There are a lot of square-box 2D platformers. There is a sub-genre within that, which is about pixels escaping screens or bits escaping computers. Bit ESC is a game that puts you in the perspective of a bit escaping an operating system. For the vast majority of the game, it is a 2D platformer, but it is also a living and breathing operating system in use.
Half the fun of Bit ESC is seeing how solo developer Essssam weaves in the operating system into its gameplay, rather than just being window dressing. I’m going to keep my review slightly vague because I don’t want to spoil the surprises, but two early examples paint why I enjoyed Bit ESC. One area involves the solitaire card game FreeCell, popping up as a way to traverse the screen. Later on, a Tetris-like game kicks off to help you climb up a screen. There are lots of mini-games that are entirely optional, and actually quite a lot of Bit ESC is optional. Many surprises are hidden behind challenges that are highlighted by coloured hues on screen exits. Green lets you follow the main path of the game, whilst other colours signal different challenges. There are also accessibility options to help out gamers, such as a double jump feature. This can be handy for less-skilled platformers because there are some tricky, time-sensitive challenges to overcome. Web browsers close if you stand on them. Sometimes a mouse cursor chases you around the screen. The inner workings of the operating system might fire surveillance lasers at you, thinking you are a virus. You’ll need to act fast, often. You might even race characters from other pretend games in the Bit ESC universe who have completely different move sets from you. Stay fast, nimble, and practice.
Thankfully, the platforming feels sturdy and consistent. Movement is fast enough to keep you on your toes, and the collision detection works very well. Bit ESC changes its colour palettes and pixel art design quite often, and whilst that provides some great level theming, it does occasionally cause a few inadvertent errors. Some enemies can be touched, others can’t, and it’s through trial and error that you’ll find out, because there isn’t an obvious common visual cue to call out what can be attacked. Death doesn’t cost much in Bit ESC, as you’ll go back to the last checkpoint, and they are liberally placed around the environment. This is crucial, as Bit ESC has multiple branching paths in the story, not just the world itself, and you’ll want to explore the multiple endings over time.
Key to finding the endings is collecting golden OS cubes. They are scattered around the edges of different levels, mostly as optional challenges to complete. Some are locked behind mini-games, like fishing, to win from shopkeepers as trade items. They are a joy to find, and if you are a completionist, that trait will hold you in good stead for seeing all the game has to offer. At the time of review, the game has some endings locked whilst the developer finishes them off, but there are still several endings available right now. Once they are in, I’m sure it’ll raise the value proposition of Bit ESC even higher for the price point. I’m glad the developer is taking time to refine them, as I did run into a few glitches and crashes during my playtime early on, but these seemed to be patched out during my playthroughs when going for multiple endings.
Creative, charming, inventive, self-aware without making it cringey, and suitably retro – Bit ESC entertained and amused me. It is a challenge, but one that is satisfying to tackle, and it pays you back with a game that is full of ideas that I hope you take the time to discover. A hidden gem awaiting discovery.
Review copy provided by the developer. Bit ESC is out on PC.
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