In iEscaper!, you play the role of a ninja that has successfully infiltrated the enemy’s lair to steal secret scrolls, but has been trapped inside a single room. The object of the game is to find hidden items and solve puzzles in order to escape the room unharmed. It’s a great game for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will have you occupied for quite some time.

The main menu has three simple options. You can change the volume level, start a new game or continue where you previously left off. When you start a new game, a beautiful intro movie throws you into the first room to escape from. The intro movie is in first person view and really makes you feel like a ninja sneaking around. I wish they took this concept a bit further and included cut scenes during the game.

Once inside the room, you can start tapping away to find objects to collect. Each area of the room you face is static, meaning there are no animations. You can tap on areas to move in for a closer view or you can tap on arrows to turn to face another side of the room. Each new position transitions smoothly with a gently fade in and out. There are two main buttons at the top of the screen for options and inventory. When you tap on an object that can be collected, it is place in your inventory, which can be opened at any time. The inventory will become important, as you can see details about an object, equip an object to use and combine objects together. Many times, while in the detail view, you can manipulate an object to reveal something new.

The game only has three rooms to escape from. Yet, each room gets progressively harder and will occupy more and more of your time. Not only do you have to find hidden objects throughout the room, but you also have to think about how those objects may be used in the room, or how they work together to solve a problem. The third room is quite difficult to figure out and there are no hints to help you. There are subtitles throughout the game, but they mostly say things you were already aware of. There are also hidden dangers that may cause you to lose your life and try again. But, if you die, you start from exactly where you left off.

The sound clips throughout the game are done well, however there is no music in the background. Each level has the same ambient noise of the outside world, with an occasional owl hoot. Sound is something that could be developed a bit more in the next update. The graphics are also done very well, offering beautifully rendered scenes.

iEscaper! is definitely a fun and challenging game. The main criticism I have is the lack of rooms to escape from. Even though the rooms in this game are challenging and do take some time to solve, there should be a few more levels that come with the package. I hope the developer adds more content in the next update. iEscaper! is truly an enjoyable experience and I strongly recommend checking it out. If you’re skeptical, then try out the LITE version for free.