The Escapists 2: Complete Escape Guide

A guide to breaking out of The Escapists 2's prisons: the daily routine, stats, heat and contraband, crafting and the tools that make escapes possible, the main escape methods, prison-by-prison notes, and co-op and versus tips.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC version with all released DLC (no new Escapists 2 content since its DLC run; Team17's recent news covers The Survivalists). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status note: The Escapists 2 (August 2017 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One; Switch January 2018; mobile as Pocket Breakout in January 2019) is complete and still sold, with online and local co-op for up to four players, a Prison Map Editor, and Steam Workshop support. Its paid DLC prisons are Big Top Breakout, Dungeons and Duct Tape, Wicked Ward and The Glorious Regime Prison, plus some free seasonal/festive prisons added after launch (check the Steam DLC list for the current set). Team17's more recent Escapists-universe release is The Survivalists, whose Frostbite Fortress DLC launched on 12 March 2026.

Quick Start

Follow the routine. Roll call, meals, jobs, exercise and showers are required. Missing them raises security and heat.
Take a job. It's your steady income. Losing it by skipping shifts costs you.
Train your stats. Strength and Cardio come from the gym, Intellect from reading and studying. Crafting needs Intellect.
Hide contraband in your desk. Guards search cells and desks, and contraband on your person gets taken if you're caught.
Duct tape solves almost everything. It's in many recipes, so buy or steal it whenever you can.
Cover your tracks. Holes in walls get covered with posters (Magazine + Duct Tape). Tunnels and vent holes need matching covers.
Make a bed dummy before you work at night, so guards think you're asleep at lights-out.
Plan the whole escape before you start. Half-finished escapes that get discovered usually mean solitary and losing everything.

The Daily Routine

Event	What to do
Roll call	Be there. Missing it raises security
Meals	Attend, and use them to steal cutlery and scout
Job	Work your shift to get paid
Free time	Craft, do favours, explore, train
Exercise	Gym for Strength and Cardio
Showers	Attend when scheduled
Lights out	Be in your cell, or have a dummy in bed

Security and heat

Heat goes up when you're seen doing suspicious things like fighting, stealing, being in restricted areas, or holding contraband near guards.
When heat is high, guards get hostile and attack.
Prison security rises when inmates miss routines or cause trouble. Higher security means more patrols, dogs, contraband checks and, eventually, lockdowns.
Getting caught costs you the contraband you're carrying and lands you in solitary. Your desk stash is safe unless it's found in a cell search.
At maximum security the prison goes into total lockdown. Keep security low while you're mid-escape.

Stats

Stat	Raise it by	Why it matters
Strength	Gym equipment	Combat damage and better fights
Cardio (called Fitness in the achievement list)	Gym (running and cardio machines)	Speed and endurance
Intellect	Reading and studying (library, desks, books)	Needed for crafting better items

Train your stats during free time early on. Strong Strength and Cardio make fights and chases much safer, and Intellect gates the better tools you'll need for later prisons.

Money, Favours and Jobs

Jobs pay each day. Popular ones are the kitchen, laundry, mail room and janitor, depending on the prison.
Favours from other inmates pay money and sometimes items. Check the favour board or talk to inmates with quest markers.
Buying items: Inmates sell things, including contraband, from their inventories.

Crafting

Crafting needs the right materials, the right Intellect level, and sometimes a crafting table. Key ideas:

Tools come in tiers: flimsy, lightweight and sturdy versions of pickaxes, shovels and cutters. Better tiers last longer and cut faster.
Covers hide your work: posters for wall holes and matching covers for vents and tunnels.
Disguises and dummies: a bed dummy for night work, and guard outfits (taken from knocked-out guards) to get through staff areas.
Weapons: simple improvised weapons for fights. Fighting a guard is always risky.
Keys: some prisons let you get or copy keys to open staff doors.

The crafting menu shows known recipes. Many recipes are learned by exploring, doing favours, or finding them in prison.

Escape Methods

Method	What you need	Risks
Tunnel	A shovel or pickaxe and a cover for the hole	Guards find open holes. Tunnels take time and tools break
Cutting the fence	Cutters	Very visible. Do it at night or out of sight
Vents	Tools to open vents and covers to hide them	Vents can be patrolled or blocked
Roof	Ways to climb (ladders and similar)	Patrols, and exposure to anyone watching
Disguise	A guard outfit and the right keys	Guards may spot you, especially with high heat
Prison-specific	Unique routes such as trains, aircraft and set-pieces	Often more steps, but more rewarding

Each prison has multiple routes. Scout early by walking the perimeter, checking the vents and noting where guards patrol.

