Back to the Dawn on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
You were framed and incarcerated. Learn to survive in prison. Explore every inch and exploit any weakness. Manipulate and scheme. Make friends (or foes) with fellow inmates and with their help, break out of prison.
Back to the Dawn is a rpg, story rich and pixel graphics game
developed by Metal Head Games
and published by Spiral Up Games.
Released on November 02nd 2023 is available only on Windows
in 4 languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Traditional Chinese.
It has received 4,935 reviews of which 4,579 were positive and 356 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam, but you can find it for 11.22€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Back to the Dawn into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Back to the Dawn through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7/8/10
- Processor: Intel i5
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 750ti
- Storage: 3 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
I can not recommend this game enough. I played the demo and immediately loved it. I've played it through twice and with a strategic save, I managed to see 3 different endings. There is a lot to do here and much to do in order to make your escape and clear your name. You must manage your time well and some tasks can only be completed at certain times of the day. Also, I'd like to note that the use of anthropomorphism is absolutely genius here. One, it just makes it more interesting and two, it makes identifying individual prisoners so much easier. Imagine a room full of prisoners wearing the same outfit, albeit in 3 different colors, and trying to remember if Jimbo had handlebar mustache or a fumanchu. No, Jimbo is the only elephant in the room.
Expand the review
I adore this game, it's crazy how much it's flying under the radar. Basically it's a life sim/choices matter kind of deal. Live in prison, go through the daily routine, work on raising your stats and skills and do one of a crazy number of different paths to escape. Honestly, I can't emphasise enough how much effort they put into these different routes. There was a SECRET, hidden escape path I found that included like six entirely new characters you'd never even see otherwise with full animations. Be aware -if the idea of the escape time limit puts you off, you can just NG+ and keep almost all of your progress, you only lose your cash and items on a reset. I actually use this game to relax and just slowly max everything, when normally time limits would really stress me out
Expand the review
Hands down, one of the best games I've experienced in the last decade. Incredible believable character arcs, breathtaking pixel graphics and a storyline that'll keep you at the edge of your seat. Great gameplay all-around. One of my top games of all time, I'm so excited to play as the new character in 2025!
Expand the review
Concise Game Reviews: "Back to the Dawn" (Scroll down for the longer version) Game Value: ✅ Recommended for players who enjoy deep role-playing experiences, prison escape narratives, and strategic survival mechanics. Offers a blend of exploration, manipulation, and character interaction in a detailed prison setting. Game Tags: ✔Survival ✔Role-Playing ✔Exploration ✔Strategy ✔Prison Escape ✔Character Interaction ✔Crafting ✔Mystery ✔Dark Comedy Genre Classification: A survival role-playing game set in a maximum-security prison, focusing on escape planning, resource management, and complex social interactions with a dark narrative backdrop. Game Length: Approximately 40-60 hours, with open-ended gameplay and numerous pathways to escape and interact with the prison environment. Challenge Level: High; features intricate resource management, strategic planning, and complex character interactions, with difficulty influenced by player choices and actions. Graphics: Detailed and immersive prison environment with a focus on realism and dark humor, bringing the prison life and its various elements to life. Technical Stability: Generally stable with minimal technical issues reported, providing a reliable gameplay experience. Replay Value: High; offers multiple escape strategies, character interactions, and narrative outcomes, ensuring diverse and replayable experiences. For further insights, feel free to join my [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/MaverickGameVault]Steam group or follow my updates on my [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/MaverickGameVault/curation]curator page . Detailed review: Key Features: 🌟 Intricate Escape Planning: Dive into a detailed prison environment where your primary goal is to escape, using strategic planning and resource management to navigate challenges. 🔥 Dynamic Social Interactions: Build relationships or rivalries with a colorful cast of inmates, influencing the game's outcome through alliances and conflicts. 🎯 Resource Management and Crafting: Manage your character's needs, gather resources, and craft tools to aid in your escape while balancing various in-game metrics. 🎨 Rich Dark Comedy Aesthetics: Enjoy a visually immersive and humor-filled representation of prison life, with attention to detail that enhances the narrative experience. ⚙️ Varied Gameplay Scenarios: Explore multiple paths to freedom and engage in diverse scenarios, from stealthy manipulation to full-scale disruption. 🌟 Overview: "Back to the Dawn" is a role-playing game set in a maximum-security prison where players must navigate survival, escape planning, and social dynamics. The game emphasizes deep interaction with fellow inmates, resource management, and strategic escape mechanisms within a richly detailed and immersive environment. 🎮 Gameplay: The gameplay in this game is exceptionally rich and immersive, offering a diverse range of activities and interactions: 🌍 Exploration: Navigate the extensive prison environment, which includes various areas like the gym, reading club, video room, and more, uncovering secrets and potential escape routes. 🔧 Crafting/Upgrade System: Craft tools and upgrade your abilities to enhance your chances of survival and escape. 🤝 Social Interaction: Build relationships with almost every prisoner and guard. You can forge alliances, create rivalries, or even make enemies. Your interactions influence the prison dynamics and your escape plan. 📞 Communication: Make phone calls to friends, your lawyer, or loved ones. You can also receive mail and request objects or money from your contacts. 🎲 Mini-Games and Jobs: Engage in various mini-games such as working in the laundry (ironing clothes) or performing physical labor on the roof to earn money. Alternatively, you can engage in more dubious activities like gambling, theft, extortion, and illegal trade. 📈 Stats Management: Manage various stats such as strength, charisma, and stealth to impact your abilities and interactions. ⚔️ Faction Dynamics: Join different prison factions. Successfully completing missions for a faction earns you rewards and allies but can make you enemies with rival factions. Remaining neutral may lead to regular extortion attempts from others. 