magic, then you definitely have to play I'm a Wizard? by Green Hand! In this room, you will be taken on a journey across the wizarding world. Your day starts out like any other with you waking up in your bedroom, but things quickly become a lot stranger when you are visited by an owl carrying an invation letter. As it turns out, you just happen to be a wizard! The name of the room sort of gave it away already, didn't it?

So many letters!

The LETTERS Room by A Really Short Hobbit might just be one of the most original rooms we've seen in a while! As the title of this room implies, the entire room is based around letters! Using all of the different letters which are scattered across this room, you will need to form words which will bring you closer to your escape. You'll literally need to use your words to solve this one!

Tomororow Never Spies

Much like Elkondo's earlier room You Only Spy Twice, Never Spy 2 High is a co-op spy adventure for 2+ players! And the best part? Part 2 is already out as well, with a third part coming out soon! If you enjoy co-op rooms that rely heavily on proper communication with your escape buddy, then you should check this one out. Especially if you like some good espionage!

Mo' money, Motel?

Finally, we've got another great room made by GetOffMyBeard in which you will need to prepare a heist from your room at The Grand Lark Motel. You play as a character called Russo who has been asked to complete a number of tasks by 'the big guy'. You'd better not fail to do so if you want to get your cut!

That's all for now!

As always, we hope you'll enjoy these rooms as much as we did! But hey, if you want to play even more awesome community rooms, be sure to check out the Build-a-Thon #3 submissions as well. We added a tab at the in-game level select screen that includes all of the competing rooms! Want to talk to some of the builders or just share your enthusiasm for Escape Simulator? Be sure to join us on our official Discord or on our subreddit. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-04-04 15:00:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear escapers, We are excited to announce a game-changing update to your favorite puzzle-solving experience! Get ready for the most cutting-edge AI-powered feature ever created: EscapeGPT! EscapeGPT offers you the ability to solve any escape room puzzle by simply clicking a button. Say goodbye to the frustration of being stuck, and embrace the future of puzzle-solving with EscapeGPT. Here's a video preview: [previewyoutube=l5_UGfut0KU;full][/previewyoutube] Have you ever found yourself stuck on a particularly challenging puzzle in Escape Simulator, wishing you had a super-intelligent AI to assist you? Our talented team of developers has been working hard to make that dream a reality. Coming soon to Escape Simulator! -Pine team <3 [spoiler]*This message was generated using AI.[/spoiler] [spoiler]*Also, today is April 1st!![/spoiler]

[ 2023-04-01 15:02:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Are you ready for Da Vinci's NEXT challenge?

Calling all room builders! As you are probably aware, we just released a new free room called Leonardo's Workshop last week! In this workshop, the world famous grandmaster Leonardo da Vinci created many of his masterpieces, such as the iconic painting Mona Lisa. Now we want to challenge all of you to create your very own work of art in a brand-new Build-A-Room contest: The Masterpiece Challenge! For the Masterpiece Challenge, we want you to build...well, a masterpiece in the Room Editor! This means we would like you to channel all of your creativity to make something that belongs in a museum. Whether you want to go all out and create a full-on gallery or just a single art installation, it's up to you! If you want to, you could even recreate your favorite work of art in the form of an escape room! As long as it qualifies as a masterpiece, anything goes! Think you're up to the challenge, but don't own Escape Simulator yet? You're in luck, because the game is currently 25% off during the Steam Spring Sale! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ This contest will take place from March 17 at 6PM CET until March 31 at 6PM CEST. Submissions will be considered if they are sent in before the deadline on March 31 at 6PM CEST. We hope you're feeling creative, because as always, the winning contestants will get some awesome prizes!

Prizes

While we can't reveal what the grand prizes are going to be just yet, we can assure you that it's going to be something that will definitely blow your minds! If you've been keeping up with the previous Build-A-Room contests, you might know that we like to go big when it comes to rewarding our loyal room builders. That's why for the very first Build-A-Room, we gave out a grand total of $2000! As for the previous two contests? Well, we think the following images speak for themselves.

Rules

• Create a masterpiece in the Room Editor that will earn you the title of grandmaster.
• To submit a room for the competition, you have to post a link to your room in the "#challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord, or you can send submission via this Steam thread.
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• Multiple builder can work together on one room together but there will be only one prize for them.
• It has to be a room escape.
• The gameplay should be ideally under 30 minutes, but it could be longer.
• You can make room as big as you wish.
• You need to record a video walkthrough.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but not resubmit an entirely different room.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive, etc. content. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.
• Pine team will choose the winners this time!

Tips & Tricks

• Go to Escape Simulator, "Workshop" button, "Your Rooms," and press "Create". This creates an empty room, and you can start building.
• To get some help, you can look through "Tutorial Rooms" and learn the basics such as puzzles and animation.
• Or you can watch our tutorial video.
• Finally, you can also join our dedicated Discord community to ask about anything you might need help with!
• Less is more sometimes! ;)

How do I submit my entry?

Submitting a room for the competition is very easy. Just post a link to your room in the "challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord!

Happy building, artists!

We hope you are as excited about this competition as we are and we cant wait to see all of your amazing masterpieces! Don't forget to join us over on our Discord or our subreddit!

Pine team

[ 2023-03-17 19:04:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Setting up the perfect workspace!

So you managed to outsmart the great Leonardo da Vinci and now you've been thinking about designing your own workshop? Well, you're in luck! As of today, the props from our new free room Leonardo's Workshop are available to use in the in-game Room Editor! As always, we can't wait to see all of the incredibly innovative ways in which the infinitely creative room builders from our community will use these stylish looking assets! We're sure you'll be able to create some true masterpieces with them! Curious about everything included in this room editor update? Then you should definitely join us during our next livestream, in which we'll be going over some of the newly add props and features! And for anyone who's up for a challenge, we will have a special announcement in store for you as well! This livestream will take place later today, March 17 at 7PM CET (now!), so make sure you don't miss out! Tune in via Twitch or right here on Steam! We can't wait to see what all of you will create with the new props and hope to see you during our livestream! In the meantime, if you're looking for a co-op partner or just want to chat about our game, please consider joining us over on Discord or our subreddit!

Pine team

P.S. The Steam Spring Sale has begun and Escape Simulator is currently available with a 25% discount! Go tell your friends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ Changelog:

New props!

• The Leonardo da Vinci room props
• Mirror logic prop
• Hint boxes

Fixes & features:

• No more auto focus on linked props! Use the [F] keyboard shortcut to focus on a selected prop or enable the old setting in the Room Configuration menu.
• Fixed Visibility Activators targeting renderers
• Added a new Steam Tag In-Game Walkthrough which is automatically added on publish to rooms with the new in-game walkthroughs
• Logic props (except for the Lock) can no longer exit zoom on unlock
• Fixed Tags and Walkthrough not saving on exit
• Controller slot interaction on pickable props fixed
• Open File/Folder fixed
• Ingame Walkthrough text can no longer go out of bounds
• Fixed importing display logic from other rooms
• Fixed preview screenshots ignoring some props
• Fixed prop deletion when targeting parent and child props

[ 2023-03-17 17:55:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings, Escape Simulator fans!

Room Editor Update!

Get ready for an exciting update coming to Escape Simulator tomorrow! We're introducing an array of props and items inspired by the renowned Leonardo Da Vinci room, which will be available in the room editor for everyone to use. Unleash your creativity and design custom escape rooms featuring the genius of Da Vinci!

Join us on Twitch tomorrow!

To celebrate the release of this new update, we'll be hosting a livestream tomorrow on our official Twitch and Steam page. Make sure to tune in to see the latest additions in action and learn how to make the most out of these unique Da Vinci-inspired props and items.

Announcing: The New Room Builders Challenge!

During the livestream, we'll also reveal the details of our upcoming Room Builders Challenge! Stay tuned for more information on the challenge theme, submission guidelines, and the amazing prizes up for grabs. See you at the livestream!

Pine team

[ 2023-03-16 17:31:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Do you have the skills to beat this challenge?

It's no secret that Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many skills. Not only was he a masterful painter, but he also took a great interest in many other subjects such as science, engineering, sculpting...and apparently puzzles as well! So with that knowledge in mind, do you think you will be able to outsmart the great Leonardo da Vinci himself? We would definitely like to see you try! If you think you've got what it takes, try solving our new free room Leonardo's Workshop, which is out now! This additional room is part of a free update, which also includes a full translation into Italian! Of course we are also adding another outfit and a soundtrack so you can get fully immersed in the world of Leonardo da Vinci. Finally, this update brings a whole bunch of optimizations to the Room Editor, including faster room loading. A full changelog can be found at the end of this announcement. To celebrate the launch of this new room, you can now get Escape Simulator with a 25% discount! So if you haven't purchased the game yet or want to gift it to a friend, now would be the perfect time to do so! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

Leonardo's Workshop is open for business!

We truly hope all of you will enjoy this brand-new update and we can't wait to hear your thoughts on the new room. Looking for a co-op partner or just want to chat about our game? Then please feel free to join us over on our Discord or our subreddit for more Escape Simulator fun! Make sure to stay tuned in the meantime, because we still have plenty of stuff planned for the (near) future.

Pine team

Full changelog:

New content

• New room. Find all secrets in Leonardo's Workshop!
• New language; Italian. Ciao!
• Expanding your fashion choices with new "Leonardo's Workshop" outfits.

General fixes

• Daily picks evolve in Trending. Displaying the top 6 rooms of the last week.
• Better RAM usage when loading rooms.
• Better handling of wiping systems in "The Office" and "The Elevator".
• Hovering over Slidable now shows a drag crosshair.
• Fixing bug where you couldn't throw some items in slots.
• Fixed some hairs so they are fading in coop mode.
• Better co-op syncing in "The Lab".
• The furnace gate in "The Engine Room" is disabled when opened the first time.

More fixes for the controller:

• General stability.
• Better Slidable handling.
• items popup work with both thumbsticks.

Workshop changes

• Better handling of Activator components in coop levels.
• Added Custom walkthrough for customs levels.
• Remade publish screen.

[ 2023-03-08 17:00:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Get ready for the next big update!

In case you missed it, another free update is coming to Escape Simulator on March 8th! This update will include the brand-new room; Leonardo's Workshop, in which you will need to solve all sorts of puzzles revolving around the legacy of Leonardo da Vinci. As always, we are also including an additional outfit and a soundtrack, so you can get fully immersed in this new setting. Finally, the update also includes a full translation of Escape Simulator into Italian!
We hope you are all looking forward to this update! Looking for some more rooms to play in the meantime? The room builders from our community got you covered! So without further ado, here are our top community room picks for February!

Vikings await!

If you've been keeping up with our monthly picks, then you are probably already familiar with room builder Brengo! Brengo is known to make some incredibly beautiful and atmospheric rooms and Song of the Longhouse absolutely continues that trend! In order to make your way out of the titular longhouse, you will need to delve into Norse mythology and translate ancient runes. Another instant classic!

This house is haunted!

Up for something truly spooky? Be warned, because The Evil House by Lycos is definitely not for the faint of heart! In this community room, you will need to make your way through an abandoned house with a dark and secret past. Chills guaranteed!

What a way to make a livin'!

If you're in the mood for something a bit more light-hearted, then we highly recommend you to check out the latest room by GetOffMyBeard. In Jobville: Working 9 to 5 you will need to solve some SERIOUS problems at your new job. Honestly, who's responsible for causing a flood at the office? It's going to be a long, long day...

A sinister story...

So far, there have been three entries in the 'Kidnapped' series by Green Hand, which tells a mysterious and sinister story. Seeing as it's been a while since the first part originally got published, Green Hand decided to remake it! Kidnapped - Part 1 Remake is a complete reimagining of the original room with new puzzles and even more sinister vibes! If you've been keeping up with this series, you'll definitely want to check this one out.

In the middle of the night

Something Is Wrong is another excellent room by Bartololomeo, who has been consistently putting out great content since the very beginning! In this room, you wake up at 2AM with an uneasy feeling. You're not exactly sure what it is, but something isn't right. In fact, something is very wrong! This community room includes flashing lights, violence and jump scares, so be warned!

See you next week!

That's it for February's monthly picks! We hope these incredible rooms are enough to keep you entertained until Leonardo's Workshop launches next week, but of course there are always more great community rooms for you to check out. In the meantime, you can always join us on our official Discord or subreddit to talk about all things related to Escape Simulator. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-03-02 17:06:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Think you can crack THIS code?

Mark your calendars for March 8th, as we're excited to announce the launch of a brand-new, free room that will put your problem-solving skills to the test. Can you crack the code and outsmart the great Leonardo da Vinci himself? This room will take you on a thrilling journey into the mind of the legendary painter, scientist, and inventor. Do you have what it takes to uncover all of its hidden secrets?

Parli italiano?

We have even more exciting news for Escape Simulator players who prefer to play in Italian. Our next free update not only includes the new Da Vinci room but also features a complete Italian translation. From March 8th, you can immerse yourself in the game entirely in Leonardo da Vinci's native language. Bellissima!

Dress the part and become a true artist!

To fully experience the new room's atmosphere, we've included a new outfit for your character to wear while exploring Da Vinci's workshop. Additionally, a new soundtrack will accompany your journey, adding to the immersive experience. Starting from the launch of the new Da Vinci room on March 8th, the game will be available at a whopping 25% discount - Mamma Mia!
Want to meet and talk to other players or room builders? Feel free to join us over on Discord or Reddit. As always, we're grateful for your continued support and hope you're looking forward to the upcoming free update.

Pine team

[ 2023-02-23 14:00:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's a date!

Don't have any big plans for Valentine's Day just yet? Don't worry, because we've got you covered! On Tuesday, 14 February 2023, we will be hosting the second edition of our Discord Date Night where we will match you up with another person to play Escape Simulator together! All you'll need to do to participate is join our official Discord server and sign up for a specific time slot by reacting to the most recent message in the announcements channel. You can sign up for this event until the 14th of February, 9AM CET after which we will start matching players up. All matches will the be announced on our Discord, so make sure you don't miss out for a fun night of escaping! Don't know which room to play? Well, we've got some great community room suggestions that are awesome to check out for two players!

I spy with my little eye...

If you've been keeping up with our monthly picks, you might already be familiar with You Only Spy Twice by Elkondo. This room is designed to be played by two people, as each player will start a different location and you will need to work together to solve the room. Communication is key here, so let's hope you'll be able to work together! Good luck, spies!

Dating in space!

You know what's even better than solving a mystery? Solving a mystery together...in space! If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, then Nova 501 Mystery by Mx.Extra is the room for you! In this room you will need to find out what happened on board of the Nova 501 Research Station after communication was lost. Are you up to the task?

Light years apart

Finally we've got 2 player Stargate SG-2 by BARDOSY[HUN]. This is another great room in which both players will start at a different location. However, in this case they are actually positioned light years away from each other! One player is located on Earth, while the other is on a faraway planet. Will the two of you be able to get everyone back to Earth safely?

Ready for your date?

We hope these two player co-op room suggestions got you excited for our Discord Date Night! If so, be sure to join our official Discord server today and sign up via the announcements channel! We hope to see you there and we wish you all a happy Valentine's Day in advance!