Prisons

Prison	Notes
Centre Perks 2.0	Easiest classic prison. Good for learning the systems
Rattlesnake Springs	Desert prison, a step up from Centre Perks
K.A.P.O.W Camp	A military-style camp
H.M.P Offshore	An island prison. There's a secret escape using a dolphin (achievement "Call Of Snooty")
Fort Tundra	Snowy, tight security. Plan carefully
Area 17	Top-secret base with many unique systems
U.S.S Anomaly	Space prison, the hardest classic prison

Transport prisons like Cougar Creek Railroad (a train) and Air Force Con (an aircraft) are shorter, time-limited escapes. The base game has three of them, and escaping all three earns "The Mobile Escapist". DLC prisons have their own themes: a circus (Big Top Breakout), a medieval castle (Dungeons and Duct Tape), a haunted asylum (Wicked Ward) and a totalitarian regime (The Glorious Regime Prison).

Escaping all classic prisons unlocks The Great Escape achievement.

Achievement Hunting

Most achievements come naturally, but a few need planning:

Achievement	Requirement	Tip
I've Got A Cunning Plan	Perform 7 unique escapes across the Classic prisons	Use a different method each time (tunnel, fence, vent, roof, disguise, prison-specific)
Statistician	Max out all three stats	Train a little every day from the start rather than grinding at the end
Good Intentions	3 consecutive days with Guard Heat at 0 in one session	Pick a quiet day in Centre Perks 2.0, attend everything, carry no contraband
Crook Of All Trades	Complete the quota once for every job	Tracked across prisons and sessions, so swap jobs whenever one opens up
Tell Me What's Your Favour	Complete 100 favours	Take every favour you can; they also fund your escapes
Call Of Snooty	Escape H.M.P. Offshore on Snooty the Dolphin	A prison-specific route worth looking up
Wind Up Merchant, Monster Mash, Siege The Day	Complete each unique multiplayer escape	These need a co-op partner
It's A Long Shot, A Grave Affair, 'Tis But A Scratch	Complete each unique single-player escape	Each is tied to a specific prison's solo-only route

Several achievements (for example the Big Top Breakout, Wicked Ward and Dungeons and Duct Tape escapes and their quests) need the matching DLC.

Multiplayer

Co-op: Up to four players online or on one screen. Some prisons have multiplayer-only escape routes that need more than one player.
Versus: Two to four players race to escape first. Fights in the yard are allowed.
Tips: Divide the jobs. One player earns money and runs favours, another crafts, another scouts and digs. Share materials and don't let everyone get heat at the same time.

Prison Map Editor

The editor lets you build your own prisons and share them on Steam Workshop. Start by playing a few community prisons, then build one to learn how routines, guards and security are placed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Carrying contraband during searches or near detectors. Stash it in your desk.
Leaving holes uncovered. Guards will find them.
Skipping routines all the time. Security rises and makes everything harder.
Fighting guards on a whim. Heat goes up and you'll end up in solitary.
Using flimsy tools on big jobs. They break quickly.
Starting an escape with no plan. Half an escape that gets found usually means losing everything.

Advanced Tips

Work at night. A bed dummy covers your absence at lights-out, and there are fewer patrols.
Use the job and favour loop early to fund tools and duct tape.
Learn guard patrols before committing to an escape route.
Don't carry tools you aren't using. Keep them in your desk and only pull them out for the job at hand, so a random shakedown doesn't wipe out your kit.
In co-op, use distractions. One player draws attention while another works.
Try the prison-specific escapes. They're often the most fun and come with achievements.

FAQ

What's the easiest prison? Centre Perks 2.0 is the gentlest introduction.

How do I hide a hole in my cell wall? Craft a poster from a Magazine and Duct Tape and put it over the hole.

What happens if I'm caught? You lose the contraband you were carrying and are placed in solitary. Items stashed in your desk are safe unless guards find them in a search.

Can I play with friends? Yes. Up to four players online or in local split-screen, in co-op or versus.

Is the Season Pass worth it? It bundles DLC prisons such as Big Top Breakout, Dungeons and Duct Tape and Wicked Ward. If you enjoy the base game, it's good value, especially on sale.

Does The Escapists 2 need the first game? No. It's standalone, with its own prisons and systems.