Escape Space

Escape Space is a space combat game where you play as a mercenary and choose which factions you are willing to fight for. Your actions have consequences, and your choices shape your run through a selection of story missions and procedurally generated contracts.

Choose your faction

The three factions have different weapons and approaches to combat:

• The Earth Military Conglomerate: the Earth's military faction, which usually relies on large guns and ballistic weapons.
• The Void Outlaws: renegades in space who use unusual tactics and a wide variety of weapons, depending on what they have stolen.
• The Quantum Riders: a scientist cult focused on new technology, with high-end energy weapons and shields.

Follow the story

There are 22 handcrafted story missions, with up to 12 available in a single run. You can choose from three paths at the beginning, and play all 22 missions across them. Story mission difficulty is fixed and cannot be changed.

Between story missions, you can take procedurally generated contracts for factions you choose to support. These let you earn money or reputation, and come in five difficulty levels. Higher difficulties bring greater risks and rewards; completing contracts can also help you earn gear and upgrades.

Take on missions

The game has up to seven mission types, which unlock as you progress through the story:

• Elimination: fight through enemy waves, then hunt down a priority target.
• Collect: battle waves of enemies and gather enough of a requested component from their scrap.
• Escort: protect an allied, defenseless unit as it travels through a space sector by destroying enemies in its path.
• Warfare: join a conflict between two factions, with reinforcements from the faction that requested help.
• Rush: assault an enemy faction's position, break through its defenses and destroy all its units.
• Survival: fight waves for a set time, then decide whether to continue for more rewards by defeating more enemies.
• Mayhem: take on a fleet containing numerous elite enemies.

Equip your ship

You start with the Firestorm machine gun unlocked and can expand your arsenal to 17 weapons, either gifted or purchased. You can also unlock and select 12 mods, including a passive energy shield and an active E.M.P. system, to add perks to your ship.

There are 45 upgrades to improve your spaceship. You can choose which ones to unlock first to suit your playstyle. For appearance, you can select from 18 colors for the ship's primary and secondary layers, and choose the color of its thruster exhaust.

Pixel art and music

The game's assets are handmade in pixel art. Its soundtrack was made with Scott Hsu.