........................................Moderator comment.......................................

I was initially using the Steam version of this game, but I've now installed the MPC giveaway version to see if there was a problem with the quitting issue because too many community members were posting about it. Well, you were right. There is NO quit button. I suggest to quit the game you Alt-Tab, then close the game down from the taskbar by hovering over the games icon to make the game's thumbnail appear, then click the top right corner of the thumbnail image where you should see the X (to close the game). Sorry for the misinformation. There is a quit button in the Steam version as you can see from the first image I've posted below. I didn't initially see the point in installing the MPC version. Didn't expect it to be slightly different. I've had the game installed since it was released on Steam last year (Sept 2016).

Some community members have been having difficulty with the unusual way this game has been set up. the following information will hopefully help solve the difficulties. When you first open the game you get two splash screens with the developer and distributors symbols, then the chapter selection screen. You can play any chapter at the start. Once you select the chapter you wish to play the next screen is the New Game or Continue screen (depending on whether you've started a new chapter or continued with one previously started. This screen also contains the options as an icon located in the bottom right of the screen. Clicking on that opens up a small window with three icons (see the third image below), one for help (see the fourth image below), one for sound and one to delete saves. In the top right is a flag that enables you to select various language options (English, German, Italian, Spanish and French) and in the top left-hand corner there's a home button that takes you back to the Chapter selection screen. If you want to end the game, you have top pass through two home buttons before getting back to the chapter page where in the top right hand corner you'll find a Quit button. Regards Whiterabbit

Before you decide to download todays game Escape the Past and to get a feel for it please do check out several game play videos so as not to be disappointed. you'll find You tube videos HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and links to several other walkthrough videos HERE.

Please only post comments about today's game giveaway; other comments either inappropriate, or comments with only one or a few words; for example vg, good, thank you, TY, bad, rubbish, this game is ****** etc , or if the comment has nothing to do with today's game or is complaining (send your complaints to the giveaway team via the contact form that I've linked to below), they may be deleted at the moderator or administrators discretion; however, a little light banter among community members/friends and with the moderator to keep this a friendly place to visit is acceptable and welcomed. All comments not specifically about today's game giveaway will be judged by the moderator and if deemed inappropriate, will be deleted and usually with no explanation. Please see the moderation policy HERE for details about posting comments.

Escape the Past

In Brief

An adventure HOG with a selection of language options (English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish - i.e. at least the Steam version I've used to check this game out. I've not downloaded the MPC version yet.)

Installation:

Escape the Past downloads to a 117 MB zip file that unzips to three files, (a setup.gcd security wrapper, the set up file and a read me). Those with multiple hard drives are able to save games on any drive they wish. The newly installed game is 278 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed by the user if you prefer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\Escape the Past

Four shortcuts are installed to the desktop. three of which can be safely deleted (Play Online Games, MyPlayCity Games and shortcuts to a free online game which vary each week). Also, if you don't like icons installed to the quick launch task bar, make sure you uncheck the box when the additional tasks window appears (after the Select Start Menu Folder window)

Introduction:

Stuck on this island, you have only one thing in your mind... Escape ! It's time for you to uncover the secrets of your life. Fight what you created and accept its consequences. Are you ready to escape your past ? In this new escape game, try to solve all the enigmas through several oneiric landscapes.

Edited reference accessed HERE. 10th Nov 2017

The Game:

Escape games, are really simple beasts. Click things until you find them all, assemble the puzzle pieces, and then proceed to the next level. But when I started to think of it outside the box, using my experience of running an IT help desk for years, it started to become clear to me. This won’t be hard at all.........Weird, right?

I mean, what does a help desk have to do with an escape game, or any game really? Well, the answer is simpler than you would imagine. You see, you can get almost anyone to fix your computer, or you can even use your powers of Google-fu to fix it yourself. The biggest selling point of a help desk (other than not having the overhead costs of hiring your own IT department) is the experience. At least, that’s what our help desk measured its success rate on customer satisfaction. If the customer experience is rubbish, but your problem was still solved, you wouldn’t give high customer sat scores. On the contrary, if your issue wasn’t solved, but the customer service was still fantastic, your experience may be awesome.

So how does this relate after all? Well, simple. Many escape games are alike. Actually, alike is too soft a word. Most escape games are identical. Typically the graphics leave something to be desired; the puzzles are “meh” quality, and they just get boring over time. Escape the Past makes a solid attempt at addressing these problems, which to be fair isn’t the easiest thing with such a saturated and imitated genre.

For starters, the artwork is on point. Most escape games are pretty generic looking. Escape the Past is different, in that each scene, each turn of the ‘page’ makes you feel as though you’re in a piece of art. The scenes literally look like paintings, and the best part is, the clues aren’t just shoved in. They are tastefully placed, and the artwork for the items matches the background. Sure helps make it harder, and I can’t say it didn’t make me swear once or twice while I was searching for stuff.

Frankly, compared to all the other escape games I’ve played, I’d be comfortable calling this visually stunning, or at least beautiful.

Escape the Past also does well trying to tell a story. You find pieces of letters that attempt to provide context as to why you’re clicking on static images looking for pieces that move or make sense. Speaking of clicking, there is one pet peeve that I have in escape games, and that is the fact that there’s no sustainable mechanic that prevents you from clicking a million times all over the screen in an angry, frustrated, and emotionally compromised fashion because you can’t seem to find the next clue (voice of experience…. or something like that). Unfortunately, this is not addressed here either. There’s nothing stopping you from clicking like mad all over until a new clue pops up. It would be great if there was a click tracker that told you how many times you were blindly hoping for luck, or perhaps even a hard limit approach that only lets you have X amount of interactions with each panel to solve the puzzle.

