84
MONSTER
Back to the Dawn
An exciting RPG set in a maximum-security prison populated by animals of every shape and size. Survive, explore, and escape! Along the way, you’ll interact with a motley crew of interesting and unique characters. Be strong and be smart! It's not just yourself you're saving, it's the whole city!
Game analysis
Monster Scorecard
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Reviews
22 reviews found100
XBLA Fans
Aug 8, 2025
I could not get enough of this game while I was playing it. I played for hours every day trying to get everything done. When I accomplished everything I could, I searched for more information on the third protagonist that hasn’t been released yet. It’s the first game in a long time that I couldn’t put down, and when it was time to, I had a hard time doing so. I couldn’t even cover half of what I wanted to in the review. There’s crafting, lockpicking, sneaking, extorting, TV night, poker, and the list goes on. There are so many great moments to experience, and many people will want to do every escape method and bond with every single character. The new game plus works perfectly, and with so much to do, you may spend as much time as I did while being incarcerated. Score: Must Buy Back to the Dawn was published by Spiral Up Games and developed by Metal Head Games on Xbox One.
100
Gaming Furever
Jul 19, 2025
Back to the Dawn is truly surprising. Its scale is much more deep than its surface appearance gives off, and you can tell how much the development team invested into the creative storytelling process. It shows in every decision you make, every animation of every animal character, and every story beat you hit. Living within and trying to make your escape from out of the prison feels important and impactful, and you really find yourself caring about (some) of the people locked inside there with you, and the people trying to help you get out (literally and figuratively) of the conflicts you find yourself wrapped up in. If you start Back to the Dawn, don’t expect to put it down until you finish it…and then finish it again.
100
Try Hard Guides
Jul 17, 2025
Back to the Dawn is one of the most unique indie RPGs I’ve played in recent memory—gritty, tense, mechanically rewarding, and full of well-developed characters who surprise you with their humanity, despite being cartoon animals. Its depiction of prison life is thoughtful and serious without relying on shock value, and the branching narrative gives your decisions real weight. Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review of Back to the Dawn.
100
Thumb Culture
Aug 1, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
TheXboxHub
Aug 20, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
STWGames Italia
Jul 15, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
Game8
Jul 15, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
GameLuster
Aug 4, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
88
The Games Machine
Jul 30, 2025
Summary and quote unavailable.
85
Worth Playing
Jul 15, 2025
Overall, I found Back to the Dawn to be an incredibly fun and well-crafted game, especially for its budget cost. The excellent visuals and compelling gameplay systems make it one of the best prison escape games I've ever played, and I quickly wanted to hop back in and try a different run even after a successful prison escape. It's just a well-made game from start to finish, and I wanted to go back for more. If you're even slightly interested in the concept, Back to the Dawn is well worth playing and a great example of how indie RPGs can shine.
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