Pine team

[ 2023-02-10 20:36:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Time for the first monthly picks of 2023!

Are you ready to play some awesome community rooms? Well, you're in for a treat then! January has been another great month in which the room builders from our community have once again greatly contributed to our Steam Workshop! So without further ado, here are top community room picks for January!

They're creepy and they're kooky...

It's about to get mysterious and spooky, because the latest room made by GetOffMyBeard is based on The Addams Family. As it turns out, Uncle Fester trapped Thing in a cage to teach it a lesson and now it's up to you to set Thing free again. However, you'll need to find four keys to unlock the cage! Will you be up to the task at 'hand'?

Something's hiding in the forest!

If you're up for a stroll through a mysterious forest, then Behind The Trees by [Juice Box] is the right room for you! At first, this forest might seem like a magical place, but could it be hiding a dark secret? Things might just get a little eerie, so be warned before entering these woods!

No talking in the library!

Wollo is known to create some incredibly challenging rooms filled to the brim with all sorts of tricky puzzles. This was the case with The Seven Ages of Man and it definitely applies to The Library as well! Chances are high that you're going to need some hints to get through this one! As long as you're reading these hints quietly, you're in a library after all...

Fuzzy, but deadly!

They may look all cute and fluffy, but you don't want to mess with The Four Killer Cats! In this room by Ariel, you will need to find four deadly, vicious and armed killer cats in apartment #28. If you're in the mood for a community room filled humor and some silly jumpscares, then be sure to check this one out!

The return of a veteran room builder!

If you've been playing a lot of community rooms, there's a pretty big chance that you've checked out one of Cico's creations in the past. If you're a fan of his spooky rooms such as Little Emily: Chapter 1&2 and The Motel, then we've got good news for you! Last month, Cico finally returned with a brand new room called Ghostly Report. It's a huge room so you'll probably be trying to escape this room for a long time, if you're up to the task, be sure to check it out!

Stay tuned for more!

And that's it for the monthly picks of January! We hope you'll enjoy these community rooms as much as we did. We've still got plenty of stuff planned for Escape Simulator and we can assure you that thing are about to get really exciting, so be sure to keep an eye out on all of our channels. In the meantime, you can always join us on our official Discord or subreddit to talk about all things related to Escape Simulator. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-02-02 14:34:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Happy New Year!

It's 2023 and we at Pine Studio are ready for another exciting year for Escape Simulator! We hope you all of had a great holiday season and are looking forward to all of the additional content and free room updates we have in store for you. In the meantime, there are still plenty of awesome rooms by our community builders for you to check out! Speaking of which, room builder GetOffMyBeard is currently running a room building contest over on our official Discord in which you can win some Steam Gift Cards and the Wild West DLC. More on that later in this announcement, but first off, here are our top community picks for December!

So many festive rooms!

December is a month of celebration and there was definitely no shortage of Holiday themed community rooms in Escape Simulator! Some of our personal favorites were Santa's Helper by [Juice Box], Visiting Grandma by Marloes and The Grinch Escape Room by GetOffMyBeard. Are you still in a festive mood? Then you should definitely check out some of these holly, jolly escape rooms!

Runaway train!

Of course December also saw the release of our brand new Wild West DLC. GetOffMyBeard decided to put the Wild West assets to good use for his room The Great Train Escape! You can never have enough train themed escape rooms, right? All aboard!

Explore an ancient castle!

Next up, we've got a completely different setting in store for you, because Karakuri Castle by namo_krub takes place in an ancient Japanese castle from the Edo period. This 1000-year old castle was found by a group of explorers and houses many different traps, protecting the gold that's hidden deep inside of the castle walls. Will you be able to get around these traps and find the treasure?

This room will really lift your spirits!

It's just another boring day at the old 9 to 5. Or is it? We hope you're ready for an unexpected adventure, because The Elevator Escape - Floor 1 by MelonVerse will take you on a journey through multiple worlds where you will meet many interesting individuals. Your ultimate goal? To reach the top floor, of course!

Time for a challenge!

And that's it for December's monthly picks! Ever considered building a community room yourself? Well, now is the right time to start! As mentioned earlier, room builder GetOffMyBeard is currently running a room building contest over on our Discord. To participate, you will need to build a room centered around one of your favorite movies or movie franchises. Be sure to join our official Discord for further details. You can also join us on our subreddit to talk about all things related to Escape Simulator. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2023-01-05 18:50:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

The holidays are almost here!

As the end of the year approaches, we wanted to bring you one final update to truly round out 2022 in style. In case you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, consider giving the gift of Escape Simulator - it's 25% off during Steam's Winter Sale! Now sit back, relax, and get into the festive spirit with us!

Final update of the year!

First off, as of today a new update is available which adds new holiday props to the room editor! This means room builders will now be able to make their Christmas rooms even more festive than before! Additionally, the update fixes several know bugs and issues.

• Hanging props spawning position fixed
• Added wild west lock numbers
• Chandelier material fix
• Some wild west prop icon fixes
• Several other small fixes

We hope this latest update enhances your Escape Simulator experience even further!

Pine Studio's Cozy Christmas Stream

Getting into the Holiday Spirit already? If so, then you should definitely join us for Pine's Cozy Christmas Stream tonight at 10:30 PM (CET) / 1:30 PM (PT)! During this stream, we will tell you everything about the new update, share some information about the future of Escape Simulator and to top it all off, you can join in on our Comfy Cozy Christmas Quiz in which you can win awesome prizes! The stream will take place on our official Discord server which you can join right here. We hope to see you there!

Sneak peek 2023

We still have plenty of stuff planned out for 2023, so we hope all you will continue to look forward to that! In the meantime, we would already like to share a little sneak peek on what's to come! We are working hard on more free room updates and they will look a little something like this!

Time for a small break!

That's all for Escape Simulator in 2022! We hope you've enjoyed the game and all the updates we've brought you this year. We're taking a short break to recharge, but we'll be back on January 2nd with even more of Escape Simulator! Be sure to join our Discord for some early holiday celebrations. Happy holidays from the Pine team

[ 2022-12-22 18:20:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Yee-haw! We're excited to announce that we've added a whole lasso of Wild West props and items to our Escape Simulator room editor. Now you can saddle up and create your very own saloon, bank heist, or dusty old western town. These new props are available to ALL players (with or without the DLC), so don't be a chicken and give 'em a try! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ Get help with the room editor and send us your creations on Pine Discord!

Changelog:

• Added the Wild West props!
• Fixed the house not winning in The Saloon
• Fixed sound positioning for preset 3D sounds
• Added a plant category for props
• A few more smaller fixes

Pine team <3

[ 2022-12-15 20:37:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Wild West DLC has arrived!

Wait, we're almost halfway through the month already? Where does the time go? Well, all of us at Pine Studio have been incredibly busy with all of the preparations for the launch of the Wild West DLC of course! In case you missed it, this new DLC featuring four brand-new rooms came out on the 8th of December and is now available! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC To celebrate the release of the Wild West DLC, Escape Simulator is currently on sale with a 25% discount! What better way to surprise one of your friends during the Season of Giving? This sale lasts until December 15th, so be sure you don't miss out on this deal and grab it ! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ Now, without further ado, let's have a look at four of our favorite community rooms published in November!

A magical journey...

MelonVerse is back with a brand-new room filled to the brim with (dark) magic! In The Horcrux Hunt Part 1 you will need to track down and destroy two horcruxes that are hidden away in a store full of curious artefacts related to the dark arts. Do you think you can find them in time? The future of the wizarding world depends on it!

Past, present and future!

Next up, we've got another excellent room by Brengo! In Plastic Paradox, you're asked to investigate an anomaly discovered in a suburban home. After finding a strange device, you stumble into a time-distorted mess that will take you across multiple different eras. Now it's up to you to solve this paradox!

I spy with my little eye...

Have you always wanted to be a secret agent? Then you should definitely try out The Spy Escape by GetOffMyBeard! In this room, you play as a secret agent working for the Secret Agent Service D.E.P.T. You need to get to your next training, but first you have to find your way out of the spy bunker. Are you up for the task?

Stay out of the dark!

Something really mysterious is going on in Kidnapped - Part 3 by Green Hand. As implied by the title, it is the third part of the Kidnapped series and continues the plot that was established in Part 1 and 2. In the latest part of the series, it seems that you're making a series of dark discoveries about yourself. Be warned though, because you might be in for a fright with this one!

Happy holidays!

And that's it for November's monthly picks! As we are counting down the days until 2023, we would like to once again thank all of you for your amazing support this year. We've still got a couple of things planned for December, so be sure to keep an eye out on our channels! In the meantime, feel free to join us on Discord or Reddit to talk about all things Escape Simulator! Happy holidays, everyone!

Pine team

[ 2022-12-13 15:57:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

We fixed multiple issues and bugs in Wild West DLC. Here's a list of most important ones:

• Fixed Chinese translation for the Faro table
• Changed token location for the safe one
• Fixed some physics issues
• Fixed hints in the Saloon
• More visible "dead bet" note in the Saloon room
• Fixed issues with colliders.
• Some important items now respawn if lost
• Added a few missing names
• Polished a few interactions

Thank you all for playing! <3 Pine team

[ 2022-12-12 15:47:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Full changelog:

Added Wild West DLC

Various Fixes

• Added rich presence for Graveyard and 70s Room
• Loading to the second Tutorial room shouldn't freeze the game
• Fixed UI glitches on Publish popup window
• Items should not appear on top of options anymore
• Turnable speed is now consistent on any FPS
• Several fixes for French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish
• Improve chat profanity filter: no longer as aggressive as before
• Added option to disable profanity filter
• Fixed turnable pieces and other pieces being pickupable
• Removed memory leak when loading multiple levels in one session
• Fixed bug where UI behind interactive object would take input
• Added more skin colors
• Fixed Santa's hat and Twitch's hat not being visible
• Added more bugs for later fixing ^^

Co-op

• Characters' colors in a co-op are much more consistent
• Fixed scales in co-op
• Fixed zoomable in co-op
• Stop the timer when disconnected in the co-op
• Voice beta tag removed

Level Fixes

• Redesigned zoetrope puzzle in Lost Spirits
• Fixed eraser in The Office
• Fixed mop in The Elevator
• Fixed hints on The Office, Executive Office, and Cats in Time
• Fixed throttle in The Helm
• Pipes eventually sync if they desync in Space Walk
• Fixed cannons staying open after firing in The Crew Quarters

Controller

• Fixed look achievements with controller
• Better dial handling on the controller
• Better joystick handling on the controller
• Fixing UX and UI for the controller
• Added trail when moving the cursor with the controller
• More solid interactions with "A" and "RT".
• Two thumbsticks are interchangeable in various interactions

Room Editor

• Fixed transparent plane repeats edge pixels
• Only one matryoshka doll
• Custom skybox seams fixed
• The download texture button no longer overwrites old images
• Fixed the 'Open UGC Folder' button for Mac
• There are no longer weird lit lines in workshop levels

[ 2022-12-08 17:37:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Yeehaw! The new DLC is here!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ We hope you're ready for a rootin'-tootin' escape adventure, because the Wild West DLC is out now! The Wild West DLC features four additional rooms: The Sheriff's Office, The Saloon, The Bank and the Post Office and The Train. Of course, you'll need some matching clothes to fit the occasion, so the DLC also includes two new outfits. Will you dress up as a sleek sheriff or a rugged outlaw? The choice is yours! Ready to embark on this new adventure? Don't wait a minute longer and purchase the Wild West DLC right here! YEEHAW!

All cleaned up!

Bugs are pesky little things, aren't they? Before you know it, you have an infestation on your hands. Obviously, no one wants that for Escape Simulator! That is why all of the bug reports and general feedback we receive from our community is always extremely valuable to us. Over the past few weeks, we have been working hard to address as many of your reports as possible. To make sure you get the fully optimized Wild West experience, we are also releasing an additional update today. This update should fix a great amount of known bugs and issues. Through this update, we hope to enhance the Escape Simulator experience even further. It is of great importance to us that anyone who supports our game gets to fully enjoy Escape Simulator as it was intended. You can find a full overview of the different bugs that were addressed right here.

Come hang out with us!

To celebrate the release of the Wild West DLC, we are doing another Escape Simulator livestream today at 8PM CET! We'll be answering any questions you might have about the new DLC. Additionally, we will announce the two lucky winners of the Wild West DLC fanart contest! Be sure to tune in and come hang out with us on Steam, Twitch or YouTube!

Stay up to date!

We still have a lot more exciting things planned for Escape Simulator, so be sure to keep an eye out on our channels for future updates! Can't get enough of the game and want to talk to other players or room builders? Then please consider joining our official Discord or subreddit! In the meantime, we want to thank all of you once again for your ongoing support. We hope everyone will enjoy these four new rooms and we can't wait to hear what you think!
All aboard the hype train!

Pine team

[ 2022-12-08 17:12:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Can we count on your vote?

The Steam Awards 2022 have officially kicked off! While Escape Simulator has been out for over a year now, our game is still eligible for a nomination in the Labor of Love category. This category was established to reward games that are still being nurtured after the initial release date. Over the past year, we have put in a lot of work to continually expand upon the base game. So far, we have added nine free rooms, greatly improved the room editor and released the additional Steampunk DLC. We still have several free rooms in development and we are also releasing the Wild West DLC on December 8th, which you should definitely add to your wishlist! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ So if you want to show us some additional love and support, please consider nominating Escape Simulator for this category. It would truly mean a lot to all of us here at Pine Studio!

Get cozy with Escape Simulator this Autumn!

Want to play Escape Simulator with one of your friends, but they haven't gotten around to purchasing the game just yet? Well, have we got news for you! Escape Simulator is part of the Autumn Sale, which means you can currently purchase the game with a 25% discount right here! Additionally, the Steampunk DLC is also currently on sale, so if you haven't boarded the Valor yet, now would be the right time!

Feeling creative?

Can't wait for the Wild West DLC to arrive on December 8th? Neither can we! That's why we are currently running a fanart contest. We will be selecting two winners who will each receive two keys for the Wild West DLC on the release date! Entries can be submitted until December 5th on our official Discord or subreddit. More information about the contest can be found here. We can't wait to see what all of you will submit!

Pine team

[ 2022-11-23 15:29:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's almost Christmas, y'all!

Howdy, pardners! It's the most wonderful time of the year! Why? Because the Wild West DLC is coming out on December 8th! And yeah, also because it's almost Christmas of course. With these two joyous events coming up very soon, we were wondering to ourselves: What would a Christmas celebration look like if it took place in the Wild West? With that in mind, we would like to challenge all of you to get creative with this idea in our very first Escape Simulator fanart contest! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC For this fanart competition, you are free to express your interpretation of a 'Cowboy's Christmas' through any art form of your preference. Whether that means you want to make a painting, write a song, design an escape room or put together an interpretative dance routine! The choice is up to you! Of course, the two most creative and original entries will not go unrewarded! By participating in this fanart contest, you'll get the chance to win two keys for the Wild West DLC. Entries will need to be submitted before December 5th on our official Discord or subreddit. The winners will be announced on December 8th. Please note that submitted entries may be shared on our various social media channels. PS. If you haven't already, make sure to wishlist the Wild West DLC on the official store page right here!