Speaking of puzzles, they’re not easy, which is good.

But, they’re also not so challenging that they don’t make any sense to us non-Mensa folks. See, puzzles need to make sense, as well as tell a story. They can’t just be hard for the sake of being hard. If that were the case, people would like math class, and then who would play football? It’s hard to describe some of the puzzles I enjoyed without spoiling part of the game, so I will refrain. But, I can say that I was impressed with the thought process that went into some of these scenarios.

I suppose my biggest pet peeve in the game would be that the several chapters of the game do not continue after each other. I mean this from a strictly mechanical point. Once you complete a level, you need to back out all the way to the main menu and remember which level you just played to select the next. Sure there’s only a handful, but I can’t imagine it would have taken too much trouble to place a next button that started the following scenario at the end of a level.

The Verdict - Overall, I’d have to say I’m rather pleased with Escape the Past. If you enjoy escape-themed games, this really won’t disappoint. To tie in my help desk example at the beginning, sure other escape games will allow you to strain your brain and solve puzzles, however, the experience here is what sells it. I suppose if I could change one thing, I would add more levels, as there are only currently four chapters. It certainly left me wanting more.

Edited reference accessed HERE. Originally posted by Dizzyjuice on 22nd Sept 2016. Reposted by Whiterabbit-uk 10th November 2017.

Other Reviews and Videos of Escape the Past:

You can see Steam community reviews of Escape the Past HERE There are several in-game videos of game play HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and links to several other walkthrough videos HERE.

Conclusion:

My verdict. Definitely some interesting puzzles, tohugh i'd disagree on the graphics being stunning. They are okay, but i've seen much better over the past 20 or so years. Still, this is an excellent brain teaser that should bring a few hours of fun for HOG lovers. Also, it's not your usual HOG.

Suggestions:

After you've had an opportunity to play today's giveaway please take a few moments to give some positive or negative feedback; for example, what you liked or disliked about the game, or how it could be improved. If you don't like the genre at all, please explain why and if any, what improvements would change your mind? If you don't have time to post a comment today, please do so at your convenience, thank you. If you wish to post a review or comment about the game at a later date, you can access the comments section by going to the game giveaways home page, then scroll to the bottom of the page where it says Archives and select the date the giveaway was live (giveaway days are in bold type). This will open up the appropriate page for you to post your comment or review. Alternatively, you can google the name of the game and include Gamegiveawayoftheday in the search. This should give you a list of links to whenever this game was given away.

There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers new or fresh ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as better or more original mini-games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you. Maybe you think the graphics are a little dated and are in need of re-skinning, or maybe you've just had enough of the genre and want to see something different or something with more originality? Giving such feedback instead of saying nothing or just saying this game is rubbish or good may bring more developers to the site, which could mean more and better games. Would 'you' give away thousands of copies of a game (or extra content for a game) away to a community that complains all the time instead of giving useful feedback? It only needs a few moments of your time.

This site could be transformed if only the community would be more forthcoming in their opinions of the games they are getting for free instead of complaining about the way this site has changed, for example, they don't like MPC games, they hate HOG's, have had enough of Match Three and Time Management games or they want to see the latest version of Call of Duty or some other big name AAA game given away or that they don't like Steam games. If something isn't for you then please move on to the next giveaway, or check out the forums HERE, HERE and HERE, where a few members of the community post details of various free games and free game sites as well as links to various indie bundle sites etc; you never know, you may find something that really interests you.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE; or If you prefer to purchase the game you can get it HERE via Big Fish Games.

Problems getting the game to work:

If you're having problems installing or activating or getting Escape the Past to work please visit the FAQ's Thread HERE and read through the communities comments because sometimes fixes have already been posted, for example, a common issue seen since the Themida wrapper was introduced three years ago is that some community members installation of the game are blocked by their security because Themida code has been known to hide malware, (usually an error message is flagged for example 'The executable is corrupted' even though in reality it is not); so as a precaution some anti malware programs will block and even delete the suspect installation files even though the files (i.e the setup, read me and setup.gcd files are actually totally free from malware. This issue can be solved either by rebooting your computer in safe mode with networking or a quicker method is to temporarily turn off your security software to allow the installation. You could also try whitelisting the setup.gcd file. In the almost 11 years this game giveaway site has been operating there has 'never' been a game given away that was infected with malware.

If for any reason you want to contact the giveaway team, for example, you have a game to offer the community, or are unable to download the latest game or other issues that the FAQ's thread or these comments don't cover or solve you can do so HERE

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away Escape the Past and also to the game giveaway team, as always, for securing other ways to get free games.

Useful Information not related to today's game giveaway:

If Escape the Past doesn't interest you, but you still hanker for something new to play, you'll find details of some game deals whether they be sale items, indie bundles or games being given away for free HERE (I've not updated the thread in a while, but most of the links still take you to the latest deals).

The rest of the information that used to be posted in the game review can be found in the forums HERE. Finally, check out Delenns threads for details of other free games and offers HERE and eslewhere in the game discussion forums HERE, (usually on the first page of the game discussion forums).

p.s. Thank you for all the kind comments over the last few weeks. It was a scary time. My wife is recovering well. She was allowed home a few days ago. :)