When comparing Thimbleweed Park vs The Escapists 2, the Slant community recommends The Escapists 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best pixel art games?” The Escapists 2 is ranked 30th while Thimbleweed Park is ranked 36th. The most important reason people chose The Escapists 2 is:
There is no right or wrong way to do anything, and it's entirely a risk vs reward scenario for anything you want to try. You are only limited by your creativity in escaping, as each prison has almost endless possibilities and encourages the player to make the best use of their inventory and be creative in handling every situation. Bed sheets can be used to cover cell windows from the prying eyes of guards, desks can be moved to reach out of reach vents, crafted tools can be used for various purposes such as breaking through walls or doors, and shovels can be used to dig holes. You can try to sneak around guards, or opt to hide in vents until they're out of sight. If you're feeling especially brave, you can even attempt to fight the guards and take their keys allowing easier access around the prison.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Well-developed, quirky characters
There are five playable characters total. Two are available from the start of the game, and three more have their own scenario to play through when first introduced into the game. These scenarios showcase the characters' backgrounds and personalities via their own mini-storyline that draws heavily on comedy and allows the player to learn more about each character. Each of these scenarios concludes with them joining the main storyline where you are free to swap between them at will.
Each and every playable character has their own goals, which are made clear on their personalized to-do lists, which act as a quest log of sorts, and help guide the player on what to do next to keep the story moving along. Among the five playable characters you will play as two federal agents, a clown with a swearing problem (although this is bleeped out in game), a lovable nerd who aspires to be a game developer, and even a ghost who is trapped and can't pass on into the afterlife.
There are also a dozen or so supporting characters, and while not controlled by the player, were not neglected in their writing. From the town's sheriff, who also seemingly acts as a front desk clerk and coroner - although he adamantly denies this fact to hilarious effect throughout the game - to the bum outside the convenience store who begs for change, each and every one is well developed with their own quirks and personality that are artfully consistent throughout the entire playthrough.
Pro Well-written storyline with many subplots
The story begins with two federal agents investigating a murder a little outside the strange, surreal town of Thimbleweed Park. While the initial main focus of the story revolves around solving the murder, it quickly branches out from there as the agents enter the town and start questioning the locals. During this investigation, a bunch of new characters (three becoming playable) and their respective subplots and stories are introduced into the game. The murder soon fades into the background, as the personal stories of the playable characters take front and center.
Each playable character's story will be experienced in full resulting in being able to see the same overarching storyline from a multitude of different viewpoints. Each of these subplots are well-written as they all relate to each other in some way, offer a fresh perspective, and also contribute plot elements to the main story as a whole.
Throughout the game, the writing is consistent and each of the various subplots and story elements all serve to reinforce the overarching story. Near the end of the game, many of the plot points have been neatly addressed and concluded, resulting in a rewarding game experience that really prioritizes a story-first approach.
Pro Open and convenient exploration
Most of the city of Thimbleweed Park and it's surrounding areas are immediately available to explore and take in the scenery. While some of it is gated by story for gameplay reasons, there is still a huge amount of content that is available to immerse yourself in the minute you start the game. As the game progresses, the explorable area becomes bigger and bigger as more locations are discovered. A fast travel map system is introduced, making it quick and easy to get wherever you want to go with a few clicks. This is extremely helpful when moving from one end of the map to the other, and shaves away hours of travel time by the time the game concludes.
Pro Great for both casual gamers and those looking for a challenge thanks to an adjustable difficulty level
The game offers a casual mode for those who just want to experience the story and characters without being bogged down by all the tricky puzzles, as it shortens the length of the game by removing a majority of them. Additionally, for those who want the true gaming experience, there is the hard mode which includes all the puzzles in their entirety which adds hours to the game length. This makes the game completely accessible for both types of players, whether they're seasoned vets or entirely new to the adventure gaming genre.
Pro Access to five playable characters allows you to continue the story even if you get stuck
As soon as the game begins, you have the freedom to switch between 2 of the playable characters, with more becoming available as the adventure progresses. Since you can freely swap between characters whenever you'd like, getting stuck on a specific puzzle for one character's storyline isn't quite an issue, as you can simply change over to a different character and progress their storyline instead. This means those tricky puzzles won't bring your game to a grinding halt.
Pro A great tribute to the classic point-and-click games of the 90s
Designed by Ron Gilbert, an award-winning adventure game designer in the early days of the genre, Thimbleweed Park is a tribute to the adventure gaming days of old. It's a modern game that opts to use an old look and feel to recreate the classic point and click games of the past such as Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island. Like many point and click games of the era, it utilizes a verb based action system and dialogue trees to navigate and interact with the world. Adventure gamers who grew up with the Lucasarts' classic adventure games will find many similarities here in the look and feel of the game, resulting in a game that could be right at home in the late 80s and early 90s.
