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Escape from Ever After

Released: 1/23/2026

Critics
83
vs
Users
98

Score Breakdown

83.1

Critic Average

16 reviews

98

Steam User Score

913 reviews

89

Metacritic User Score

27 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity
-15.1

83 vs 98

Metacritic Disparity
-6.9

83 vs 89

Combined Disparity
-11.0

Average of both sources

Review Disparities

Positive = critic higher than usersNegative = critic lower than users

Each point represents a critic review. Hover for details. Positive = critic higher than users. Negative = critic lower.

2/8/2026

Launch Window

Quote not yet available

80

80/100

Read

2/6/2026

Launch Window

Escape Ever After pairs a clever satirical premise with charming storybook visuals, delivering a creative RPG experience that doesn’t always maintain its momentum.

84

84/100

Read

2/3/2026

Launch Window

The best Paper Mario game since The Thousand Year Door just so happens to be missing the Paper Mario nametag. Escape From Ever After spins an entertaining fairy-tale yarn, backed by likeable characters, smartly designed combat, and a clear affection for the genre it’s riffing on.

80

80/100

Read

2/3/2026

Launch Window

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in an actual fairytale? To approach the castle of your archnemesis, knock down the door and…find it converted into an office space? That’s the premise behind Escape From Ever After, a delightful rpg inspired by the classic Paper Mario games. If you needed a fun game to take you back to those days and scratch an itch you didn’t know you had, Escape From Ever After is for you.

80

80/100

Read

1/30/2026

Launch Window

Don't judge a book by its cover. Escape From Ever After hides a depth that many “adult” games would love to have.

83

83/100

Read

1/30/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After is one of those indie games that takes you by surprise and stays with you. It's very original and full of humor, the combat system is challenging but fair, and the design makes the most of each setting. If you're in the mood for a turn-based RPG with personality, go for it.

80

80/100

Read

1/30/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After surpasses its inspiration with a captivating story, fun protagonists, and varied gameplay, including moves and accessories , plus extra modes that increase duration and challenge. However, the pacing of some stages makes the fights repetitive quickly.

70

70/100

Read

1/28/2026

Launch Window

In many ways this feels like a creative, and often funny, alternative take on the Paper Mario formula, but it isn’t quite as polished

83

83/100

Read

1/27/2026

Launch Window

Quote not yet available

75

75/100

Read

1/27/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After establishes its lighthearted fairy tale world wonderfully with its endearing visuals, characters, and music and it plays superbly to boot thanks to its impressively strategic party setup and battle mechanics. What an absolute delight! 📖

86

86/100

Read

1/26/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After feels like a game that knows what it’s trying to do and sticks the landing. It takes familiar turn-based RPG ideas and gives them a fun twist, with a story that’s self-aware without trying too hard to be clever. The combat stays interesting thanks to the timing-based mechanics, and the world has enough personality to keep you invested as you move through it.

88

88/100

Read

1/26/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After is the Paper Mario style game I've been waiting for since the GameCube, with a seriously charming fairytale setting.

90

90/100

Read

1/23/2026

Launch Window

Escape from Ever After is much more than a turn-based RPG with increasing numbers; it's a narrative and playful experience with its own personality.

90

90/100

Read

1/23/2026

Launch Window

Just like its literary inspirations, Escape from Ever After has found ways to not only make them lived-in but flesh them out with unique enemies and bosses.

80

80/100

Read

1/22/2026

Early Review

Since the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door in 2004, developers—including Nintendo—have searched for the next big hit, and with Escape from Ever After, Sleepy Castle Studio delivers a charming yet deep RPG that lovingly honors its inspiration while offering strong writing, rich gameplay systems, colorful worlds, a fantastic soundtrack, and only minor flaws.

90

90/100

Read

1/13/2026

Early Review

Escape from Ever After is a great game, and considering how people took to last year’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, part of me wonders if this Paper Mario-inspired game will have the same effect. It’s really wonderful to see a two-person team like this fund a successful Kickstarter, who probably played games like Paper Mario when they were younger to understand how to deliver such a strong, reminiscent game, and I look forward to what Sleepy Castle Studio has planned next.

90

90/100

Read