Escape the Dark Sector – Kickstarter Preview

Themeborne, famous for Escape the Dark Castle, have done something amazing! They have announced a brand-new iteration of the hit game, this time set in the deep, dark expanse of space. Remember, no one can hear you scream, especially in the Dark Sector!

Escape the Dark Sector is Themeborne’s third Kickstarter campaign. The game promises to transport players across the universe to the Dark Sector. Players of the original game will be familiar with the style here. However, Themeborne promise to provide an even more expansive experience, something I am extremely excited to see!

The Game

Much like Escape the Dark Castle, this adventure focuses on story-telling to create an atmosphere. It also uses player co-operation to fuel the story and the adventure. One thing I adore about Escape the Dark Castle is its light-weight nature. Set-up can be done in a couple of minutes and teaching the game is a breeze. We're promised much the same thing with Escape the Dark Sector!

Escape the Dark Sector is driven by a deck of cards, which drive the story and narrative. Players take on the role of a character and will decide who will turn the cards, the effect shown on the card being activated by that player. The game is played over three acts, with a final boss at the end that must be defeated to achieve victory!

Story-wise, players will find themselves taking on the role of a member of the crew of a captured starship. Unfortunately for you, you have been held in the detention centre of a cast space station and it is your prerogative to escape from this hell hole! You must use your initiative, as well as items and weaponry you find on your travels, to escape on your ship!

Of course, it’s not as easy as just strolling through the station, You will be faced with various threats, such as Cyborg Guards or even killer aliens! Make it to the end, defeat the final boss, and your team will be able to escape with your lives! If one of your team perishes however, you can wave goodbye to any chance of escape!

If you are a fan of Escape the Dark Castle, then you are perhaps already drawing similarities with both games. Of course, the core card-turning adventure element remains but is important to note that Escape the Dark Sector is not just a re-skin!

I spoke to the game's designer, Tom Pike, at UKGE. He explained that while this game will have similar mechanics, what they have created is a weightier version of the original game. They've added ranged combat, unique abilities, and the ability to plan your attacks!

Players will have the opportunity to select a cybernetic enhancement at the beginning of the game, giving them a variety of abilities that can be utilised. When fighting enemies, players can also utilise “Tactical Combat Actions” such as “flank” to employ a strategy while fighting monsters and aliens. This element looks really exciting and adds more depth to the combat within the game!

Of course, the addition of ranged combat adds even more to the combat system. Players can obtain a variety of different weaponry, all with stats that will affect the use of them during combat, these stats being dictated by various different dice.

The new features look incredibly exciting. Having played the game at UKGE, I can safely say that old and new players won't be disappointed.