Pro Encourages experimentation and creativity
There is no right or wrong way to do anything, and it's entirely a risk vs reward scenario for anything you want to try. You are only limited by your creativity in escaping, as each prison has almost endless possibilities and encourages the player to make the best use of their inventory and be creative in handling every situation.
Bed sheets can be used to cover cell windows from the prying eyes of guards, desks can be moved to reach out of reach vents, crafted tools can be used for various purposes such as breaking through walls or doors, and shovels can be used to dig holes. You can try to sneak around guards, or opt to hide in vents until they're out of sight. If you're feeling especially brave, you can even attempt to fight the guards and take their keys allowing easier access around the prison.
Pro Good balance of game systems make for a rewarding simulation
Taking action in the game uses up your stamina, so you'll still have to make time for things like eating and sleeping if you want to have energy for things like digging through walls, fighting other inmates, or cutting through vents and gates.
Items such as shovels and cutters have limited durability, so they can't be used endlessly. Raw materials can be found around the prison to craft items, or you can buy items from fences using money earned by running fetch quests for other inmates. No matter how you acquire them, crafting materials and finished goods are limited so you'll have to use your items wisely.
Time is an important factor that has to be managed too, with certain activities having to be done at certain times. This limits the amount of time you have to roam the prison, since you have to show up for meal times and roll calls. Free time can be used to craft, roam the prison to determine the guard patterns, or finally put your ultimate escape plan into action.
Juggling each and every one of the various aspects of the game results in a very deep and rewarding simulation experience.
Pro Solid progression of difficulty
The difficulty increases as you progress, with each prison becoming just a little more intricate and more challenging to escape from than the previous. The prisons themselves get more complex with more obstacles to overcome such as tougher guards which results in more ways things can go wrong. The progress feels good and natural, as you're always building on what you learned in previous prisons to escape from the newest one.
Pro Great pixel art style for retro fans
If you enjoy a more retro style, then this game is pure eye candy. Simple but charming, the pixel art is colorful, with the sprites having a nice variety in animations when they're shoveling, searching, running around, fighting, or partaking in any kind of activity that would require movement. The tile sets for the game world are nicely detailed, colored and shaded. You won't get tired of looking at the same tiles over and over due to the sheer amount and variety of the art assets created for the game.
Pro Lots of replayability
No two games will play out alike. Each prison is an open sandbox, so it's definitely not a linear experience with a defined escape blueprint. Prisons can be replayed over and over to beat your previous time, measured in how many in-game days it took you to escape, which leaves plenty of room for trying new things on each successive playthrough.
Pro Co-Op multiplayer mode adds a new depth to gameplay
Working together creates a whole new experience with loads of possibilities. In co-op mode, you play with up to 3 teammates either online or locally as you work towards escaping the prison together. This adds a whole new dynamic to gameplay as working together creates experiences that just aren't possible when playing solo. Someone could distract the guards, while another searches rooms for crafting materials. One player could run around collecting items, while another scopes out the guard's patrol patterns. Some can complete quests to collect money while others are working on digging tunnels.
Pro A couple of alternative prisons add a change of scenery
Tired of bricks, cold floors, and cement cells? For those who want a change of scenery, there is a prison set in the wild west, and even a futuristic space prison. This adds a little bit of variety to the look of the game while keeping the same gameplay mechanics. It's a nice touch and gives your eyes a break from staring at the same tilesets over and over.
Cons
Con Inventory management can be a hassle
Since each of the five playable character has their own inventory, sometimes trading back and forth between them can be a hassle, especially when unsure of which items are needed to solve specific puzzles. The constant trading becomes tedious due to the number of items in the game.
Con The 4th wall is broken at times ruining immersion
The characters will sometimes address the player directly. This fourth wall breaking, even though a staple of the games Thimbleweed Park is giving tribute to, can be off-putting to some modern gamers who would rather experience full immersion.
Con Getting caught by guards can be overly punishing
It's frustrating when you spend several hours grinding quests for other inmates, collecting items, crafting, and carefully planning your escape, only to get caught by guards and lose all your items or killed. This effectively means you have to start over, wasting hours of your own time and days of in-game time.
Con Can feel grindy at times
Running around doing fetch quests for other inmates, or searching for crafting materials for hours on end can get stale after a while.
Con Tutorial doesn't cover much
The tutorial will only walk you through the barest of basics, resulting in the player having to learn the game's various mechanics on their own.