[ 2022-11-21 16:00:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Giddy-up!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ We hope you're ready for a brand-new adventure, because the Wild West DLC is coming out on December 8! This DLC will take you on an rootin'-tootin' journey across four new settings that should feel very familiar to anyone who's ever watched a classic Western film: The Sherrif's Office, The Saloon, The Bank and Post Office and finally The Train. If you haven't already, be sure to wishlist right here!
In addition to the new rooms, there are a few more bonuses that come with this DLC! First off, you'll get more outfits for your character to wear! Will you be a sleek sheriff or a rugged outlaw? The choice is yours! Additionally, the DLC comes with four new tracks to accompany each of the Wild West rooms.
Finally, the assets used in these rooms will be freely available to use in the in-game room editor for everyone!. That means you'll be able to build your very own Wild West room, whether you own the DLC or not! We can't wait to see all of your awesome creations!
We can't wait for all you to check out all of the new content when the Wild West DLC launches on December 8. We hope you're as excited as we are! In the meantime, do be sure to wishlist the game on the official store page. Want to share your excitement with other Escape Simulator players? Then please consider joining us over on Discord or Reddit. YEEHAW!

Pine team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/

[ 2022-11-09 16:10:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's about to get WILD!

If you've been keeping up with our news updates, you might have noticed that a lot of cool stuff happened in October. First and foremost, we announced the next big DLC for Escape Simulator, which is entirely set in the Wild West! This DLC pack is set to release in December, so if you haven't already, be sure to wishlist it right here! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ But that wasn't all, because we also announced the winners of the 48-hour Build-A-Thon, released a new Halloween room AND celebrated Escape Simulator's one year launch anniversary! Finally, the community room builders have once again been working hard to publish some incredibly creative community rooms. As always, we selected four of our favorites for you to enjoy. So without further ado, here are our monthly picks for October!

Second nature

Are you up for some tricky puzzles involving nature? Then you should check out The Naturalist by Citron Vert! In this cleverly designed room, you're trying to get hired by a naturalist. However, in order to get the job, you will need to prove your worth first! Can you do it?

Trick or treat!

The spooky season might be over, but perhaps we can still interest you in another bone-chilling Halloween room? All Hallows' Eve by Tarmo is not for the faint of heart, but it's a great room if you're in for a fright! It might seem like a regular night of trick-or-treating, but there's definitely more going on here. Be warned!

To the saloon!

Can't wait until the Wild West DLC launches in December to visit a saloon? Then we would highly recommend you to check out Wild West Escape by GetOffMyBeard! This excellent community room features some very interesting puzzles that require logic and wits. Also, we hope you've brushed up on your poker skills!

Lost in the jungle

Wait, another room by Tarmo? Yes! Because who doesn't love to go on a great adventure? We sure do! In Aztec Jungle: The Temple, you'll have to solve a series of intricate puzzles while exploring an ancient temple. Your goal is to protect the course of history from time pirates who are threatening the timeline. No pressure.

More Escape Simulator?

Can't get enough of Escape Simulator? Want to meet other people to play the game with or are you interested in building your own rooms? Then you should consider joining us on Discord or Reddit! We'd be more than happy to welcome you to our community and we hope to see you there. Thanks again for all of your support and be sure to let us know which community rooms from October you enjoyed the most in the comment section below!

Pine team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/

[ 2022-11-04 22:59:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Another update?

That's right! Today we're rolling out another update for Escape Simulator with some additional features! This update includes new options for both room builders and puzzle solvers, so there's a little something for everyone. But before we get into the new stuff, we would like to remind you that both Escape Simulator and the Steampunk DLC are currently on sale! This sale lasts until November 1st, so be sure you don't miss out on any sweet deals. More info can be found on our store page right here!

Build your own spooky room!

Always wanted to build your own Halloween room? Well, now you can! The Halloween props that were used in our brand-new Graveyard room are now available to use in the room editor! That means you are now free to use our tombstones, carved pumpkins and spooky fences. We can't wait to see all of your creations!

A groovy new outfit!

We're going back to the 70's again! In case you missed it, we recently released an additional free room that is entirely centered around the grooviest decade of them all. However, to truly dive back into the 70's, you'll need an appropriate outfit as well. Well, we've got you covered! We're adding a new customization option that will really take you back in time!

Even more coming up!

Of course we still have a whole bunch of awesome stuff planned for the game! First and foremost, we have a new Wild West DLC coming up, which is set to release in December. If you haven't already, make sure to wishlist here! Additionally, we still have more free rooms coming up as well, so be sure to keep an eye out on our channels for more updates and announcements. Finally, if you would like to meet and talk to other players and room builders, feel free to join us over on Discord or Reddit. In the meantime, thanks again for all of your continued support!

Pine team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/

[ 2022-10-31 17:42:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Things are about to get spooky!

We hope you're ready to solve some more tricky puzzles, because the Halloween update for Escape Simulator is OUT NOW! This update features a brand-new room set in an eerie looking graveyard. Will you be able to solve its many mysteries? To really add to the spooky vibes, the new Graveyard level is accompanied by a special soundtrack! But wait, you didn't think we'd let you celebrate Halloween without a matching outfit, right? Of course not! That's why the Halloween update also features a new customization option that allows you to turn your character into a ghostly version of itself! We also did more than 600 fixes and quality-of-life improvements for the game. You can read the whole changelog below. We hope you will all enjoy this free update to celebrate the month of Spooktober! In case you missed it, we recently announced the next big DLC for Escape Simulator as well. The Wild West DLC is set to release in December, so make sure to wishlist it! This way, you'll receive a notification as soon as it's out. In the meantime, feel free to join us on our official Discord or Reddit to talk about all things Escape Simulator. Hope to see you there!

Pine team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/

Full changelog:

New content:

• Brand new haunted room: Graveyard.
• You have the option to be a ghost in multiplayer levels!

Rooms fixes:

• 70's Room: Fixed polaroid flash.
• The Engine Room: Fixed using fire extinguisher with a controller.
• The Top: a rotating object should feel better in singleplayer and multiplayer.
• The Elevator: there is a reset button for the circular puzzle in case you get stuck.

Lua:

• Better error handling, the log will show on what line the error occurred
• Added support for Slidables in Lua Lua fixed can't enter negative indexes for locks

Room Editor:

• Introducing the all new prop behaviour The Slidable
• Added button to fix workshop item id in the publish room menu
• Controller slot interaction should work better
• Pickables now work on zoomables
• Fixed crashing on copy/duplicate and undo
• Unlock input on locks should now work for continuous and fixed locks
• Fixed importing a display prop with textures breaks the room
• Only the display logic prop needs the transparent order offset checkmark
• Custom models material fixes
• Fixed laser effect rendering on screen
• Sounds shouldn't continue on loading next episode
• Fixed finish screen exit room buttons
• Keypad prop reset button fixed

Other features & fixes:

• There is a new news section. It will display important updates to the game.
• Better controller handling.
• Better controller slot interaction.
• Voice chat is now much more reliable.
• Proximity chat is now working properly.
• Fixed a bug where removing an item from inventory could crash the game.
• Fixed placement of the held item on all camera FOVs.
• filtered chat messages are no longer just ignored
• Item can no longer be pinned during animation.
• There are avatars in UI showing who is speaking in voice chat.
• Sliders have been improved across the game. They should feel better in singleplayer and are synced better in multiplayer.
• 617 commits of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements!

[ 2022-10-25 17:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Happy birthday to us!

Wow! Has it really been this long? Where does the time go? We can hardly believe it ourselves, but it's definitely true. As of today, Escape Simulator has officially been out for an entire year already! And what a year it has been for all of us at Pine Studio!
To celebrate the first anniversary of Escape Simulator, we're looking back at everything that has been achieved so far, while also giving you a sneak peek of what's yet to come. Join us for another dev update and feel free tell us your favorite memory of the game so far in the comment section down below! If you do so, and give this a announcement a like, you might win a key for our upcoming DLC (once it's out) !

The journey so far...

When Escape Simulator first released one year ago, the base game featured 15 rooms spread out across three different themes. So far, that number has been increased to 23 and we still have more free rooms planned! Five of these were part of the Omega Corporation update and of course we also added three extra rooms: Santa's Workshop, Cats In Time and the recently released 70's Room. Additionally, we released the Steampunk DLC back in June and we just announced a second DLC as well! More on that in a bit! Of course, Escape Simulator also owes a lot to its incredible community! That's why we want to give a massive shoutout to all of the builders who keep surprising both us and all other puzzle fans with awesome content. So far, there are already over 3000 published rooms to check out on the Steam Workshop! We also loved to see all of the excellent entries we received during the three different builder competitions that took place so far. Of course our room editor has also gone through a lot of changes since the initial release. A whole bunch of new features have been added, with the Room Editor 2.0 update being our biggest update to the editor so far. As you might recall, that update featured the addition of new lighting options, scripting with LUA, a model importer and many more quality of life tweaks. Finally, we are happy to say that Escape Simulator is now playable in a grand total of twelve languages, eleven of which have been added post-launch! We have also added gamepad support, so you can play the game however you want. We were astounded to the see game reach over ONE MILLION players and we hope you'll stick with us for even more escape fun! Now, are you ready for a sneak peek on the future of the game?

...and what lies beyond!

So if you've been keeping an eye on this channel, you might already know that a second DLC is coming to Escape Simulator! Last week, we announced the Wild West DLC which is set to release in December! If you haven't already, be sure to wishlist it to receive a notification as soon as it's available! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/ Can't wait that long? No worries, we've got you covered! In order to celebrate the SPOOKY SEASON , we are adding a free Halloween room to the game next week! This update also comes with an additional outfit and a new music track to match the eerie vibes. We still have at least two more free rooms in development, so please continue to look forward to those as well!
Thanks again for all of the support you provided over the past twelve months! We couldn't have done it without all of you!

Pine team

[ 2022-10-19 14:27:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Trick or treat!

No, this definitely isn't a trick! In honor of the spooky season, we are treating you all to another brand-new room that's coming to Escape Simulator next week! This time around, you will need to escape from an eerie looking graveyard which may or may not be haunted. We hope you've got nerves of steel! This room will be added to the game as a free update, so that everyone will be able to join in on the Halloween festivities. But wait, All Hallows' Eve isn't complete without a good outfit, right?

Too spooky for me!

Yes, of course we're also throwing in an additional outfit for you to wear. You best start believing in ghost stories, because you're in one! Or better yet, you can become a ghost yourself with this new customization option. So go out there and make sure to give your friends a good scare!

Happy Halloween!

As you might know, we still have a bunch of new rooms in the works, so please continue to look forward to that. If you would like to talk more about Escape Simulator, please consider joining us over on Discord or Reddit. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy this new room when it drops next week and we wish you all a spooktacular Halloween!

Pine team

PS. Don't forget to wishlist Wild West DLC: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC/

[ 2022-10-18 15:49:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Are you ready to explore and escape the Wild West? A new DLC is coming to Escape Simulator! This DLC will contain 4 new rooms, which will all sound familiar to any outlaw that plays the game; The Sheriff's Office, The Saloon, The Bank and Post Office and finally The Train. Sounds like you will be the star in your own Western movie with this DLC, so giddy up and get ready to escape the Wild West! [previewyoutube=vp8TCQFR0A0;full][/previewyoutube] The Wild West DLC will be available this December and will contain additional content besides the 4 new rooms! It will have 4 new tracks to accompany each room and youll have more outfit options as well! Do you wanna be a sleek sheriff or a rugged outlaw? The choice is yours! Of course for the room builders, this will mean that you can now make your own Western inspired room as well! We cant wait to see what you all make! Be sure to wishlist the DLC now so youll be notified when its out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175260/Escape_Simulator_Wild_West_DLC Pine team

[ 2022-10-11 14:58:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Congratulations, winners!

Build-A-Thon '22 has been officially wrapped up! We just announced the three winning rooms during our livestream. In case you missed the event, you can still check out the recorded version right here. Now without further ado, here are our three lucky winners!

• The Legend of the Golden Bread by Bartololomeo
• Quantum Conundrum by Leo
• The Projectionist by Duc

[previewyoutube=SJRv30Z7JYo;full][/previewyoutube] Congratulations from all of us at Pine Studio! We were all greatly impressed by the amount of variety between all of the rooms that got published. It was really fun to see how each room builder used their own interpretation of the 'Lost Artifact' theme within a tiny room of only 1x1. All three winners will receive a Mystery Pine Box, the contents of which will still remain a secret for now.

Pine team

PS. We didn't forget about the "special announcement," but we need a few more days to prepare it.

[ 2022-10-06 19:52:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's time for the Builders' Awards!

In case you missed it, we held a Build-A-Thon event on the 17th and 18th of September. During this Build-A-Thon, some of the most dedicated builders from our community created a tiny room within only 48 hours. The theme they had to work with? Lost Artifact! After a first nomination round, we announced ten final contenders for all of you to vote on. Today we will be announcing the three winning rooms during a livestream that you will be able to check out on Steam, Twitch and YouTube. Additionally, we will be making a special announcement during the livestream. So if you want a sneak peek on what the future of Escape Simulator will look like, be sure to join us! The fun will begin on October 6th at 9PM CEST. We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2022-10-06 19:25:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Wrapping up September

September has been another great month for Escape Simulator! In case you missed it, we released our brand new 70's room. This room is part of a free update that also includes several new features and tweaks to the room editor. You can read all about this new update right here!
Additionally, a Build-A-Thon took place during which the room builders from our community had to make a tiny 'Lost Artifact' room within only 48 hours. Last week we announced our ten nominees right here and you can still vote for your favorite rooms until October 5, 6PM CEST. Voting can be done via the Google Form found here. The three winners will be announced during our livestream on Twitch, YouTube and here on Steam. Be sure to tune in, because we will also be sharing a special announcement! Finally, September also saw the release of many great new community rooms! So without further ado, these were some of our favorites!

Very underground

The Subway Heist is yet another great room by GetOffMyBeard known for The Space Escape. In The Subway Heist, you're playing as someone named Mickey who's part of a big heist. Your task is to ensure a safe getaway through the subway. Will you be able to make your escape?

Check for prints!

In Paperback Predicament by Brengo, you're finishing some simple assignments for your boss at a printing workshop. Sounds like this should be an easy enough task, right? However, not everything might be as it seems. Go try it out to find out what's really going on here!

An aquatic escape

Under The Sea is another beautifully atmospheric room by Duc. As the title of this room implies, it takes place in the deep, murky depths of the sea. Be sure to have a good look around, because you'll spot plenty of aquatic flora and fauna here!

A devilish sequel!

If there's one room we've been looking forward to for quite some time now, it has to be The Devilish Diorama 2 by Zesty Mordant. It's a full-blown sequel to one of our all-time favorite rooms and features some excellent voice acting by Twitch streamer Murkked. Once again, this room is filled to the brim with dioramas that will directly affect your surroundings. Be sure to check out this devilishly tricky room!

