If you're looking for a new game to scratch your puzzle-solving itch, you've come to the right place.

While I’ve played plenty of puzzle, detective, and escape simulator games out there with their own takes on the genre, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School still managed to stand out thanks to its unique premise and satisfying gameplay loop, perfectly blending three of those genres together.

Living up to its predecessor, while also drastically improving on it in several key ways, Escape Academy 2 adds entirely new mechanics like open-world exploration and side-quests, giving both newcomers and fans of the original plenty to sink their teeth into.

After coming off another Blue Prince kick myself, I was especially eager for another game that would put my puzzle skills to the test, and I’m happy to say that Coin Crew Games’ latest offering scratched that itch. Although the mix of puzzles on their own will be satisfying to fans of the genre, there’s plenty more under the surface that helps make the family-friendly indie sequel stand out.

Rather than taking players by the hand and explaining each puzzle mechanic or how to explore the school, Escape Academy 2 throws you in while also letting you figure out how the game works at your own pace, outside of the timed escape rooms, at least.

Split between open-world progression challenges, shorter puzzles where you help out other students, and the large escape rooms that serve as the main draw of Escape Academy 2, there was plenty of gameplay variety to help keep things fresh as I progressed.

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