Prepare to get your groove on with our latest update!
Peace out! βοΈ
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
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.
β₯ Pine team
Patch v1.0.23659r
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)
Our top community room picks for August!
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!
β₯ Pine team
Build-A-Thon Summer '22: Builders' Choice!
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!
β° 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 16-09-2022 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!
π How do I sign up for the challenge?
You can sign up for the the Build-A-Thon via this πGoogle form π 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.
πΊοΈ 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!
π 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. π
π Rules
Room must be entirely new, no projects that were already in progress
Room needs to be built between 16-09-2022 00:00 CEST and 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST. Any rooms published after 18-09-2022 23:59 CEST will not be considered.
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! Donβt create anything that might be considered offensive in any way or form. No profanity, racism, hate speech etc.
βοΈ 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.
βοΈ 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 βBuild-a-roomβ 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!
β₯ Pine team
Our top community room picks for July!
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! π΅οΈ
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!
β₯ Pine team
Dev Update: What's next for Escape Simulator?
Busy, busy, busy! π οΈ
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! π
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! π
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!
β₯ Pine team
Our top community room picks for June!
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 on a series of paintings by Robert Smirke which are in turn based on a monologue from Shakespeare's As You Like It. Still following? Well, in this room by Wollo you will be going through the titular seven stages of man, from infant to old age. This room features a series of seriously tricky puzzles, so be sure to give it 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!
β₯ Pine team
v1.0.22791 hotfix
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
The Collab: Boardgames
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 βValorβ, 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!