It's a wrap!

And that's it for our monthly picks of September! We would once again like to thank all of the dedicated builders from our community for all of your creativity and hard work. If you haven't already, be sure to join us over on Discord and Reddit to talk about all things Escape Simulator. We hope to see you all during the Build-A-Thon livestream!

Pine team

[ 2022-10-03 16:42:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Drum roll please!

On the 17th and 18th of September, we asked the room builders from our community to build a tiny room within 48 hours. This means they were only allowed to use one single space on the grid of the in-game room editor. The theme they had to work with? Lost Artifact! A grand total of twenty room builders participated in this Build-A-Thon. Out of the twenty rooms that got submitted, we have selected ten of our personal favorites for you to vote on. Please note that the following nominees are in random order. So without further ado, here are our ten nominees!

• The Rotating Room by Mumbo
• The Projectionist by Duc
• The Box in the Basement by Not a Driller
• The Broken Device by Citron Vert
• The Legend of Golden Bread by Bartololomeo
• Toilet Escape by Asahi
• Quantum Conundrum by Leo
• The Big Reveal: Bastet Cat by Franch
• The Mystery Box by Elkondo
• Bastet Obelisk by namo_krub

Congratulations to everyone who got nominated! There were a lot of really great entries, so the selection process definitely wasn't easy. We want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in this event. You all did an excellent job!

But wait, now what?

Now that we have ten nominees, it's up to all of you to select three winners! In order to vote for your favorites, we would like to ask all of you to rank each room via the Google Form found right here. The top three builders will win our illusive Mystery Pine Box. Voting ends on October 5 at 6PM CEST, so don't wait too long! We will officially announce the three winners during a livestream on October 6, so we hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2022-09-29 17:48:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

- 70's Room visual bug fixes - 70's Room translation fixes - Translation fixes on some levels in Steampunk DLC - More solid monitor selector option - Fixed transparency clipping issue for custom rooms - Better right click movement in the room editor

[ 2022-09-23 12:38:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

- Added missing textures for translations

[ 2022-09-22 17:17:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Peace out!

We hope you like lava lamps and disco balls, because it's time to go back to the 70's. That's right, we're releasing a brand-new room for Escape Simulator today! In order to escape from this incredibly cozy looking room, you'll need to know your way around some 'ancient' technology, such as cassette decks and a very retro game console. So vintage! That's not all, though! The 70's room is part of our latest update, which also contains a whole bunch of additional features for the room editor. We hope you're excited to start using these features, builders! Additionally, this update contains the following tweaks: - Different internal level packing, the game should be smaller on disk. It's about 5GB smaller than before! - New hint system that tracks what puzzle you are playing and gives relevant hints - Localization fixes - Separated settings and save files. Only save is uploaded to cloud save, meaning settings is local to the machine. - Faster performance mode for custom rooms - Disable shadows option has 2x increased FPS in built-in rooms - Chat key is can be rebound to different key - Changed how zooms are calculated, some items are now bigger for better clarity - Better controller support - Better support for breaking hanging objects (plants, mirrors, ...) - Its easier to use slots with controller with new Controller-Slot interaction UX More patch notes can be found right here!

More rooms to check out!

We really hope you'll enjoy this free update and that you'll continue to look forward to even more rooms in the future! We're working really hard to bring a bunch of additional rooms to the game and of course we're always trying to further improve upon the room editor as well. For all things Escape Simulator, please consider joining our dedicated Discord community or come talk to us over on Reddit.

Pine team

[ 2022-09-22 17:15:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Game

- Different internal level packing, the game should be smaller on disk. It's about 5GB smaller than before! - New hint system that tracks what puzzle you are playing and gives relevant hints - Localization fixes - Separated settings and save files. Only save is uploaded to cloud save, meaning settings is local to the machine. - Faster performance mode for custom rooms - Disable shadows option has 2x increased FPS in built-in rooms - Chat key is can be rebound to different key - Changed how zooms are calculated, some items are now bigger for better clarity - Better controller support - Better support for breaking hanging objects (plants, mirrors, ...) - Its easier to use slots with controller with new Controller-Slot interaction UX - Brand oldie-but-goldie room: 70's Room

Room Editor

Features

- Added Cats In Time room props - Added 2 transparency props (the reign of the sticker is over) - Added number, letter and symbol props - Added the Display logic prop - Added a functional keypad prop - Added a button for exporting default prop textures - The 'Finish' logic prop can now be used to load other custom rooms, you can continue your stories through other rooms - Added options on the 'Finish' logic prop for setting the final camera position - Hide props while editing the room with 'H' or 'Shift + H' - Right click on a collection of props and select one by name - Added a 'Use Rigidbody' checkmark to Animations/Buttons to help with physics prop interactions - Added a button for fixing custom texture sizes for better compression - New room option added: 'Require post processing' - Lua activator API added - Teleport, Sound, Fog, Post Processing and Skybox can now be triggered by any value except for zero (enabled by resetting the connection) - Community room lighting option added - Locks now have a reset pin ("R"), target it with any value but zero to reset the lock values to zero (for lua, just target the index with -400) - Locks also now have a master unlock pin ("U"), target it with any value but zero to unlock the lock (for lua, just target the index with -500) - Right click on a prop to show a list of all selectable props under the cursor, change prop names to easily differentiate between props when selecting this way - Logic props that are based on locks (Sound, Fog, etc.) can now be triggered by any number except zero - Added a transparency order offset setting for transparent objects, change this if you want some transparent objects to render in front/back of other transparent objects

Fixes

- Smoother animations in zooms - Visibility Activator delay removed to help with desync - Fixed an issue where Visibility Activators didn't disable all colliders on some props - Fixed issue with importing props from other rooms, references to non copied props are removed - Pickable animations can now be set as slot keys - Animations and buttons can no longer be picked up in zoom without using the pickable checkmark - Fixed a hole in a halloween wall - Fixed ambience sounds not stopping when starting other music sounds - Transitioning to post processing with a disabled color filter now correctly transitions to no color filter - Fixed removing prop links from slots when changing prop behaviour and undo - Fixed reflection change on further away floors and props - Fixed activator triggering for each player on start - Exit zoom is no longer blocked by buttons and animations - Fixed embedded gltf falsely reporting missing models - Slot keys can now have triggers as children - Fixed issue with slot keys disappearing when ejected while in zoom - Fixed Visibility Activator enabling collider renderers on some props -Zoomables can no longer have the pin button - Click and drag selection now targets all props, use alt + click and drag to target only the root parent object - Clone onChange updates now correctly update when animations are completed and not at the start - UI text fixes, some translations and hints added - Rect selection now selects all objects instead of only parents, use ALT + click and drag to only select parents - Fixed pivots for certain props (to see the change replace the old prop with the new version of it)

[ 2022-09-22 15:22:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Don't forget to sign up for the Build-A-Thon!

September has arrived, which means it's almost time for the Build-A-Thon! In case you missed it, Escape Simulator's next room building event will take place from 17-09-2022 00:00 CEST until 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST. Builders will have exactly 48 hours to build a room based on a theme that will be announced shortly before the Build-A-Thon kicks off. More information on the Build-A-Thon can be found here. Ready to join in on the room building fun? Sign up for the event via the Google Form found here. Now that we've got all that out of the way, you could probably do with some inspiring examples of what an excellent community room can look like. Well, the dedicated room builders from our community have got you covered! So without further ado, here are our top community room picks for August!

Can you dig your way out?

We were really impressed by the sheer size of Abandoned Mine by namo_krub, which took us quite a long time to finish! In Abandoned Mine you have to escape, well, an abandoned mine. Pretty obvious, right? However, it's not going to be easy! In order to evacuate safely, you will need to face the mine's many challenges. This includes operating heavy machinery, fixing an elevator and identifying several rocks (or are they minerals?). Will you be able to make your way back to the surface?

It's a masterpiece!

Stroke of Genius is the latest room by Brengo, who you might already know from S.O.S. - An escape room out at sea and the Scientists' Office series. Brengo's latest room takes place in an art gallery which contains four different paintings made my by your recently deceased grandfather. Each painting will take you to a bite sized escape room with its own theme. Together, these four paintings will unravel your grandfather's story bit by bit. An excellent way of compiling several themes into one room if you ask us!

The final frontier!

We're always happy to see new up-and-coming room builders join our community. One new builder to definitely pay attention is GetOffMyBeard! We were really impressed with The Space Escape, which is only the second room they ever published! The Space Escape features a whole bunch of very clever puzzles that we really enjoyed solving and we think you will too! And let's be honest, you can never have enough space rooms, right?

Whodunnit?

If you enjoy some good old film noir, then you should definitely check out Noir in NYC by MelonVerse. For this room, MelonVerse has made excellent use of the recently added color filter, because the entire level is in black-and-white. Noir in NYC also features some excellent voice acting by community member and room builder Robin, which really adds to the room's atmosphere. You're going to need your detective skills in order to solve this murder mystery, so be prepared for some tricky puzzles!

Ready to build?

We hope all of these excellent rooms have inspired you to start building yourself! If they did, why not sign up for the Build-A-Thon right away? If you need help to start your room builder journey, you can also consider joining us over on Discord or Reddit. Thanks again for all of your support and we hope to see you on September 17th when the Build-A-Thon commences!

Pine team

[ 2022-09-01 15:15:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Ready, set, build!

Attention, room builders! The time has finally come for us to announce the next room building event! However, this time around we will be mixing up the formula just a tiny bit! Allow us to tell you what Escape Simulator's very first Build-A-Thon will be all about!

The clock is ticking!

This time around we will need you to work on a much tighter schedule than before! Instead of having the event go on for several weeks, the upcoming Build-A-Thon will last 48 hours! To be precise, the Build-A-Thon will last from 17-09-2022 00:00 CEST until 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST. It will be a race against time itself, but we're sure you'll be able to fully utilize those hours to create something incredible!

How do I sign up for the challenge?

You can sign up for the the Build-A-Thon via this Google form For the upcoming two weeks, you are also abelt to send in your own ideas for themes that everyone will need to work with. Afterwards, the theme we liked the most will be the final theme for this Build-A-Thon and will be announced in our Discord.

Where do I submit my entry?

The submitting form will be shared with the participants right before the start of the Build-A-Thon! For now, we ask you to fill in the sign-up for and share your fun and creative ideas for its theme!

Prizes

Of course the winners of this challenge will not go unrewarded! The three winning entries will get a receive a Pine Studio mystery box! In order to maintain the mystery behind this box, the contents of the box will have to remain a secret for now.

Rules

• Room must be entirely new, no projects that were already in progress
• Room needs to be built between 17-09-2022 00:00 CEST and 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST. Any rooms published after 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST will not be considered.
• Builders must join the Pine Studio Discord theme will be assigned here!
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• You must upload a video walkthrough of your room and a workshop link.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but not resubmit an entirely different room.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! Dont create anything that might be considered offensive in any way or form. No profanity, racism, hate speech etc.

Judging criteria

Rooms will be judged based on criteria such as the quality of the puzzles, level of innovation, visual appeal and more. We will compile a list of ten rooms that will make it to the community voting round. After this list gets published, it will be up to the community to pick three winners. More information on voting will be shared at a later time.

How to make a room

Go to Escape Simulator, "Workshop" button, "Your Rooms," and press "Create". This creates an empty room, and you can start building. To get some help, you can look through "Tutorial Rooms" and learn the basics such as puzzles and animation. Or you can watch our tutorial video. Need some more inspiration? Then you should definitely check out the winners from our previous Build-a-room challenges! Finally, you can also join our dedicated Discord community to ask about anything you might need help with!

See you soon!

So that's it from us for now! You can start sending us your theme suggestions right not via the Google form found here. We can't wait to see what all of you will come up with! See you on the 9th of September!

Pine team

[ 2022-08-25 16:10:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Summer has arrived!

Wait, it's August already? Time really does fly when you're having fun! Speaking of fun, we are currently participating in The Yogcast's Tiny Teams 2022 Festival, which is taking place between August 1 and August 8. To celebrate our participation in this event, both Escape Simulator and the Steampunk DLC are on sale now! Go check out our store page for more info! Now without further delay, it's time for us to announce some more monthly picks! July has once again been a great month for community content and while selecting some of our personal favorites wasn't easy, we hope you will enjoy these recommendations!

Lost at sea

Looking for a short and sweet community room to play? Look no further than S.O.S. - An escape room out at sea by Brengo! This might be one of the most spacious community rooms we've played so far, as it takes place at the open sea! You're the survivor of a shipwreck and you will need to find a way to get back to the mainland. By the way, did we mention that there are sharks around? Good luck!

Spyfall

Do you love espionage? Want to play an awesome community room with one of your friends? If you answered 'yes' to both of these questions, then You Only Spy Twice by Elkondo is the room for you! This room features two different roles, which means you and your co-op buddy will each have a different experience while playing through this room. Don't have a co-op buddy yet? Well, then you will just have to spy another day!

It's about time!

If you've been keeping up with our monthly picks so far, you might be familiar with Klaode's 'Mind Lock' series already. Like previous entries in the series, Back To Now continues to explore the theme of entering someone's mind to fix their memories. Once again, Klaode proves to have a real knack for creating some incredibly clever puzzles. We love to see it!

Open the gate!

Last but certainly not least, it's time for some sci-fi nostalgia! You might remember that back in the nineties, there was this very famous tv show called Stargate. Well, room builder Asahi made a stunning looking room based on that exact tv show! We were incredibly impressed with the sheer amount of detail in Stargate-Escape and on top of that, the puzzles it contains are a lot of fun to figure out. If you haven't already, you should definitely check this one out!

More Escape Simulator?

Well, that officially wraps it up for July, but of course we still have a lot more stuff planned! This includes four entirely new rooms, a whole bunch of updates to the room editor and a new event for our room builders! More information on future updates can be found in our latest dev update! In the meantime, we hope you continue to enjoy Escape Simulator. Thanks again for all of your support!

Pine team

[ 2022-08-02 13:15:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Busy, busy, busy!

Wow, can you believe that it's already been nine months since Escape Simulator was released on Steam? Seeing as it has been a while since our last development update, we thought it would be good to give you a little sneak peek at what we've been working on behind the scenes. We hope you are as excited as we are because there is still plenty of stuff coming up for Escape Simulator!

We heard you like updates!

First off, we're glad to tell you that we still have four additional rooms planned for Escape Simulator! Two of these rooms are already in production, while the other two are currently in the design phase. Each of these rooms will be centered around an entirely new theme which we will reveal later!
More of a room builder than a puzzle solver? No worries, we've got you covered as well! While the in-game room editor recently got its major 2.0 update, that's definitely not the end. We are still working hard on adding even more features and tools for you to build with! We are working on several features: Texture exporter, next level loader, 2 new transparent planes, new sprite display, and many, many more!
Finally, you might wonder if there will be another Build-a-Room challenge soon! Over the past couple of months we received a lot of incredibly valuable feedback from our community in regards to these events. We've been gathering and processing all of this feedback for our next event which will be taking place in September. We will share more information on that soon!

