73
My stance on Escape from Ever After is clear. The characters, music, and writing are tons of fun and exude plenty of charm. Unfortunately, the gameplay, especially the mushy controls, sharp difficulty spikes, and maddening puzzles, left me feeling cold. So, despite its potential, Escape from Ever After was a middle-of-the-road Paper Mario-style experience for me.
85
Escape From Ever After is a brisk, 16-hour Paper Mario–style RPG that the reviewer feels surpasses its inspiration through sharp, genuinely funny writing and excellent balance between combat, puzzles, and platforming. Despite a few rough edges in timing-based inputs and platforming precision, its fast pacing, forgiving difficulty, and energetic, saxophone-driven soundtrack make it a standout, must-play entry in the genre.
90
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.
8
Great 20 hour experience. A witty, funny, and charming RPG (with a heartwarming ending) that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
10
10/10 game and my personal favorite of 2026! A fantastic Paper Mario-inspired game that deserves more attention.
7
An unabashed Paper Mario Like. The story and humor is well enough presented. Combat eventually gets tedious and boring. Its necessary to do a bit of side material before beating the last boss. Eventually ran its course for me but was the perfect length for this type of game.
Escape from Ever After
Released On:
Jan 23, 2026
Metascore
Generally Favorable
82
User score
Generally Favorable
8.9
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
82
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 6, 2026
90
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.
Mar 6, 2026
85
Escape From Ever After is a brisk, 16-hour Paper Mario–style RPG that the reviewer feels surpasses its inspiration through sharp, genuinely funny writing and excellent balance between combat, puzzles, and platforming. Despite a few rough edges in timing-based inputs and platforming precision, its fast pacing, forgiving difficulty, and energetic, saxophone-driven soundtrack make it a standout, must-play entry in the genre.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.9
91% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
6% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Feb 15, 2026
10
10/10 game and my personal favorite of 2026! A fantastic Paper Mario-inspired game that deserves more attention.
Feb 10, 2026
10
I literally just finished beating the game. This game is a master class. It brings back the nostalgia of the paper Mario series (I’m particularly a big fan of paper Mario thousand year door and super paper Mario, to a lesser, yet enthusiastic extent). This game has really great combat, with game mechanics, you would expect from the paper Mario series. It has lots of great comedy, a story that will actually keep you on your toes, twist, and turns, and everything that I personally could want from a turn base video game, as it presents itself to be.I was somebody who donated $25 to the Kickstarter campaign of this game several years ago, and I think that it absolutely delivered on what it promised to be. If I could get more people to play this game, I absolutely would. I hope they come out with a follow up, or something similar in the future. The studio did a fantastic job and I’m very excited to see what might come about in the future. I’m glad that they never stopped working on this game, I’m glad that it got to love it deserved, and I’m glad that it is such an enjoyable play through, from beginning to end. Buy this game, everyone!
Jan 30, 2026
83
Escape from Ever After takes a cautious first step, then steadily turns into a witty, character-rich RPG that knows how to have fun with fairy-tale tropes and turn-based combat. The last boss may lack punch, but the journey’s humor and combat variety make it an expedition worth taking.
Feb 9, 2026
80
Escape from Ever After discusses the harm that capitalism can have on whimsical, creative, wholesome ideas, such as fairy tales. It features a cast of adorable characters that need to work together to try to save a world that is slowly losing its magic. The combat may have been an issue, but the rest of this party RPG was super charming and exciting to explore. For those who love Paper Mario or cute RPGs, Escape from Ever After may just be your next favourite adventure.
Jan 28, 2026
80
While there are many layers here – it’s a Paper Mario homage, it’s an original fantasy adventure and it adapts beloved IP – each idea is given time to evolve. There’s a delicate balance required, and developers Sleepy Castle Studio and Wing-It! Creative have managed it very well indeed.
Jan 23, 2026
80
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.
Mar 23, 2026
73
My stance on Escape from Ever After is clear. The characters, music, and writing are tons of fun and exude plenty of charm. Unfortunately, the gameplay, especially the mushy controls, sharp difficulty spikes, and maddening puzzles, left me feeling cold. So, despite its potential, Escape from Ever After was a middle-of-the-road Paper Mario-style experience for me.
Feb 5, 2026
10
jogo é um tributo a paper mario,porem com sua propria identidade,vale muito a pena e pelo preço é mais um custo beneficio
Jan 30, 2026
10
The best Paper Mario game we've gotten since TTYD. no other indie attempt has come this close. For the price this is beyond a steal and easily 20+ hrs to 100%.
Jan 28, 2026
10
Escape from Ever After is a super cozy game and perfect for chill evening sessions. Plays great on Steam Deck, very comfy to pick up and relax. The Paper Mario inspired art style looks awesome and adds a lot of charm. Great vibes overall.
Feb 11, 2026
7
An unabashed Paper Mario Like. The story and humor is well enough presented. Combat eventually gets tedious and boring. Its necessary to do a bit of side material before beating the last boss. Eventually ran its course for me but was the perfect length for this type of game.
Jan 28, 2026
5
the level system is what ruins this! early game is good but the level system is bad you can only choose to receive one upgrade per level. you soon find out you need more trinket slots since the only way to get defense is with trinkets there are NO EQUIPS. so later on you have to sacrifice health etc and you need to do perfect blocks each time otherwise you get slammed with 5-7 dmg each time with little health. sure you can use assist but than that's cheating
SummaryA magical and mysterious place, legends say that the Sleepy Castle is a place where characters from classic bedtime stories can all gather and live together peacefully. But one day a powerful curse corrupted the castle's storybooks, turning these tales topsy-turvy and unleashing distorted storybook monsters out into the real world! With... Read More
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch
- PC
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date:Jan 23, 2026
Developer:
- Sleepy Castle Studio
Publisher:
