Escape from Ever After: Everything We Know

Paper Mario fans will be happy to know a similar game is in the works. While still in development, you can play the actual game via a demo release called Escape from Ever After: Onboarding, which gives you access to Chapter One. The reviews are already quite positive, citing “cute fairytale,” “exciting characters,” and “excellent visuals.” Read on to learn everything we know about Escape from Ever After.

What is Escape from Ever After?

Escape from Ever After is an upcoming turn-based RPG that draws inspiration from the classic Paper Mario series. It features a greedy megacorp that exploits fairytale and storybook characters for cheap labor. As a storybook hero and new hire, you’re tasked with rising up the ranks at your job. As you gain more power, you’ll rally fellow disgruntled employees and bring down Megacorp once and for all.

Story

The plot shines its spotlight on Flynt Buckler, a storybook character who takes after the classic tropes of fairytale stories. Flynt has just busted an evil dragon archnemesis called Tinder inside his castle. But once he steps into the building, he realizes that the once formidable castle has been turned into a corporate place. Tinder has disappeared, but in his place are employees sipping coffee inside their bunkers, filing reports, and all sorts of office jobs. 

Apparently, a megacorp called Ever After Inc. has discovered that storybook characters make the best employees. They’re cheap and bring in staggering profits to the company. Henceforth, Tinder’s castle serves as Ever After’s base of operations as they take over fairytale after fairytale.

Witnessing the evil capitalism has embedded in the world, you set out to bring them down. But you must start small under the guise of an employee. Gradually, you’ll recruit more disgruntled employees to your case. At a point, you’ll be forced to work with former archnemesis Tinder. As you rise up the ranks of the corporate ladder, you’ll amass just enough power to take down capitalism for good. 

Gameplay

Escape from Ever After’s Steam store page states that the game will be genre-bending. It’ll feature RPG mechanics but also craft an epic adventure. You’ll explore multiple fairytale worlds, each packed with charming characters, jaw-dropping environments, and exciting secrets. They’ll differ in themes, from haunting worlds that feature Lovecraftian monsters to adorable ones that feature The Three Little Pigs. Missions will vary, too, from solving a murder mystery to stopping villain storybook characters causing harm to the environment. 

Additionally, you’ll run into hostile enemies that cue in turn-based gameplay. Combat will be snappy, demanding perfect timing of commands. You’ll access different finisher moves, while also experimenting with wide-ranging items and partners. Check out the key features you can expect in the final game below.

• Dive into a snappy battle system that pushes you to experiment and plan your next move.
• Choose differently skilled characters for your party, customizing and upgrading your build as you progress.
• Spend time at the office interacting with your coworkers and decorating your space.
• Jump into diverse fairytale worlds packed with secrets, sidequests, and rewards.
• Unravel a story within a story, from the real world’s megacorp plot to individual storybook adventures.
• Bop to a jazzy soundtrack that keeps your adrenaline flowing. 

Development

Sleepy Castle Studio, in collaboration with HypeTrain Digital, is currently working on Escape from Ever After. The upcoming game will be Sleepy Castle’s first rodeo in the gaming development world. Having quit his job to pursue game development full-time, lead developer Ryan is now working on the new game in a small team of two. They launched a Kickstarter campaign to support the project, which was relatively successful. Back then, in 2022, the game was called Flynt Buckler Wakes the Sleepy Castle. 

The publisher HypeTrain Digital, on the other hand, has experience bringing video games to the market. They’ve helped build hype for Voidtrain, Stoneshard, Quasimorph, and Gatekeeper, among others.

Sleepy Castle expressed via their X handle how they have been working on the game for years now. They were excited to announce the launch of the demo, Escape from Ever After: Onboarding, which has been live since July 19, 2024. The prologue is free to download on Steam and gives you access to the game up to the end of Chapter One. The reviews have been mostly positive, with a few critics here and there. So, feel free to check the demo out, if only to get a rough idea of the gameplay you can expect in the final game.

Trailer

Alternatively, you can always check out the less than two-minute official teaser trailer on YouTube. It already looks pretty dope, with vibrant and charming visuals all around. You can’t help gaping at the gorgeous character designs and environments. Plus, the music score sounds electric, ramping up excitement while adventuring through the different worlds. 

The game design does look a lot similar to Paper Mario. But the game’s description itself says the game is inspired by the cult classic. So, fingers crossed that Nintendo doesn’t slap this one with copyright infringement. From the trailer, you can see promising potential for yet another cute but epic adventure.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Sleepy Castle has yet to reveal an actual release date for the upcoming Escape from Ever After. However, you can add the game to your Steam wishlist to get a notification as soon as it drops. Besides PC platforms, the new game will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch consoles. If there are any editions that will be available for preorder, they remain under wraps for now. 

In the meantime, you can follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates. We’ll also keep our eyes peeled for new information and let you know as soon as it comes up.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Escape from Ever After when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.