But first, a short Summer break!

As a team, we're proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we are incredibly grateful for our awesome community. However, even we need a break sometimes, which is why Pine Studio will be off on vacation for the next two weeks. Hopefully, after that, we will once again be completely energized to bring you even more content and updates! We hope you all have a great Summer vacation and we will see you soon!

Pine team

[ 2022-07-28 17:12:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's been an exciting month!

Wow, July already? Where does the time go? Summer has arrived, which can only mean one thing: Steam Summer Sale! You can still get Escape Simulator with a 25% discount until July 7, so be sure to tell all your friends! June was once again an incredible month for all of us here at Pine Studio. Not only did June see the release of the new Steampunk DLC, but we also released the free Room Editor 2.0 update, which provided room builders with a whole bunch of new tools to play around with! Speaking of room builders, June was also a great month for new community rooms! So without further ado, here are our monthly picks for June!

Look who's inside again...

Did you know that it took room builder Franch over 600 hours to create his very first room INSIDE: Escape Simulator Edition? Yeah, we were quite impressed too! The result? An incredibly fun and original room based entirely on Bo Burnham's comedy special Inside. Franch even went as far as to record cover versions of the songs featured in said comedy special. Whether you're familiar with the source material or not, we can confidently say that you definitely need to check this one out!

Get ready for more mind-bending puzzles!

If you ever played any of the rooms from Klaode's 'Mind Lock' series, you probably already know what you can expect from The Path of Memories! The Path of Memories is the fourth instalment in this mind-bending series. You will once again have to enter the mind of someone suffering from memory loss in order to try and restore their memories. Up for some very intriguing puzzles? Then this one's for you!

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Want to know what makes the Escape Simulator room building community so incredibly awesome? The fact that the builders from this community are always glad to help each other out and even collaborate on projects! The biggest example of such a collaboration so far? Why, The Collab: Boardgames of course! For this community room, twelve builders all made their own individual rooms which then combined to make one big room. All of these separate rooms are based around one central theme: Board games! We love this initiative and would really like to see more collaborations like these!

All the world's a stage...

We're pretty sure everyone has heard of William Shakespeare before, but how familiar are you with his work? Well, The Seven Ages of Man is based entirely on a monologue from Shakespeare's As You Like It. In this room by Wollo you will be going through the seven titular stages of man, from infant to old age. It features a series of seriously tricky puzzles, so be sure to give this one a try if you're up for a challenge!

Who's the best? You're the best!

So that's it for our monthly picks for June, but there are of course many other great community rooms out there! Did you miss any rooms which you think should have made the cut? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below! Finally, we would like to thank all of you for your continuous support. There is still plenty of awesome stuff coming up for Escape Simulator, so we hope you continue to look forward to that! In the meantime, why not join us on Discord or Reddit where you can stay up to date about all things Escape Simulator? We hope to see you there!

Pine team

[ 2022-07-06 09:30:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Crew Quarters

• Fixed cannonballs
• Added water sounds

The Greenhouse

• Fixed sign and flower faces

The Helm Room

• Fixed textures
• Fixed handles

Room editor fixes

• When changing behavior on a prop (button/animation) the prop no longer gets removed from the activator targets
• Dial value counts can no longer be set to 0
• Importing props fixes:
  • Custom models are now copied when imported (but they need some time to load in and the prop isn't refreshed when they load in)
  • Importing audio, scripts and custom model files is blocked if the room is not saved
• Fixed some models not loading paint-overs properly for custom models
• Fixed steampunk walls on new room
• Added a dropdown for the impostorClone update type: Never/OnChange/Always

Other fixes

• Fixed unable to unsubscribe from custom room when the files are deleted locally
• Male/Female character model colliders are now the same size
• Scrollbar snaps to the top when entering workshop rooms menu and when searching
• Fixed activator component desyncs in coop play

[ 2022-06-23 08:36:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Steampunk DLC is here!

It's been been a little more than a week since we officially launched the Steampunk DLC for Escape Simulator! Taking place on a majestic steampunk airship called Valor, the DLC features a total of four new rooms, each of which are bigger than any of the previously released rooms. If you haven't already, you can wishlist the DLC right here! However, maybe you've already purchased and finished the Steampunk DLC! If that's indeed the case, you might just be interested in playing even more awesome rooms to keep that escape mood going! Luckily, our community recently provided just what the doctor has ordered! On that note, we can highly recommend you to check out Escape Simulator's very first mega-sized collaboration room made by a grand total of twelve excellent room builders from our community!

There's no I in team work!

Last month, several room builders from our Discord server were discussing the idea to make one big collaboration room together. This idea eventually came to fruition and resulted in the creation of The Collab: Boardgames. The idea behind this massive project was that each of the room builders involved would create a single smaller area based around a specific board game. Each room builder was allowed to apply their own signature style. In the end, all rooms would get compiled together to form one mega-sized room. If you ask us, the final result speaks for itself! Each area featured in The Collab: Boardgames is a unique little space that serves as a showcase of what you might expect from the creators that made them. Above all else however, we are just floored by the sheer awesomeness of this initiative! It took a lot of planning and resourcefulness for the builder to create and combine all of their creations and we are beyond excited to see that our community members pulled through to deliver this awesome room for you to enjoy! The Collab: Boardgames was made by Citron Vert, Franch, Gav, klov3r, Kusane, LeoWolfbane, MelonVerse, Mumbo, Obvious / Ich, Rawrzee, Thoroniul, Wollo and Zesty Mordant! Great job all of you for putting together this amazing project. We love to see it!

Pine team

[ 2022-06-14 15:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here's one more hotfix patch for the base game, Steampunk DLC and the Room Editor. We did a bunch of smaller fixes but here are the most important ones in 1.0.22752r version: General changelog

• Added an option to remove timers
• Fixed host can start a custom room before all players have installed it

Steampunk DLC fixes:

• Fixed some hint/key item tags and item names
• Removed the trunk fruit from the tree
• S1 lighters can no longer be picked up before solving the puzzle

Room editor changelog:

• Teleport - "change rotation on teleport" checkmark is no longer inverted
• Room title issue with some characters (like %) fixed
• Fixed loading steampunk walls when creating a new room
• Victorian key prop no longer has the unlocking audio when placed on the floor
• Steampunk props - fixed some pivot and collider issues

I would also use this opportunity to say that we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review of Steampunk DLC (and the base game) on the Steam page. It would help us big time! Love, Pine team

[ 2022-06-10 10:21:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Valor has arrived!

If youve been keeping an eye on our channels, you might have noticed that we released the brand new Steampunk DLC last Monday! This DLC takes place on a majestic steampunk airship called Valor and features a total of four new rooms, each of which are bigger than any of the previously released pre-built rooms. Its currently still on sale with a 10% discount, so now would be the best time for you to board the Valor! However, chances are that you have already played through all of the new rooms and are still hungry for more awesome content! Luckily, there are of course plenty of great community rooms that are more than worth your time. In fact, we have once again selected four of last months finest rooms for you to enjoy! So without further ado, these are our monthly picks for May!

A towering achievement!

In Aqueduct Tower by namo_krub you get to explore...well, an aqueduct tower, of course! While wandering through this ancient structure which has been out of operation for millennia, you accidentally get trapped. In order to escape the tower, you will have figure out the mechanics and get it working again. Are you up to the challenge?

Cats can have lasagna, right?

Something strange is going on with Grandma's Kitty! In this room created by Cico, it is your task to feed and take care of your grandmother's many different pets. Sounds easy enough, right? However, it might be trickier than you'd expect! Will you be able to figure out what Grandma's Kitty is secretly up to?

Can you solve this mystery?

Fair warning, Catholic Orphanage is not meant for the faint of heart. In this room by Tarmo, you'll have to solve a mystery which the authorities were unable to uncover. If you're up for something really scary, then this is the room for you!

An epic conclusion!

The Scientists' Office Part 3 by Brengo is the final chapter of the Scientists' Office trilogy. It picks up right where Part 2 left off, so be sure to check out the previous entries in case you haven't played those yet! In this final chapter you enter a realm disconnected from the normal world. Will you be able to save the very concept of science itself?

Up for even more community rooms?

Want to be the first to find out which rooms might be featured in next month's picks? Or perhaps you would like to learn more about how to create your own rooms! Well, if that's the case, you might be interested in joining our official Discord server! Here you'll have the chance to chat with some of the most dedicated room builders from our community and find out about their upcoming projects! It's fun!

Pine team

[ 2022-06-09 15:02:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello explorers! We've listened to your feedback and fixed all critical bugs and issues reported in the last few days. Also, we've added all Steampunk assets to the room editor for everyone to use! The update is now live, and here's a changelog of fixes that we can remember we did:

• Added new Steampunk props for Room Editor
• Loading custom model without images fixed
• Fixed cannon bug in Steampunk 1 (S1)
• Fixed Omega DDR3/PC bug
• Fix not seeing Steampunk image as a client if the DLC is not installed
• Fixed puzzle box bug in S1
• Added reset button sound in S1
• Added better spawn points
• The botanists should be happy with new updated plant names in S3
• Multiple texture fixes in all rooms
• Yellow crystals don't stack with bolts and screws anymore
• Fixed box clipping in S1
• The butterfly in the greenhouse now has a much better path
• The propellers are now ok in the helm room
• The radar doesn't have that one bright button anymore
• The labyrinth in the engine room should work every time!
• The seed shouldn't disappear from anyone!
• Multiple optimizations
• Added more bugs to fix later

If you have any issues please send us via Steam or directly on our Discord. Thank you so much for playing and supporting our work! Love, Pine team <3

[ 2022-06-08 14:10:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

PATCH NOTES

[previewyoutube=UbVeACVMOMY;full][/previewyoutube]

• NEW Steampunk DLC

  
  

• UPGRADE Room editor 2.0

  
  

• Added Light prop, now you can add custom lightning and it comes with better performance!
• Added post-processing prop, change the ambient of your rooms.
• Added zoomable behavior, no more zooming to locks
• Added scripting custom rooms using Lua - More flexible than current setup, but you Lua programming knowledge is required. - Added Custom Drag behavior specifically for scripting. It gives you more control over object interactions.
• Added loading custom models as props, you can create musical instruments using primitive objects or import one from .gltf file!
• UX tweak: Changed from behavior buttons to a dropdown (Button, Animation, Turnable,...)
• Menu UI scale fix for smaller screens
• Added Discord Rich Presence, show others what awesome rooms you are playing

Scripting (LUA)

• scripting props need to be enabled in the room config - only to view them in the menu, doesn't affect loading or saving
• exposed the Vector3 and Quaternion class for static methods
• now it's possible to lua functions to chat so players can trigger them
• access to player IDs + teleport specific players
• importing a lua object should now copy the lua file as well

Custom Models

• collider dropdown added - None/Box/ConvexMesh/ConcaveMesh
• shiny material issue fixed
• cross platform loading of custom models fixed

Other

• new event: LuaCallType.ChatCommand when players write "/something"
• Vector/Quaternion exposed
• new functions for players: getAllPlayers, getLocalPlayer, getClosestPlayer, getMainPlayer
• new function for teleporting: teleportPlayer

[ 2022-06-06 19:46:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

* Fixed search in the in-game workshop not working * Fixed community rooms issue with teleport.

[ 2022-06-06 17:44:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

[previewyoutube=UbVeACVMOMY;full][/previewyoutube]

Four brand new rooms for you to escape from in style!

Get ready to solve a lot more puzzles, because the brand new Steampunk DLC is out now! Featuring four additional rooms that are filled to the brim with all kinds of curious machinery, this DLC is sure to get your gears grinding! To celebrate the arrival of this new content, both Escape Simulator and the Steampunk DLC are currently on sale! Additionally, you can now get all available content directly through the newly available Escape Simulator: Collector's Edition. This bundle is also available if you already own Escape Simulator and will add the content that you don't own yet to your Steam wallet. If you can't wait to board the Valor, then you can get the Steampunk DLC right here! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/26190/Escape_Simulator__Collectors_Edition/ Each room in this DLC represents a different area of the steampunk airship Valor. Your journey through the Valor begins at The Crew Quarters, where you are awoken by a sudden explosion. Youll have to make your way topside by putting out fires in The Engine Room and by taking care of the plants in The Greenhouse. Will you be able to make it to The Helm Room on time and regain control of the airship?

Bring your community rooms to the next level!

In addition to all of the newly available Steampunk content, we are also releasing the free Room Editor 2.0 update today! This update will greatly expand the amount of possibilities for builders to make awesome community rooms! Additionally, builders will also get access to all of the Steampunk DLC assets, regardless of whether they bought the DLC or not. To start things off, the latest version of the Room Editor now allows room builders to add all types of lighting to their rooms! With this feature, youll be able to really crank up the atmosphere in your creations. Additionally, we are adding post-processing options and a brand new model importer! With this model importer, builders are now able to add their own assets to their rooms, which will open up a world of opportunities!
Finally, the new Room Editor also adds a function which allows builders to make use of LUA scripting. Through scripting, builders will be able to modify the properties of their rooms to their own will. Like with the other added functions, we believe this will allow builders to further create rooms that are beyond our imagination! For more information on the contents of the Room Editor 2.0 update, see the patch notes below!

• New Light prop, now you can add custom lighting and it comes with better performance!
• New post-processing prop, allowing you to change the ambience of your rooms.
• New zoomable behavior, no more zooming to locks
• New scripting custom rooms using Lua
• More flexible than current setup, but Lua programming knowledge is required.
• New Custom Drag behavior specifically for scripting. It gives you more control over object interactions.
• New loading custom models as props, you can create musical instruments using primitive objects or import one from .gltf file!
• UX tweak: Changed from behavior buttons to a dropdown (Button, Animation, Turnable,...)
• Menu UI scale fix for smaller screens
• New Discord Rich Presence, show others which awesome rooms you are playing

So whats next for Escape Simulator?

Weve been working hard to continue improving the Escape Simulator experience and theres still a lot more awesome stuff coming up! That said, we are well aware that we couldnt have done any of this without all of your support. We are truly glad to have such a great community and we hope youll continue to enjoy all of the upcoming updates. Currently we are still working on two free additional rooms that will be revealed at a later point, so be sure to keep an eye on our channels for more information! Finally, you can also join our official Discord channel to talk about all things Escape Simulator. See you there?

Pine team

[ 2022-06-06 17:14:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Explorers, are you ready to take to the skies? A brand new Steampunk DLC pack is coming to Escape Simulator next month! In this DLC pack, you will find yourself on the beautiful steampunk airship Valor. This airship is filled with tricky puzzles that will surely put your wits to the test. Youll have to make your way through four brand new rooms featuring all kinds of curious machines. Your adventure begins in your quarters, when you are suddenly awoken by an explosion on the lower decks. In order to prevent a disastrous event, you will need to repair your airship and make your way to the helm room. Will you be able to make it there in time to regain control of your ship?
The Steampunk DLC will be available on the 6th of June for only $4,99/ 4,99! In addition to the new rooms, it also features an exclusive steampunk skin for your character to wear. The estimated runtime for the DLC is around four hours, which means the size of each room is quite a bit larger than all of the rooms that are currently available. Please note that the rooms included in this DLC will only be playable online with players who also own the DLC. Make sure to keep an eye out on all of our channels for more teasers and information! And don't forget to add the DLC to your wishlist! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1942100/Escape_Simulator_Steampunk_DLC Pine team

[ 2022-05-17 13:03:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Fixed Friends invite bug if invite code was not generated
• More optimal loading of large workshop rooms

[ 2022-05-09 18:50:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thanks for joining the HYPE!

