Escape from Jay Is Games

Some of the most ingenious inventions ever were devised by prisoners from around the world, partly because they have so much time on their hands, and partly because they have no other choice than to improvise. Hence, whether it’s alcohol made out of the most unlikely stuff or ingenious tools to help them escape, those who have nowhere else to go can really put their imagination to work.

Escape from Jay is Games works along the same lines, only it features a fewer shanks and no soothing voice overs from iconic actors. In essence, however, your main goal is to get out of a weird room filled with old arcade machines, strange computers, and what appears to be some kind of alien hooked to a virtual reality headset. To do that, you must gather useful objects and use them in ingenious ways.

The story is quite simple and straightforward, although that may just be due to the fact that you don’t really find out too much about it along the way. A few notes give you a hint about what’s going on, but you are kept in the dark for the majority of the time. To make matters worse, there are so many questions that need answers, especially when you consider the fact that there is an arcade machine playing Pong by itself for the entire duration of the game.

In order to continue the story, you have to find certain items that can be used in combination with others to achieve something. Hence, whether it’s a key that opens a certain door or a transistor that can restore a computer’s functionality, everything that can be picked up has a purpose. Not only that, but you can also combine other items with each other, or even use some of them multiple times, such as the knife.

Another great thing about the game is the visual aspect, because although the graphics may look simple and in 2D, the artwork is great and you can tell that the artist took his time coming up with it. The strange machinery and the nice choice of colors create a unique atmosphere, although the soundtrack contributes a lot to the feeling as well.

Although the experience is a bit too short, Escape from Jay is Games is certainly a nice concept, and you can have a lot of fun with it. The puzzles are ingenious enough to keep you guessing for a while.