Escape the Catacombs
Escape the Catacombs starts with a fall. Your character slips through a manhole into tunnels under an old city, and the only way home is up, one floor at a time. A small pool of light follows you, and everything outside it belongs to the shambling dead.
Santi Herranz made the game for js13k 2022, where it went by a different name. It is drawn in a tilted isometric view with simple shapes, and it plays in the browser with a keyboard.
How to play Escape the Catacombs
Hit Enter on the title screen to begin. The number at the top is your floor, counting up from zero. Your first job on each floor is to locate the gold key and walk over it.
With the key in hand, find the padlock and bump into it. A rope then lowers onto the exit spot. Stand beneath it and your character pulls themselves up to the next floor automatically. Get past the floor numbered 9 and you are back above ground.
Undead come in waves, announced by a banner. Every bite chips away at your red health bar, and pink hearts on the ground restore it. Run out and you become one of them, so you press Enter to retry that floor. Other trapped survivors wander the tunnels as well, and they can be turned too.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Arrow keys or W A S D | — | — |
| Jump, or swing a held sword | Space | Click | — |
| Start, or retry after being caught | Enter | — | — |
Tips
- Without a weapon, Space only makes you hop. Pick up the first sword you see, since one swing is often enough to drop an attacker.
- Swords get shorter each time you use them and eventually snap. When the blade looks stubby, start scanning for a replacement.
- Running into a survivor who is holding a sword knocks it loose so you can take it. It is rude, but it works.
- Leave pink hearts where they are until you are hurt. They do nothing at full health, and you may need them later on the floor.
- Goggles and a compass show up on deeper floors. The goggles widen your light for a while, and the compass points toward nearby undead.
- Diamonds are purely for bragging rights. They unlock nothing, yet the escape summary tallies each one, so collect them when they sit on your route.
If you like Escape the Catacombs, try these
Can't Get BackExploring a hostile field while hunters close in, collecting numbered generators on a map that forgets your path.
Princess of CoriniumGentler exploring in a medieval town, gathering treasure and healing plague-struck villagers with potions.
Questions
How many floors does Escape the Catacombs have?
Ten, numbered 0 to 9. Climbing out of the last one ends the game and shows your time, diamonds, survivors saved and undead defeated.
What happens when the undead get me?
Your health bar empties and your character turns. You do not lose the whole run, though. Press Enter and that same floor starts again.
Can I play Escape the Catacombs on a phone?
No. Movement needs a keyboard, and the game has no on-screen touch buttons.
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