First off, we would once again like to thank our incredible community for all of your continuous support! Last Tuesday we rounded up Build-A-Thon #2 and we were of the immensely creative rooms that got submitted. As a small token of our gratitude, we decided to give you all a small preview of what's coming up next in terms of content from our side. So in case you missed that, be sure to check it out right here!
Now without further ado, we present you our top community room picks for April!

This seems vaguely familiar?

In Virtual Intelligence you wake up in a room that bears a striking resemblance to your own bedroom. However, something doesn't feel quite right. To escape this familiar looking room, you will need to solve a series of strange and intriguing puzzles. Virtual Intelligence will put your puzzle-solving skills to the test and was one of two winners of the community award in our HyperX and OMEN Build-A-Room competition!

Nothing beats a good bowl of soup!

The second community award went to An Unprepared Forecast! To escape from this room, you will need to find all of the scattered tiles needed to summon forth your familiar Fern. But before you do that, why not grab yourself a nice bowl of soup? You're going to need it!

A E S T H E T I C

That's right, folks! It's time to go back to the eighties! Well, sort of. We hope you've brushed up on your synthesizer skills for 100% Polyester in which you'll enter a VERY pink vaporwave dreamscape! And if not, you can always just go shopping for some timeless horse shirts.

I find your lack of ESCAPE disturbing...

Star Wars day has already come and passed (May the Fourth be with you, though!), but we can still celebrate! Why not try escaping none other than Darth Vader's Castle! This awesome room will provide you with some very interesting new insights about how the Sith formerly known as Anakin has decorated his humble abode. So cozy!

Still want more to play?

In case you missed it, we also just released an update featuring a brand new room that pays tribute to our previous game Cats In Time! More info on that update can be found here. Additionally, we also just put out a smaller hotfix patch. Of course there are still plenty of other updates coming up, so we hope you continue to look forward to those! In the meantime, thanks again for all of your wonderful support!

Pine team

[ 2022-05-06 14:02:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Lobby creation should now be much more reliable.
• Better voice volume in-game
• Push-to-talk button for controller (L2)
• Fixed issue with climbing on the walls in Corporation room #3
• Fixed missing tutorial image

[ 2022-05-06 07:48:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

To our 1,000,000 players, thank you!

We are both delighted and overwhelmed to share the amazing news that we have officially sold more than 1 million copies of Escape Simulator. We never anticipated our game to reach this amount of success and we are incredibly thankful for each and every one of you! To celebrate this very special occasion, we are glad to announce that as of today, you will be able to play through a new official room! This new room pays tribute to one of the earlier PINE games: Cats In Time!

Can you make it in time?

In the new Cats In Time room, you will need to figure out how to repair Professor Tim Edger's time machine. However, this task won't be easy and you might just run into some strange issues while trying to fix the device. The clock's ticking! Will you be able to finish your task within thirty minutes? To celebrate this milestone, both Cats In Time and Escape Simulator are both 20% off on Steam. Don't miss out on these discounts and make sure to tell all of your friends! [previewyoutube=dze1DmQFDg0;full][/previewyoutube]

What else is new?

Additionally, the latest update comes with a whole bunch of other new features and improvements! First off, Escape Simulator now features in-game voice chat! We know that many of you were waiting for this feature, so we are happy to inform you that you will now be able to hear each other's voices without having to use external software. On that note, you are of course still free to join our official Discord channel if you are in need of a co-op partner! We also added a brand new config screen to the room editor, which features a better option floor colliders and an option to adjust the visibility of both player nameplates and item nameplates. Finally, we added several other improvements to the Room Editor, such as the option to use multiselect all objects in a room, including locks! For the full list of updates, check the changelog below! General updates:

• Texture compression in custom rooms
• You can change the type of compression in options, if you select lower quality, custom rooms will run more smoothly
• Main Menu using less RAM

Multiplayer updates:

• Better disconnecting in coop games
• Offscreen ping indicators in coop games
• Added voice chat

Room Editor updates:

• Brand new room config screen
• You can use better floor colliders option
• When using better floor colliders items respawn in inventory
• Change visibility of player and item nameplates in your rooms
• Added custom texture selection scrollbar
• More tooltips! Every option has a tooltip describing what it does
• Multiselect for everything. Yes, even locks!
• Fixed bug where you couldn't click on items after moving with arrow keys
• UX tweaks for large lists of targets

Get ready for your next challenge!

To wrap things up, we want to once again thank everyone who participated in the HyperX and OMEN Build-A-Room contest and we hope all of you are looking forward to the next challenge. Speaking of which, more information on the next challenge will be shared VERY soon!

Pine team

[ 2022-05-02 13:26:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

And the winners are...

Our Build-A-Room #2 competition in collaboration with HyperX and OMEN has officially come to a close! Missed out on the livestream during which we announced all of the winners? No worries, we will gladly get you up to speed. So without further ado, here are all of the lucky winners of Build-A-Room #2! If you missed the livestream you can watch a recording here: [previewyoutube=8qer1k8Tzlo;full][/previewyoutube] 10. VASEBREAKER Starting off the list is VASEBREAKER by WexCore, who has made it to tenth place! We loved the great 'action' ending of this room and did we mention it features an RGB vase for the real gamers? 9. Escape Simulator Developer Simulator Finally, a room that's all about us! Escape Simulator Developer Simulator by Mc.Rawrzee has earned ninth place! This experience that takes 'meta' to the next level features a great voice-over, smooth gameplay and it's also incredibly funny! 8. Game On! Next up is Game On! by MelonVerse! This room features some really interesting puzzles and a cool story! 7. The Golden Rig The seventh spot on the list goes to The Golden Rig, which was made by Mumbo. Excellent puzzle design is the key phrase when it comes to this room! 6. The Parable of Stanbert What do you get when you put 250+ hours of work into a room? You get The Parable of Stanbert by Khadgar! This room actually features multiple endings and a great, hilarious voice-over! 5. The O.M.E.N. System The fifth place goes to The O.M.E.N. System by Klaode! It features a big robot. What more do you need? 4. The Hyper Adventure We're almost at the top three, but not before we highlight Cico's The Hyper Adventure! This room features an excellent adventure, some great character designs and the story is top notch! 3. The Virtual Prison And the third place goes to The Virtual Prison by Duc! We always love a room with some good voice acting. Additionally, this room made perfect use of the assets, featured some great lore and was just a lot of fun to play through! 2. It's All Led Up To This The runner-up spot goes to It's All Led Up To This by Robin! We really liked both the concept and the execution of this room and it includes some really smart puzzles! 1. The Ominous Obelisk And the grand prize goes to The Ominous Obelisk, made by Zesty Mordant! We were overall really impressed by the great puzzle design, perfect use of the assets, and additional lore. To top it all off, the room includes a well designed hint system and and an excellent save system. Well done and congratulations! And that's everyone! Once again, congratulations to all of the lucky winners! If you were fortunate enough to grab home one of those prizes, make sure to contact us via community@pinestudio.com and we'll inform you on the following procedures!

Honorable mentions!

Of course there were many more great submissions that unfortunately didn't make the final cut. However, we would still like to grant these rooms their time in the spotlight! So if you haven't already, be sure to also check out the following list of rooms! Also, you can pick your favorite from the honorable mentions list and we'll award them "community pick" prize! Vote here: https://forms.gle/nudZfPrZsMMJR6Md9

• An Unprepared Forecast
• The Vanishing of Dr. Wraith
• Mad Gamer Hax
• The Institute of Classic Gaming, Vol. 2
• Streamer Saturday
• Virtual Intelligence

Maybe if you squint hard enough... (_ )

So what's next for Escape Simulator? Well, we've been working hard on our next upcoming room for one! And since we're feeling extra generous today, we thought now would be the right time to treat you to a little teaser! So what do you think? Can you make out what the next room is going to be? Feel free to share your theories about this mysterious new room down in the comment section below!

Pine team

[ 2022-04-26 19:07:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's time to announce some winners!

Join the livestream tomorrow on Tuesday April 26 at 8pm CEST/6pm GMT.

It's time to announce the winners for our Build-A-Room #2 competition in collaboration with HyperX and OMEN! We have picked our top 10 already, and tomorrow we will be livestreaming to show off some of the great entries we received and to share the winners, who will be getting some sweet gaming gear! The goal of the contest was to build the ultimate gaming escape room with Escape Simulators in-game room editor, making use of new assets that represent real-life HyperX and OMEN products. Once again, our talented room builders have knocked it out of the park!

Vote in the Community Choice

It's not only our opinions that matter for the contest - prizes are planned for the Community Choice winner as well! We'll be collecting and tallying your votes as part of the livestream, and we're all very curious about what the community pick will be. Hope to see you there, on Tuesday April 26 at 8pm CEST/6pm GMT! Pine team <3

[ 2022-04-25 13:04:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Gotta keep building!

While the Build-A-Room #2: HyperX & OMEN Gaming Showdown is still ongoing, it is time for us to take a look at some of last month's latest and greatest community rooms! We continue to be amazed by all of the work you put into making these. So without further ado, these are top community room picks of March!

Stranger things have happened, right?

The Devilish Diorama features a series of strange, mind-expanding puzzle rooms and a bunch of compelling boxes. Will you be able to solve all of them, while trying to escape from a quantum neural interface?

Can you save the world from impending doom?

In Clockwork Inc. it is up to you to save the Earth from a highly destructive meteor. In order to achieve this, you will need to fire up an experimental death laser and blast it from the sky. Are you up to the task?

Emily's back...

In the mood for something spooky? Look no further. Little Emily: Chapter II picks up right after the first part and reveals more details about Emily's tragic story.

What time is it?

At Three Thirty tells the intriguing story of a person suffering from amnesia. Their only memory? A time point. 3:30 to be specific. Using highly advanced technology, you dive into the mind of your patient to uncover the secrets behind this mysterious time point. Curious to know what happened at 3:30? Then definitely give this one a go!

What's your favorite community room?

Once again, we want to thank all of you for your amazing support! We really enjoy checking out all of the awesome community rooms, so definitely keep them coming. Did we miss out on any of your personal favorites? Please let us know in the comments down below!

Pine team

[ 2022-04-08 14:30:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

1.0.20872 - Hotfix Release

• Fixed crash with wrong format workshop rooms (stuck on menu screen with % signs)
• Fixed download and unsubscribe buttons
• Egypt - Room #2 - Chamber of the Dead - fixed Scarab puzzle in multiplayer

[ 2022-04-01 14:06:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

THIS IS A RE-STREAM! This livestream on Steam is to celebrate our participation in the SimFest event on Steam and also to talk about the HyperX & OMEN campaign we announced today. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3111431264448532984 In the stream we will cover:

• Highlight the HyperX campaign. How the competition works, what people you can win!
• Show the HyperX assets in-game
• Explain the judging criteria
• Q&A
• If there's time left, play some of our favorite community rooms!

See you tonight! Pine team <3

[ 2022-03-30 15:00:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

This livestream on Steam is to celebrate our participation in the SimFest event on Steam and also to talk about the HyperX & OMEN campaign we announced today. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3111431264448532984 In the stream we will cover:

• Highlight the HyperX campaign. How the competition works, what people you can win!
• Show the HyperX assets in-game
• Explain the judging criteria
• Q&A
• If there's time left, play some of our favorite community rooms!

See you tonight! Pine team <3

[ 2022-03-29 15:34:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

CALLING ALL ROOM BUILDERS! Starting today, Escape Simulator will be collaborating with HyperX and OMEN for a VERY special room building challenge! The winners of this challenge will be rewarded with a variety of products provided by both brands. See the full list of prizes below!
To get a chance of winning these awesome prizes you will need to build the ultimate gaming escape room with Escape Simulators in-game room editor! In order to build this Ultimate Game Room, you will need to make use of a full set of assets that represent real-life HyperX and OMEN products. You can find these assets in the Room Editor. Submissions will be considered if they have been sent in before April 11, 2022 (6PM CEST / 9AM PT / 12PM ET) We aim to announce the winners on Monday, April 25! As we want to play every room thoroughly, depending on the amount of submissions the picking of winners might take longer than expected. We will communicate this in a timely manner if this happens!

Prizes*

• First Place: OMEN 16 laptop + HyperX peripheral range including Cloud Alpha Wireless headset, QuadCast S microphone, Alloy Origins 60 keyboard, Pulsefire Haste Wireless Black mouse, Pulsefire Mat RGB mousepad
• Second Place: Cloud Alpha Wireless headset
• Third Place: QuadCast S microphone
• Fourth Place: Alloy Origins 60 keyboard
• Fifth Place: Pulsefire Haste Wireless White
• Sixth Place: Pulsefire Haste Wireless Black
• Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Place: Pulsefire Mat RGB
• Community Choice: Cloud Alpha Wireless headset + Pulsefire Haste Wireless Black mouse + Pulsefire Mat RGB mousepad

*Prizes are subject to change depending on availability at HyperX and OMEN.

Rules

• Create a game room using (at least one) provided HyperX and OMEN asset.
• To submit a room for the competition, you have to post a link to your room in the "#challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord.
• You can only submit one room. Multiple submissions will not be counted.
• You are allowed to bug fix your room after submission, but not resubmit an entirely different room.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Keep it fun/clean! No profanity, racism, hate speech, sexually suggestive, etc content. Rooms that might be considered offensive in any way or form will be disqualified.

Judging Criteria

Rooms will be judged based on criteria such as the quality of the puzzles, level of innovation, visual appeal and more. See the full list of criteria (and points system) here!

Tips & Tricks

• Go to Escape Simulator, "Workshop" button, "Your Rooms," and press "Create". This creates an empty room, and you can start building.
• To get some help, you can look through "Tutorial Rooms" and learn the basics such as puzzles and animation.
• Or you can watch our tutorial video.
• Need some more inspiration? Then you should definitely check out the winners from our first Build-a-room challenge!
• Finally, you can also join our dedicated Discord community to ask about anything you might need help with!

How do I submit my entry?

Submitting a room for the competition is very easy. Just post a link to your room in the "challenges" channel in the Pine Studio Discord!

Join our livestream today!

Today (March 29) we will have a special livestream with live Q&A so you can ask anything and everything about this competition or other Escape Simulator related questions! The stream starts at 8pm CEST/11am PDT/1pm CDT. Hope to see you there!

Happy building!

We hope you are as excited about this competition as we are and we cant wait to see all of your amazing creations! ------------------------ Also, a new small update is out now!

