Game: Escape the Cradle
Genre: RPG
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Crimsonren
Controller Support: No
Steam Deck: Playable
Price: US $3.19 | UK £2.39 | EU € 3,19
Release Date: October 20, 2025
Review code provided with many thanks to Crimsonren.
Escape the Cradle – Fun Little Auto-Battler
I do enjoy a good roguelike or roguelite from time to time, so when I stumbled across Escape the Cradle, I figured I’d give it a spin. It’s not your usual dungeon crawler, though; instead, it mixes roguelite ideas with an auto-battler core. That’s a genre I’ve not really dipped into much, so I was curious. What I found was a surprisingly cozy, low-effort little experiment that has its charms, even if it won’t be everyone’s cup of coffee.
A Foxgirl in a Dungeon
You play as Hina, a little foxgirl born inside a strange dungeon known as “the Cradle.” The setup is fairly simple: she wants to clear it out so she can finally leave with her mother and see the outside world.
The Cradle itself is a mysterious place; it won’t let you die, but it does keep spitting you back to the bottom whenever you fail. As you defeat bosses, you get some short cutscenes that add to the story. In one of the stranger mechanics, you even restore Hina’s health with… headpats. Yes, you read that right. Stroke or pat her on the head with the mouse, and she’s gradually back to full strength. Kinda cute, I gues,s but also a bit irritating when you want to jump into another run.
How It Plays
Once you enter the dungeon, everything plays out automatically. Hina shuffles along a side-scrolling path, bopping blob monsters and other critters as they appear. You don’t swing the sword yourself; combat is fully automated. What you do get to manage are the upgrades.
Every run, you gather crystals, which can be spent on a skill tree for various perks like increased health and attack. Once you’ve invested your points, it’s back into the dungeon to see how far you get. Rinse and repeat. Eventually, you’ll hit walls, usually for me in the form of bosses, then you learn that grinding alone won’t see you through the Cradle.
The twist comes in the “prestige” system. You can trade in levels for shards (another currency, don’t worry no micro transactions), these unlock yet another skill tree… but this resets your progress in the first gem one. It adds longevity, but it can feel a little like padding, especially if you’re the kind of player who dislikes repeating content.
Meant for the Background
The thing to understand about Escape the Cradle is that it’s not really designed to be played with full attention. The pixel art is cute, but simple. Enemies are plain and don’t push imagination too hard. You don’t need to micromanage anything in the dungeon; Hina does all the fighting herself.
That makes this an ideal “background game.” You set up your upgrades, send Hina into the dungeon, then go do something else, work, chores, or even watch another show. When she gets knocked back, you pop in, rejig your skill tree, and send her out again. It’s surprisingly satisfying in a passive kind of way.
I’ll admit, once I got into the rhythm, I found myself itching to come back for “just one more run.” It has that little hook of progress, a steady trickle of upgrades that keeps you invested without demanding constant focus.
Things That Didn’t Quite Work
Not everything clicks. The prestige system feels a bit like an unnecessary grind. The early enemy variety is limited, so you’ll be staring at a lot of blob monsters. And the headpat mechanic, while endearing, doesn’t add much to the overall loop.
Still, I think that’s fine for what Escape the Cradle is trying to be. It’s not a game about deep systems or high-intensity combat. It’s about dipping in and out, letting the runs tick by, and enjoying the cozy vibes.
Conclusion: From Cradle to Coffee
Escape the Cradle won’t be for everyone. If you’re the type of player who needs to be fully hands-on, this probably won’t scratch your itch. But if you like the idea of a light roguelite that happily runs in the background while you multitask, this one has a certain addictive charm.
With about 4 hours of content (stretched further depending on how you play), it’s an unusual but surprisingly enjoyable little package. I was more drawn in than I expected, and for the right price, I’d say it’s worth giving a shot. At the very least, the free demo makes it easy to test the waters.
Final Verdict: I Like it 
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What a wonderful review.
Whats surprising me so far is the negative reviews on steam are all saying the game is too short.
I actually made the game shorter after it took me 4 hours to reach floor 20 during testing.
Well, I liked it. I might be the minority to some players but I focus more on how much I enjoy the time I spend with a game whether long or short. And I enjoyed my time spent here. Thank you for the comment and all the best with the game and future projects.