Setting is the unsung hero in our stories. Our focus is so often on star-making characters, like Superman and Roy Batty, or on plot twists or aesthetics that we forget how setting informs all of that. When it comes to RPGs, our settings are woefully homogenous. Forests, caves, temples, airships, quaint villages and dystopian cities are usually in the mix. If you’re craving something different, you’re in luck. The best new RPG on game pass skips the tropes for something fresh and tantalizing: a prison break.
Back to the Dawn from Metal Head Games is not your average RPG. It serves up a surprisingly deep mix of character progression, vibrant anthropomorphic style, and a truly eclectic set of minigames. It’s as if Papers, Please, The Escapists, and Zootopia were thrown into a cell together and told to plot their escape.
At its core, Back to the Dawn is a story-driven prison escape RPG. There are two story paths to choose from. In one, you play as a disgraced journalist fox framed for a crime he didn’t commit, set up by an evil mayor who wanted you to stop asking questions. In the other, you’re an undercover cop on one last assignment, driven by personal revenge.
Whichever path you choose, you must navigate the brutal, corrupt world of Boulderton Prison. But rather than fall into grimdark tropes, the game leans into its anthropomorphic cast to deliver levity, personality, and surprise at every turn. Every character, from the imposing warden to the twitchy squirrel cellmate with hacking skills, is dripping with personality and layered backstory.
Setting the story inside Boulderton gives the character development the perfect canvas to shine. While escaping is the ultimate goal, the journey is more of a social puzzle than fetch quests and checklists. The choices you make influence who trusts you, who fears you, and who might sell you out.
Dialogue trees, faction alliances, skill trees, and reputation systems give weight to every interaction. Your focus points and stamina limit you to so many actions per day, and with some unpredictable results, you’ll have to choose wisely. This is an RPG built for multiple runs, not endless grinds.
Where many RPGs use minigames as lazy padding, Back to the Dawn treats them like tools in your escape kit. Smuggling contraband? That’s a stealth mini-challenge. Need to craft a shiv or a lockpick? Time to engage with a precision-based crafting minigame. Want to boost your strength? Hit the gym for rhythm-timed weightlifting reps. Even job tasks like laundry or cooking become tiny, engaging gameplay loops that tie into your resource and reputation economy. If you’re worried this gets stale, don’t. After a few successful attempts you can automate the routine minigames in exchange for a few stamina points so you can focus on more complex tasks.
What makes these minigames sing is how well they’re integrated into the narrative and progression systems. They aren’t just gimmicks. And because each one is styled differently, from old-school arcade vibes to slick modern interfaces, there’s always a sense of discovery rather than repetition.
Visually, Back to the Dawn strikes an improbable balance between cartoon charm and institutional bleakness. The animal characters are expressive and beautifully animated, with strong 2D art that somehow manages to be both endearing and grounded. The prison environment is grimy, crowded, and packed with details. It feels alive with tension and opportunity.
Lighting, color palettes, and environmental storytelling all work in tandem to reinforce the game’s dual identity: this is a dark world filled with corruption and brutality, but also resilience, wit, and community. The soundtrack supports that vibe, offering a mix of noir jazz, ambient tension, and pulsing beats that rise when you’re on the verge of discovery or doom.
What truly sets Back to the Dawn apart is how open-ended its approach to escape is. You can brute force your way out with raw strength, manipulate your way through social dynamics, dig tunnels, start riots, or even hack into security systems with the help of the right allies. Each method feels valid, earned, and satisfying, lending massive replay value to the experience.
Whether you want to be a Robin Hood-type smuggling meds to sick inmates, a conniving fixer controlling the black market, or just a journalist trying to survive long enough to clear your name, the game allows it—and rewards it.
Back to the Dawn is a rare gem: a genre-blending RPG that doesn't sacrifice depth for charm or style for systems. It’s witty without being shallow, serious without being grim, and packed with enough gameplay variety to make every hour feel fresh. Whether you're in it for the character arcs, the strategic planning, or just the joy of seeing a raccoon smuggle a spoon in his tail, this is one breakout worth planning.