Changelog:

• New Gaming assets for room editor featuring HyperX and Omen products
• Networking has more fail checks, which can result in error screens instead of game crashes
• Co-op fix where you could stay zoomed in but the item disappears
• Support for multiple controllers connecting and disconnecting
• "Metaverse" co-op fixes
• "Space Walk" translation fixes
• Room editor duplicate room bug fix when changing languages
• Room editor room renaming bug fix

Pine team <3

[ 2022-03-29 13:18:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

New stuff in the game New Gaming assets Fixes Networking has more fail checks, you could get error screens instead of game crashes Coop fix where you could stay in zoom but the item disappears Support for multiple controllers connecting and disconnecting "Metaverse" coop fixes "Space Walk" translation fixes Room editor duplicate room bug fix when changing languages Room editor bug fix where you couldn't rename room

[ 2022-03-29 13:18:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Merhaba! / Hola! / Ol!

The time has come for another big Escape Simulator update! Today we will be adding no less than five language options to the game. Once this update goes live, you will be able to play the entire game in Trk (Turkish), Espaol (Spanish), Espaol (Spanish Latin America), Portugus (Portuguese) and Portugus (Portuguese Brasil)! We know that a lot of you have been waiting very patiently for this specific update, so we are very glad to reveal that the wait is finally over!

New publishing options

Additionally, we have completely reworked the 'Publish custom room screen'. This update includes several new options you can adjust when publishing your custom room to Steam Workshop. First off, you can now change the visibility settings of your room before publishing. This also allows you to publish your room directly from the Room Editor. Furthermore, you will be able to change the description of your room and add new Patch Notes. Lastly, this update also enables the option to add Steam Workshop tags to your room, which should make it much easier for other players to find exactly what they are looking for.

Additional updates and tweaks (v1.0.20730r)

Finally, this latest update also features the following updates and tweaks:

• New trigger option: Trigger when all players enter the trigger
• New lock option: Added parity XOR and exclusive XOR
• New hair options for Cori's dad
• New languages
• Game optimizations, should run more smoothly and take less memory
• Loop animations soft-lock in custom rooms fixed
• UX tweaks for controller and general feel of the game so it is more uniform

Once again, we would like to thank all of you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Escape Simulator! If you haven't already, join our Discord to find people to play co-op with, connect with other room builders and share your creations!

Pine team

[ 2022-03-22 12:47:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Almost 4000 workshop entries!

First off, all of us at Pine Studio are incredibly grateful for your continuous support. We've already seen many incredible rooms created by the community and we are very curious to see what other rooms you will all come up with. Additionally, we recently released the latest update, which adds a whole bunch of new assets and functions for you to play around with. Now without further ado, let's have a look at some of the community rooms that really stood out to us this month.

Fortune awaits you!

In Money Murder Mock-up, you play as the assistant to a famous archaeology professor who has faked his own death. If you manage to solve this room, you can lay claim to his wealth!

Communication is key!

You need to talk again is a co-op room that was specifically designed for two players. Like the title implies, you will need to use your communication skills for this one!

Double, double, toil and trouble!

Are you looking for a little bit of magic in your life? Why not attend a real Potions Class? This room is sure to be an enchanting experience!

All the colors of the rainbow!

Color Wheel is a highly original and imaginative room that's also incredibly fun to play in co-op. We definitely recommend you to check this one out!

Join our Discord community!

Did you know that we have a Discord? Whether youre looking for people to play co-op with or have questions about the room editor, its the place to be! Join the Discord here. Its also a great place to share your rooms, and who knows - yours might be the next daily pick or perhaps youll get featured in an announcement!

Did we miss anything?

Of course, there are many more amazing community rooms to explore. Please tell us about your personal favorites in the comment section below!

Pine team

[ 2022-02-22 15:04:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Fixed freeze when some items enter trashcans

[ 2022-02-18 18:28:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Fixed missing assets in the existing community rooms (egyptian walls, boots)
• Halloween props can now be painted
• Trashcan issues fixed
• Removed tokens from props
• Fixed item rotations and names

[ 2022-02-18 16:07:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Alchemist has arrived!

Earlier this month, we asked our community to vote between four potential asset packages for the room editor. Out of these packages, The Alchemist package got the most votes by far. So now it's time for all of you to work your magic!

Additional Room Editor updates

New assets:

Skyboxes New effects

New logic items:

Open link: Players can open links to Steam, Steam Community, or Wikipedia URLs. And/Or/XOR /Not gates on the Lock object Activator that can enable or disable objects

Features:

Button, Animation, Lock, Trigger, and Slot have new Output Value field that can be changed Code optimizations

But wait, there's more!

Finally, the latest update also includes: Steam Deck support Internal rework of networking - it should work much better for the community rooms now! Linux and Mac graphical fixes Daily Picks rework Added additional custom level packs 388 commits of tweaks and fixes

[ 2022-02-17 17:52:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

First, thanks to all of you!

We continue to be amazed by the variety and quality of custom rooms youve all been making! There are some super inventive creations out there but we also love seeing how many people have been experimenting with the room editor. Whether you release anything or not we hope youre having fun with it!

Streaming

Game Informer streamed some Escape Simulator last night! You can watch it back on the Game Informer Twitch channel. Speaking of streams, we played some community rooms live ourselves as part of the Big Adventure Event, and had a great time. There were lots of cool rooms but our favorite was probably The Warp: Emergency Protocol 3-A - a creepy sci-fi experience. Download it here (and get hints if you need them)!

More Daily Picks Coming!

Some of you might have noticed some repetition in the community room daily picks. At the moment we have to manually add maps to the daily picks list via updates, and then one map appears each day. So after the next update therell be new rooms appearing again! Until then, you should check out these Sudoku Dungeon You are trapped in a Sudoku Dungeon oh no! Solve the puzzle to escape! Theres a pinned discussion including a guide with hints and a walkthrough.
Dracula 's Castle A Count Dracula themed room with lots of painting/symbol-based clues and no cryptic words. There are hints in the workshop description.

Join our Discord community

Did you know we have a Discord? Whether youre looking for people to play co-op with or have questions about the room editor, its the place to be! Join the Discord here. Its also a great place to share your rooms, and who knows - yours might be the next daily pick or perhaps youll get featured in an announcement!

Get Escape Simulator for 20% off for a few more days

Escape Simulator will be on sale for a few more days following the Big Adventure Event, and you still have until February 3 to grab the game at a 20% discount. Well close out with this amusing screenshot by Nezzo on Steam - we also enjoy a lot of the screenshots that get posted on Steam! I expect a lot of us can relate.
How the resourceful solve escape rooms: the "pile of evidence"

Pine team

[ 2022-02-01 16:33:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

We're happy to announce that we're taking part in the Big Adventure Event. It's a digital celebration and showcase of independently developed adventure games!
During the event we're running a 20% discount for the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ Also, on Monday (Jan 23rd) at 11:00 AM (CET) we're going to hold an hour-long stream. We're going to be playing community-made rooms. See you then! - Pine

[ 2022-01-20 18:12:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Small update, fixed some room editor and workshop room bugs.

[ 2022-01-05 16:40:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, this update addresses problems some players had:

• Wrong resolution set when the game was starting
• Fixed room editor problems with locks targeting locks
• Fixed room editor rooms rendering Logic items when it shouldn't
• Fixed token in Space Walk level
• More small fixes to the game

We also have some additions for Room Editor:

• New items! You will find new Omega corp. props
• You can set item name

Thank you for playing, Pine Studio

[ 2022-01-05 14:09:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

• [Critical] Fixed controller bug that caused dragging puzzles not to be solvable if sensitivity was low.
• Translation graphics fixes in Santa's Workshop.
• Character no hair when wearing hats fixed.
• Controller switching fixes.

[ 2021-12-23 15:52:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's the holiday season in Escape Simulator! Our elves worked super hard to finish the last update of 2021. The update brings so many cool features!

New "Santa's Workshop" room

• New "Santa's Workshop" level.
• New "Daily Level" tab.
• Anti motion sickness options and "auto anti motion sickness" preset.
• Steam input with support for different controllers and controller rebinding options.
• More robust pins.
• New Christmas hats!
• More than 250 commits of fixes and tweaks to the game!

Room Editor:

• Smaller room file sizes when publishing rooms to the Workshop.
• New 3D viewport gizmo that can help you navigate around.
• Object importer - now you can import objects and object groups from other rooms!
• New animation options - now you can set pause for bounce and loop animations.

If you need a last-minute Christmas gift, it's a great time to grab Escape Simulator while it's 20% off! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ We want to say happy holidays from the entire Pine team! Thank you for playing and supporting our work. We hope Escape Simulator will bring you closer to friends and family and make some fond memories. Next week, we are taking our (well deserved) vacation to recharge our batteries and prepare for the exciting 2022. Pine team

[ 2021-12-22 17:55:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is second quick fix for menu cursor issue. In case you still have issues after this update (v1.0.19610r), please send your logs to: feedback@pinestudio.com Logs are located here: Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Pine Studio\Escape Simulator\Player.log MacOS: ~/Library/Logs/Pine Studio/Escape Simulator/Player.log Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/Pine Studio/Escape Simulator/Player.log

[ 2021-12-11 10:26:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

v1.0.19577r fixes the issue for some players with not being able to do anything in the main menu.

[ 2021-12-09 23:18:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello explorers! We have something special for you today. Omega Update is now LIVE! This is our biggest free update so far, and it brings a lot of new content.

• 3 new rooms that complete Omega Corp. theme
• French language
• German language
• Full gamepad support
• You can now add custom sounds to your workshop rooms
• New co-op hosting mode that should fix the connection problem that some of you have
• A lot of minor bug fixes

Also, it's a great time to get Escape Simulator (for yourself or as a gift ;)) because the game is 20% off this weekend! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ Thanks to all our beta testers and guys from our Discord channel for the support! Enjoy the update! Pine team

[ 2021-12-09 18:05:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

During the Steam Autumn Sale, you can nominate Escape Simulator for a Steam Awards category. We think the game is really cool when you play with your friends, so that's our suggested category! :)

[ 2021-11-24 18:15:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

100 000 players!

Over the weekend, we passed the number 100 000 players! That's beyond awesome, and what better way to celebrate than by releasing a new room for you all to play!

New Official Room: The Office

It's time for the 2nd room in the Corporation pack: The Office!* You're trapped in the office of an employee of secretive Corporation, he had to be very very careful when he left you clues how to escape and get to the next room.
* Right now, it's launching only in English. More languages for the whole Omega Corporation pack are coming next week.

Changelog v1.0.18958r

Features:

Omega Corporation room #2 released! RoomEditor: Dial, turnable - edit multiple. RoomEditor: searching improvement, consider tags.

Fixes:

Fixed hint tint colors. Rigidbody child object now animates directly, bypassing issues with physics. (Unity issue) Room editor: removed normal map from medieval material, changed the size of medieval walls - Walls and props. RoomEditor: deleting multiple objects fix. Better logging for networking. Join lobby if localPlayer disconnected Download workshop item on play. Not simulating physics until all players join. Better syncing off rigidbodies that are important. Removing scale in sending rigidbody data. Networking now syncs buttons directly, without going through physics sync.

[ 2021-11-16 14:21:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

The first Build-a-Room competition is finished! We had to pick between 193 rooms, and there were so many interesting and creative ones. It was fun to play all of them, but the decision was really hard. In the end, it was up to the details. This Friday, we had a live stream where Tom and Jura played the top 10 rooms and announced the winners. If you've missed it, you can watch it here: [previewyoutube=A0gFgU2e4Pg;full][/previewyoutube] Without further ado, here are the winners: Deluxe Museum Heist by Deluxe - Prize $1000! 2 I Expect You To Escape by Elkondo - Prize $300 3 Edgar Allan Poe Creepy Stories by obvious - Prize $200! Popularity award won Seth's Tomb by Dachi - Prize $500 Here's a easy way to check and install the top 10 rooms from the competition: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2643826225 Due to popular demand, we've made a list of top 30 best rooms from this competition. Thank you all for making awesome rooms! Till the next competition... Pine team PS. New patch is out now! We've fixed the network issues and we have a couple of more tweaks and bug fixes. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3087774682037164716

[ 2021-11-09 08:27:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, Today we have another update for Escape Simulator. One significant change in this patch is the new networking stack that fixes a lot of problems with the co-op play you had. In addition to that, we have a couple of more tweaks and bug fixes. Fixes:

• Fixed Reconnecting bug in co-op play
• Fixed triggers in co-op play
• Fixed rotation of some props in workshop rooms
• Fixing drone in Hallway Accident level
• Fixing The Lobby bugs in the first Omega Corporation level
• Better undo and redo functionality in Room Editor
• Better texture filtering on disk loaded textures

Additions:

• New networking stack, co-op play should be much better and robust
• Room Editor has a new search bar. You can use it to filter items and find what you need quickly
• Room editor slots have a new On Remove field. It will be activated when an object is removed from the slot

[ 2021-11-08 13:34:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fixes for paint mode. Minor level fixes.

[ 2021-10-29 23:11:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Time for a huge update!

New Official Room: The Lobby

We're releasing the first room in the all-new "Omega Corporation" pack, which will join "Labyrinth of Egypt", "Adrift in Space" and "Edgewood Mansion" as the 4th room pack. And best of all, you get to play it for free! The rest of the rooms from the packs are going to come in the coming two months.

Spooky season calls for spooky assets!

We're adding Halloween assets to the room editor. Enjoy the pumpkins and candy! :)
We've also added effects. You can now have things such as smoke, fire, and sparks in your rooms. Special logic fog component was also added so you can turn your environment spookiness to 11! You can also see the video overview by our designated room designer Matija: [previewyoutube=wk1Z_AxdTUw;full][/previewyoutube]

A Spooky room to go with spooky assets!

To test the assets, we've designed a spooky room. It requires 2+ players, and you can get it here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2638379672

Full changelog (1.0.8618)

Game:

• Added Omega Corporation room #1.
• Custom rooms with textures on linux fixed!
• Trash sticky fix
• Net zoom fix
• Trashcan name
• Bug fixed where impostor is created on other player when one player takes item from the trash
• Fixing s3 keypad desync and mp zooms
• Fixed slot key scaling.
• Fixing net buffer errors when sending syncRigidbody, optimize net messages
• Space3 - storage room item positioning fixes
• Audio Egypt1 & Egypt2 removed some audio which caused errors
• Audio / removed sounds from hanging plants and chandeliers because of errors
• Egypt4 - pyramid slot added
• Trashcan duplication on zoom fixed
• Egypt2 - scarab puzzle mp other player couldn't continue dragging fixed
• Collection item stays selected on throw and drop.
• Better networking, fixed some reconnection issues.
• Victorian1 - large vase broke into extra pieces fix

Room Editor:

• Added effects
• Added Fog
• Added Crumpled Paper and texture
• Created new portal and placed old portal in obsolete props
• Created icons and generated meta
• Different footstep sound in custom levels
• Fixed Stove colliders, added Effects to the IgnoreTrigger Layer, and fixed effect colliders, Created new icons
• Fixed Toy closet colliders and V2Desk Colliders.
• Clean outline on room reset.
• Desk compound fix.
• Halloween props, scripts, colliders and icons.
• Added nav mesh obstacles to all props that were to big to move through. Added switches to chest-s and props that needed to be openable by default.
• Different ghost material.
• Trigger fixes.
• End screen does not teleport players in custom rooms, a bit different end screen
• Added new textures for basic shapes, fixed collider issues on v2desk, new Halloween prop icons.
• Triggers can be triggered by switches (with rigidbodies)
• Halloween walls
• Vector3 property z fix.
• Disable setting slot as a parent.
• Set Lock prefab collider to isTrigger.
• Autosave.
• Card material editor fixes.
• Teleport all players.
• Remove temp publish rooms on init
• Fixing duplicate workshop items
• Fixing sorting & editor rooms token UI removed
• Sorting workshop rooms
• Map editor fixing tags. Decor, carpets etc.

