Build-a-Room Competition
We just wrapped up our first ES2 Build-a-room competition, and the results are incredible.
We received 112 submissions, far more than we expected, and the creativity on display was amazing. This was our very first competition, and we already plan to run the second one soon.
After many hours of testing and discussion, here are the results:
🥇 First place – Going Home by kukelia & Frama
Kukeli and Frama did it again! This room takes home 5000 USD, our biggest competition prize so far!
Stranded after a catastrophic malfunction, your spacecraft crashes into the remnants of an ancient alien civilization. A cinematic story mixed with unique language-based puzzles creates a powerful and memorable experience.
🥈 Second place – Meltdown by Duc
Explore an abandoned nuclear facility and prevent a full reactor meltdown. Strong atmosphere, creative tasks, and striking brutalist architecture define this room from start to finish.
🏅 Finalists (in no particular order)
Love&Escape by namo_krub
View game pageYou become the star of a chaotic 1950s TV show. Playful, surprising, and full of varied puzzles that keep the pacing quick and fun.
Still life by Dr Krank
View game pageA surreal journey through paintings that spring to life as you follow your grandmother’s trail. Artistic environments and unusual puzzle ideas make this one special.
Call of the Deep by Benny Lane (environment) & Jack Bell (scripting)
View game pageDescend into a sunken temple and manipulate ancient energy streams with intricate, evolving puzzles. Perfect for players who enjoy deep logic challenges.
The Hidden Handrawn Hideaway by Objitude
View game pageExplore a mysterious manor filled with hidden layers and dimension shifts, built entirely with custom hand-painted assets.
Pirates End by Mr_ Tesseract_(:
View game pageA treasure hunt on a forgotten pirate island, created entirely with the standard ES2 props. Balanced pacing and classic puzzle design make this a joy to play.
Shadowed by CharredButter
View game page A clever set of light-based puzzles that make great use of ES2’s lighting engine.
Token Demon by Ariel
View game pageA humorous, cinematic twist on token hunting, built around one of Escape Simulator’s most iconic mechanics.
Hunter by Cico
View game pageLost in the woods and trapped in a decaying cabin, you uncover a dark story through tense atmosphere and dynamic events.
Synchrony (Co-Op) by Ravn
View game pageA sci-fi co-op adventure where two players must work in sync to escape a time loop. Fresh synchronized puzzle ideas and clever timing challenges define this room.
✨ Honorable mentions
There were so many great rooms that couldn’t fit into our top list, and each one brought something special to the competition. The creativity across all submissions was impressive, and we want to highlight a few that stood out in their own way: Keeper of the Lost Light, Ascending Valhalla, Captured by the Lock Witch, Witch House, Overslept – A Wizarding Escape, Abduckted (probably the best intro scene), and 12 Candles.
All winning rooms are now available in the game, and you’ll find them in a new Build-a-room Winners tab for easy access.
🎄 Festive surprise
We also have a gift for everyone! On December 16, we’re releasing a brand new holiday-themed escape room inspired by classic Christmas movies. Cosy, warm, and full of seasonal details. Here’s a small sneak peek ;)
🎁 Winter sale
Escape Simulator 2 is now on its first discount. You can get it 20 percent off, a nice Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys puzzles.
🛠️ Room Editor update
The room editor is still in beta and we’re improving it every week. Over the past few weeks we fixed more than 100 issues, added new features, and polished many interactions.
Today we’re releasing another update. You can check the full changelog down below.
Community rooms can get very complex. Some use LUA scripts, custom props, or large logic networks, which can sometimes affect saves or drop-in multiplayer. We’re improving these systems with every patch and plan to keep the updates coming at a steady pace. Thanks for your patience and understanding!
Update v17849 changelog:
• Improved light performance with a new Light Fade Distance option
• Added incremental shadow calculation for smoother lighting
• New shadow render modes: Optimized and Every Frame
• Better support for explicit transparency in materials
• Improved saving and drop-in stability for custom rooms
• Restored OnReturn event for Flip Animation and Flip Button
• Added dashed connection lines to make object links easier to read
• Added loading progress feedback when opening rooms in the editor
Happy escaping!
- Pine team