🏋️ Physical Training: Participate in sports and workouts to build strength and enhance your self-defense capabilities. 🛁 Facilities: The prison features essential facilities including showers, cells, a gym, a reading club, and a video room for entertainment. The game is remarkably realistic, providing a fully immersive experience. Instead of playing as humans, you'll embody animals, adding a unique twist to the storyline and interactions. The depth and variety of gameplay ensure a compelling and enjoyable experience reminiscent of the mobile game "PrisonRPG" and inspired by the popular series "Prison Break." 📖 Story and Depth: The game follows a journalist wrongfully imprisoned as part of a conspiracy, set in a maximum-security prison. You play as animals, adding a unique twist to the survival and manipulation themes. The diverse cast of animal characters, each with distinct backgrounds, enriches the narrative. Your interactions and choices shape the story, which evolves with your actions. Future updates will include new characters, like an undercover police officer, expanding the storyline further. 🏆 Verdict: This game offers a deeply immersive role-playing experience set in a meticulously designed prison. Its blend of strategic planning, rich character interactions, and engaging storytelling makes it a standout. Players manage resources, navigate intricate social dynamics, and develop inventive escape plans within a darkly comedic setting. What sets it apart is the emphasis on player choice and interaction, contributing to a dynamic and evolving experience. Although the complexity of managing resources and social relations might be daunting for some, the rewards for overcoming these challenges are significant. From my perspective, this game leaves a lasting impression. It’s incredibly comprehensive, ensuring players are constantly engaged. With future updates promising new characters and scenarios, its appeal will only grow. I highly recommend it to fans of "Prison Break" and similar series, where dealing with prison gangs and investigating intricate plots are key. Having bought the game on release and eagerly awaited its arrival, I find it a must-play for anyone interested in deep, narrative-driven gameplay. ✅ Good: 👍 Deep Role-Playing: Complex interactions and escape planning. 👍 Immersive Setting: Detailed prison setting with a darkly humorous tone and a unique twist—players are animals. 👍 Strategic Gameplay: Engaging resource management and decision-making, including diverse mini-games and jobs. 👍 Replay Value: Multiple escape routes and faction dynamics. 👍 Future Updates: New characters, like an undercover officer, will add depth and variety. 🛠️ Ways of Improvement: 👎 Mini-Game Difficulty: Some mini-games, like weightlifting, are too challenging.
Expand the review
---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{ Difficulty }--- ☐ Just press 'W' ☑ Easy ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☐ Significant brain usage ☐ Difficult ☐ Dark Souls ---{ Grind }--- ☐ Nothing to grind ☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks ☐ Isn't necessary to progress ☑ Average grind level ☐ Too much grind ☐ You'll need a second life for grinding ---{ Story }--- ☐ No Story ☐ Some lore ☐ Average ☐ Good ☑ Lovely ☐ It'll replace your life ---{ Game Time }--- ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee ☐ Short ☐ Average ☑ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{ Price }--- ☐ It's free! ☑ Worth the price ☐ If it's on sale ☐ If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{ Bugs }--- ☑ Never heard of ☐ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs ---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☑ 8 ☐ 9 ☐ 10
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
The Council
Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.
Blacksad: Under the Skin
BLACKSAD: Under the Skin - A dark corruption scandal in the heart of the New York City's underworld for charismatic detective John Blacksad!
Mondealy
Mondealy is about you building relationships and exploring the world. An ordinary guy from an ordinary town on an ordinary day uncovers the secrets of an extraordinary underground kingdom located under his home. Your adventure begins!
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
The Emperor's Own: Alpha Teaser
The Emperor’s Own is a story-driven adventure game with RPG elements, set in an alternate universe, inspired by the Russian Empire at the dawn of the 19th century. It features multi-dimensional characters, difficult moral dilemmas, and a mature, branching narrative.
Heartbound
Heartbound is a non-traditional role-playing game about a boy, his dog, secrets, and sanity.
Inworld Origins
Origins is a playable short created by the team at Inworld AI to showcase NPCs powered by artificial intelligence. After an explosion in Metropolis, you’ve arrived on the scene as the lead detective. Question witnesses, uncover the mystery, and solve the case. From the creator of The Matrix Awakens.
Why Am I Dead At Sea
Why Am I Dead At Sea is an adventure game where you solve the mystery of your own murder. As a ghost, you will have to possess people and use them to investigate your surroundings. But in this place no one is who they seem...and everyone has a secret.
Bear's Restaurant
The award-winning indie adventure game finally arrives on Steam—now with more content than ever before! A story of love, loss, and fine dining that’s sure to warm even the most jaded of hearts.
Ten Trials of Babel: The Doppelganger Maze
Otome × Death Game × Mild Horror Multiple Endings Puzzle RPG
Frequently Asked Questions
Back to the Dawn is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
Back to the Dawn is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
Back to the Dawn received 4,579 positive votes out of a total of 4,935 achieving a rating of 8.95.
😎
Back to the Dawn was developed by Metal Head Games and published by Spiral Up Games.
Back to the Dawn is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Back to the Dawn is not playable on MacOS.
Back to the Dawn is not playable on Linux.
Back to the Dawn is a single-player game.
Back to the Dawn does not currently offer any DLC.
Back to the Dawn does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Back to the Dawn does not support Steam Remote Play.
Back to the Dawn is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Back to the Dawn.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 14 June 2025 08:40 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 06 June 2025 22:13 |
| Steam price | 14 June 2025 12:23 |
| Steam reviews | 14 June 2025 13:56 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Back to the Dawn, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Back to the Dawn
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Back to the Dawn concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Back to the Dawn compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
52
Developer
Metal Head Games
Publisher
Spiral Up Games
Release
02 Nov 2023
Platforms
By clicking on any of the links on this page and making a purchase,
you may help us earn a commission that supports the maintenance of our services.