Summary
- Escape Academy is the free Epic Games Store game for January 16.
- The escape-the-room-style puzzler is the fourth EGS freebie of 2025.
- Based on its OpenCritic score, Escape Academy is set to be the highest-rated game that EGS has given away in 2025 so far.
The Epic Games Store free game for January 16 is Escape Academy. As per usual, Epic Games Store users will have a week to claim it.
Developed by Los Angeles-based Coin Crew Games, Escape Academy is an escape-the-room-style puzzle game that was originally released for PC and consoles in July 2022. The game puts players in the shoes of students of the titular academy, tasking them with training to become "escape room masters."
Epic Games Store: A Comprehensive List Of Every Free Game It's Had To Date
Here's a list of all the games that have been made free on the Epic Games Store. You have until January 15 to get the current free game.
Escape Academy has now been confirmed as the next EGS freebie. PC gamers will be able to claim it on Thursday, January 16, as soon as the Epic Games Store stops giving away Turmoil. Escape Academy will be free to grab on the digital storefront until January 23.
Escape Academy Was Already Free on EGS Once Before
The Epic Games Store has already given away Escape Academy in the past, using it as its free mystery game for January 1, 2024. However, this upcoming giveaway will mark the first occasion on which the 2022 title will be free on the digital storefront for a full week. The timing of this freebie is particularly convenient for Xbox Game Pass members, as Escape Academy is scheduled to leave Microsoft's subscription service on January 15 following an 18-month stint on the platform.
Epic Games Store Free Games in January 2025
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance (January 1)
- Hell Let Loose (January 2 – 9)
- Turmoil (January 9 – 16)
- Escape Academy (January 16 – 23)
Escape Academy has a "Strong" rating on OpenCritic, based on an average score of 80 and an 88% reviewer recommendation rate. This will make it the highest-rated game that the Epic Games Store has given away in 2025 so far. Its overall level of critical acclaim is matched by its player impressions, with the game boasting "Very Positive" reviews on Steam and 4.42- and 4.2-star ratings on the PlayStation and Xbox Stores, respectively. In addition to being playable solo, Escape Academy also supports online and split-screen multiplayer. Far from being an afterthought, this mode is so well-realized that the title is widely regarded as one of the best co-op puzzle games in recent memory.
Escape Academy will mark the fourth Epic Games Store freebie of 2025, after Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Hell Let Loose, and Turmoil—in that order. The platform's fifth free game of the year is expected to be announced on January 16, as soon as Escape Academy becomes claimable. Players who find themselves enjoying the base experience can also pick up two DLC packs in the form of Escape From Anti-Escape Island and Escape From the Past, priced at $9.99 each. Alternatively, these two pieces of post-launch content can be purchased together for $14.99, which is the price of Escape Academy's Season Pass.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- July 14, 2022
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Violence
- Developer(s)
- Coin Crew Games
- Publisher(s)
- iam8bit
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
You've just arrived at Escape Academy, a school where promising students train to become the ultimate Escape Room Master.
Play over a dozen masterfully hand crafted rooms, designed by experienced experts in the field of REAL LIFE escape rooms.
Experience the entirety of Escape Academy alone in single player OR through two player co-operative play. Available in local or online splitscreen.
Explore the campus of Escape Academy and get to know the faculty, a colorful cast of characters, each an expert in the art of Escape. And some with secrets yet to be uncovered...
- Number of Players
- 1-2
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Puzzle
- How Long To Beat
- 4 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 4 GB (November 2023)
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