[ 2021-10-29 11:49:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

We have news to share about the "Build a Room Competition". We're extending the deadline for room submissions until Sunday, October 31st 11:59 pm CET. The first reason for changing the date is that some players have had issues uploading rooms to Workshop. Steam team updated a configuration on the backend, and those issues should now be fixed. The secondary reason is that we updated the game quite a bit since launch, which resulted in more assets and editor features. Today (Edit: Tomorrow!) we're launching one final feature update for this week. And finally, we checked with the Discord community, and overwhelmingly the vote was towards extending the deadline. Next, let's talk a little bit more in detail about how the competition will be judged. We've received over 100 submissions so far. And that's insane! We can't wait to play all the rooms. After the deadline, the rooms will be played in a randomized order by multiple groups in our studio. They will use the same system of scoring as described in the original news: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1435790/view/3047241030485493857 From that list, we will select the top 10 rooms. On Friday Nov 5th, 1 pm CET, we will do a live stream on Steam. At the start of the stream, we'll announce which ten rooms made it into the selection. Then we'll play the ten rooms live and score them. Finally, at the end of the stream, we'll announce who won the top 3 prizes and the popularity award. Looking forward to you joining us for the stream, and best of luck to all the contestants! - Pine team

[ 2021-10-28 12:05:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello explorers! A week ago, we released Escape Simulator, and it was by far our best release! More than 50 000 players played it in the first week! (Well, 250 thousand if we count the pirates ) This success will help us invest more time in polishing the game and adding more content. We'd like to take the time to thank everyone for their support and involvement in Escape Simulator community. Since launch, we have been following your feedback closely, and it has been immensely helpful for our team. Even if we haven't been able to respond to everyone, we can assure you that we keep a close eye on the community discussions and will continue to do so. Since the launch, we deployed two updates with more than 200 fixes for the game. We are releasing one more update with various fixes and the first room from the "Omega Corp." series this week. We are also preparing something special for this Halloween season, but more on that later. Here are a few exciting stats from the first week:
Pine Studio team

[ 2021-10-27 13:05:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, It was a busy weekend for the Pine team! We prepared and tested a new update with more than 140 fixes for the game and the room editor. The update is now live, and you can check the full changelog below.

Trading cards

Trading cards and community items are now live on Steam! You can collect 10 trading cards, 3 backgrounds, emoticons, and all the cool stuff.

Build-a-Room contest

Already there are 200+ rooms on the workshop, and we are amazed how awesome some of them are! You still have 5 more days to submit your rooms. You can check the rules here.

Omega Corp.

The next update with the first "Omega Corp." level is coming out later this week. You can read more here.

Get the game for -10% for the next 24h!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/ The launch discount is live till tomorrow, so if you plan to get the game, or buy the copy for a friend, now it's the best time to do it! ;)

Changelog:

• Added chat option (can be used in SP as a note)
• Fixed teleport in MP
• Fixed notes in MP
• Key Bindings - support for the exclusion of KeyBindingAction
• Achievement fixes
• Wind puzzle lever in Chamber of Danger fixed
• Multiplayer optimizations and fixes
• Fixed mouse bug on Mac
• A lot of translation fixes
• A lot of small audio fixes

Room Editor changelog:

• New "House" props added
• Fixed player save
• Fix for zero duration & kinematics
• Prop button UI caching
• Workshop UI bug fixed
• Prop tags upgrade
• A lot of item fixes
• Triggers fixed
• New item icons added
• Cabinet prop animations fixed
• Moved starting camera position back a bit
• Add item now has consistent scale - need to test all levels
• Editor now start with a random room theme
• Expand room with same theme floor/wall/ceiling
• Consistent lighting on custom levels
• Fixed buttons parented to the animated stuff
• Disable autosave on play mode.
• Ctrl-S saves room
• Added option to delete room from UGC folder
• Collider fix
• Fixed card materials in editor that were glowing white

Have fun! Pine team

[ 2021-10-25 10:00:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Build a Room Competition

Join up and create the best escape room!

Prizes

Prize pool is $2000 (USD)

$1000 (first place)

$300 (second place)

$200 (third place)

And: Popularity Award - $500.

We wanted to do something special to celebrate the release of Escape Simulator. We invite you to create an escape room and win cash prizes for the best ones! Unique feature of the Escape Simulator is that it has a room editor. It features object graphics from the game and asset packs. You can create buttons, animations, locks, and paint hints. The best thing is that when you're done, you can share your levels with the community via Steam Workshop.

Deadline (Friday 2pm CET, Oct 29th)

Submissions will be considered if they have been made by 2 pm CET on Friday (Oct 29th).

Rules

• To submit a room for the competition, you have to post a link to it in "#competition" of our Discord channel: Link.
• Rooms you already created are eligible to enter the challenge.
• You can submit multiple rooms but only win one prize.
• Copies of other players' rooms are not eligible.
• Developers and their families are not eligible for rewards.

Judging criteria

We will be playing the game in pairs and rating the game based on the below-mentioned scoring. We will then take the average of each scoring point and sum them together. Thus, you can get a total of 20 points, which will be rounded to 2 decimal places. You can create a room for a solo player, two players, and even more players (but please keep it under ten :P) Scoring:

• How much fun did we have playing it? [1-10] - This one is worth the most points. It's going to be based on the experience we had playing the game.
• How good does it look? [1-5] - Does the room look esthetically pleasing. Does it have visual glitches or looks sloppy, or is it polished up? How well are puzzles integrated into the room?
• How unique were the puzzles? [1-5] - Were the puzzles we already seen a lot, or do they have a uniqueness to them?

* Additionally, for the popularity award, the winner will be the person whose room gets the most subscribers.

How to make a Room

Go to Escape Simulator, "Workshop" button, "Your Rooms," and press "Create". This creates an empty room, and you can start building. To get some help, you can look through "Tutorial Rooms" and see how you do certain things, such as puzzles and animation. You can also get on our Discord community and ask about anything you need help with! Alex: Your time starts... NOW! P.S. We've just launched another bug-fix release. If you find an issue, get in touch via forums or Discord.

[ 2021-10-21 19:47:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Audio / Medieval Props / Audio fix
• RoomEditor - zoomable cleanup.
• Don't teleport all players in MP
• RoomEditor - trigger/slot fix when deleting linked objects.
• Character wardrobe auto select fixed
• Added Zoom on Z key, fixing text layout for coop code
• Fixing workshop UI subscribe bugs
• RoomEditor - cleaning props.
• Room Editor added walls doors, wall windows, textures and doors for Toy and Bank Theme.
• Egypt 2 - Compass update
• Multiplayer joining UI fixes
• Multiplayer lobby bug fixes
• RoomEditor - cleaning props.
• Not dropping items with shift in editor levels anymore.
• RoomEditor - escape opens Options popup if nothing else is cancelable.
• Changed basketball score sound in Toy1
• RoomEditor - new save backup system.

[ 2021-10-21 19:32:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

First of all, thanks to everyone who got the game! You rock!! This was an incredible launch for Pine, and the game is already a big success for us. We are working hard on fixing bugs and trying to make sure everyone has the best experience. Yesterday we published the first bug-fix build, and the next bug-fix was just launched! If you find an issue, get in touch via forums or Discord. What's next for the game?

This is what's coming to the game in the coming weeks:

[olist]

We're going to be launching free levels from a new theme, "Operation Omega", throughout the coming weeks, starting with room #1 on Thursday (Oct 28th).

Adding many new assets to the room editor, and they will be available this week.

Room editor tutorial video is coming.

Trading cards!

More languages starting with German and French.

Adding controller support. So you can play from your couch or with your new Steam Deck ;) [/olist] -Pine team <3

[ 2021-10-20 22:04:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Tutorial - Removed video because it crashed on some platforms.
• Correct labels in menu screen and end screen for workshop rooms
• Victorian - lightning audio glitch fix
• RoomEditor - fixed non-raycastable statue.
• Names for multiple editor objects
• Fix for audio playing after exiting the scene
• Added Toy and Bank Walls, Floors, Cielings.
• RoomEditor - fixed bug with hiding empty walls/floors/ceilings in play mode.
• RoomEditor - Mac textures removal when loading failed.
• Audio / Toy 1 / Added missing chair drag sound, lock open sound
• RoomEditor - fixed missing confirm button in screenshot mode.
• Showing gear in play icon while waiting for sync.
• More reliable Play button in coop mode
• Achievements fixes and review.
• Egypt 2 - fixed issue with the feather appearing before unlocking the floor panel
• Space 5 - fixed fuel can be solved without solving fuel panel and pipes solved but unable to pull final lever

[ 2021-10-20 21:58:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thanks to everyone for playing the game so far! We're pushing our first patch to fix some minor issues.

• Space 3 - Localization fix
• Space 5 - Battery will return if dropped to space
• Achievement fixes
• Editor floor graphics fix
• Editor wall editing fix

[ 2021-10-19 21:05:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello explorers, After more than two years of working hard on our dream game, Escape Simulator is live on Steam! It features 15 rooms, co-op multiplayer, room editor, and Workshop integration. We'll continue to support and work on the game after the release. Apart from quick bug fixes, we want to add more languages and 5 new rooms, so stay tuned. ;)
We really hope that you'll like the game as much as we do! Have fun! Pine team PS. For all the questions about the game, check our official FAQ.. PPS. If you wish to report a bug or just chat with us about the game, visit our official Discord server.

[ 2021-10-19 14:35:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello explorers! The release date (October 19th) is just around the corner, and we are working super hard to polish the game for all of you. We worked on the interface and controls, started working on a new level, and did a lot of work on the level editor. Hundreds of you already played the beta version and helped us fix the most stubborn bugs. Thank you for that! You can still join our Discord and help us with the final testing. We are so happy that more than 50000 of you already have Escape Simulator on your wishlist. If you don't, what are you waiting for?! See you soon, Pine team

[ 2021-10-05 14:05:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Exciting news, everyone! Escape Simulator is coming out on October 19th!! Check out the new date reveal trailer: [previewyoutube=2VT7_tfRYV8;full][/previewyoutube] The whole team is excited about the game, and we are working hard to bring you the best possible experience. The game already looks fantastic, primarily because of the support of our testers, so thank you all for that! You can still join our community and testers on discord: https://discord.gg/WFvg55bzVh If you are someone from the press (or you know someone who is) you can get the official press release here! Thank you for sharing the news, and see you on the release!

[ 2021-09-16 09:56:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dr. Edgewood is a renowned psychiatrist, hypnotherapist, and surgeon who was always fascinated with the occult. You were invited to attend a special dinner with him at his mansion. But instead of eating great food, you'll be solving a victorian mystery.
Edgewood Mannor is the first room pack in Escape Simulator. Rooms in a pack are set in theme and follow the same underlying storyline. In this pack, you'll go through 5 rooms in a Victorian mansion: The Clinic, The Library, The Attic, Seance Room, and The Laboratory. When we first started working on the game in 2019, we started making a detective noir room.
2019 - Prototype With the prototype, we tested if we liked interactions and how the co-op would work. We thought it was fun and that we had to make this game :) Since the gameplay looked good, we decided that it was time to work on the graphics too. While doing that, the noir theme morphed into a victorian theme. Our main goal was to make a beautiful escape room game, and this is what we ended up in 2020:
2020 - Vertical Slice Even though it's much closer to how the game looks now, we still weren't happy with it. The style wasn't consistent, single objects looked good, but when put together, they were missing something. After endless iterations, this has finally led us to the final look for the first room:
2021 - Current Version ---- To give a quick update about the development - it's going very well! The target release in 2021 is still on. We also hope to make more "making of" posts like this. You can follow the development closely on our Discord. To get notified when the game will be out, you can wishlist the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

[ 2021-07-26 19:11:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Escape Simulator is a part of the Indie Celebration hosted by Digital Dragons. To celebrate, we updated the demo! There is a Community Vote, and if you liked the game, we invite you to vote for us: VOTE HERE! Thanks! :)
Demo updates: The cool new thing is that we have our original characters (farewell John and Jane Wick). And to top it off, you can customize them!
There have been many fixes since the last demo, and we've spent a lot of time making the multiplayer experience stable.

[ 2021-05-12 12:58:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

About Game

Pine Studio is exhibiting our newest game Escape Simulator. It's a escape room game that takes a fresh spin on the genre with focus on simulation. Everything can be picked up, examined and thrown; everything else that's not nailed down can be moved. The game features a co-op mode as well, so you can play with a friend! The demo features 3 playable rooms, out of 15 that are shipping later this year.

About Stream

We're going to be showing the gameplay from the demo, some rooms not in the demo, together with development materials - as well as some early prototypes. Come and see how the game changed through this two years of development.

[ 2021-02-05 23:47:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone!

About Game

Pine Studio is exhibiting our newest game Escape Simulator. It's a escape room game that takes a fresh spin on the genre with focus on simulation. Everything can be picked up, examined and thrown; everything else that's not nailed down can be moved. The game features a co-op mode as well, so you can play with a friend! The demo features 3 playable rooms, out of 15 that are shipping later this year.

About Stream

We're going to be showing the gameplay from the demo, some rooms not in the demo, together with development materials - as well as some early prototypes. Come and see how the game changed through this two years of development.

[ 2021-02-01 15:19:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fun news today - it's time for the first gameplay video for Escape Simulator. This time it's the first room in the "Labyrinth of Egypt" pack. The video shows of the controls and how you interact in the world. In this case the movement is WASD & mouse, at certain moments you get control the mouse fully when interacting with item in examine mode, or when you're using the item in the scene. The UI, as you can tell, is very minimal. An expanding inventory is on the bottom - and that's it :) [previewyoutube=BDWmr_rG7LE;full][/previewyoutube] What do you think? :) If you haven't already. It's prime time to wishlist the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790/Escape_Simulator/

[ 2020-12-18 16:42:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is the first post in Escape Simulator. We're so happy to finally share stuff about the game. It's been almost two years since the start of the development and we're heading to an exciting release. To show more of the game, just added a new teaser trailer. It shows the variety of the environments you'll get to explore. Any favorites? [previewyoutube=ruCs99We82I;full][/previewyoutube] Another thing we'd like to mention is that Escape Simulator is schedule for next year - 2021. So be sure to wishlist, as we'll be seeing you soon! ;) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435790

[ 2020-12-10 15:05:37 CET ] [ Original post ]