[Hint System

A hint system is available to assist players during levels, with usage affecting the final scorecard. Reviewers have noted the system as being weak alongside directional guides.

Verification: Human verified

The Hint System in Escape Academy is an in-game assist that reveals hints while you play, and every hint you take is recorded against your final grade. It exists to help players who get stuck, but using it costs you the top ranks — most notably the A+ rating that achievement hunters chase. This guide explains how the system works, how to avoid it when you need a perfect score, and what to expect if you do use it.

How the [Hint System Works

The hint system provides hints during gameplay and influences the final grade you receive on a level. In practice, the hint is bound to a single button: pressing X reveals a hint [src-cc415a0c9f]. Because the game tracks this input, any hint use is factored into your scorecard at the end of the room.

How to Avoid Using Hints (A+ Runs)

If you are pursuing A+ ranks — required for the achievement tied to earning A+ on 10 of the game's 13 levels [src-59f8d3957c] — you must complete levels without pressing the hint button at any point.

1. Do not press X during a level. The walkthrough explicitly warns: "make sure you don't press X at any point during your play-through. Pressing X will reveal a hint and we're trying to get A+ ranks" [src-cc415a0c9f].
2. Treat the rule as absolute for the whole run. The same guide repeats the warning later in the level: "do not press X as it will be a hint and it will invalidate an A+ run" [src-cc415a0c9f].
3. Rely on a solution guide instead. The achievement walkthrough notes that A+ "just means don't use any hints," and that following a step-by-step guide makes this "simple enough" [src-59f8d3957c].

Step-by-Step: Keeping a Clean [Scorecard

• Before you start a level, remind yourself which button triggers hints (X) so you don't hit it by accident while interacting with objects [src-cc415a0c9f].
• If you get stuck, pause and re-read the room's clues rather than reaching for the hint button — a single press is enough to spoil an A+ attempt [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Check your grade after each level. In one recorded session, the player suspected an accidental hint press had degraded their result: "I think it's gonna use the hint on accident it degrades the thing when you use the hint" — and the level ended with an A− instead of a higher rank [src-7fcadcc2ae].
• Track progress toward the A+ achievement as you go: you need A+ on 10 of the 13 levels, so a single hint-spoiled level can be offset only if you have room to spare [src-59f8d3957c].

What Happens If You Use a [Hint

Using a hint does not fail a level — it lowers the grade you receive on the scorecard. One player who accidentally triggered the hint button described the result as degrading the score, ending with an A− and noting "a minus is good, it's not bad" [src-7fcadcc2ae]. In another session, a player who pressed the hint button by mistake ("I didn't want the hint, I just wanted to see what that button did") had to continue the room without the benefit of reading the clue, since the hint had already been consumed [src-2c17f7b0c2].

The flip side is confirmed in a successful no-hint run: after finishing with zero hints, the game's headmaster acknowledges it directly — "zero hints used, a plus" [src-2c17f7b0c2].

Tips

• Hints are one of two grading factors. Players have noted that grades are determined by hints and by the level timer — the timer exists partly so that grading isn't based on hints alone, since a player could otherwise sit for hours without hints and still earn top marks [src-7094380fcf].
• Don't confuse in-game dialogue with hints. In one DLC session, a character line ("pass the salt") was mistaken for a hint, but the actual grade loss came from an accidental hint-button press, not the dialogue [src-7fcadcc2ae].
• If you're not chasing A+ ranks, the hint system is a legitimate safety net — the only cost is a lower grade on that level's scorecard.

Reception

Reviewers have flagged the hint system as a weak point, grouping it together with the game's directional guides. Keep this in mind if you find the hints less helpful than expected — for puzzle solutions, a dedicated walkthrough is the more reliable route to a clean A+ run [src-59f8d3957c].

Details

description

Provides hints during gameplay, influencing the final grade.

reception

Highlighted as a weak point in reviews alongside directional guides.

Sources

• Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Review: A Whole World Of Puzzles ...
• Escape Academy | Become the Ultimate Escapist!
• Escape Academy Walkthrough | ALL Achievements / Trophies
• We Escape From The Clutches Of EVIL | Escape Academy | Finale
• Escape Academy - FULL Review + Escape Room Tips
• Escape Academy DLC 2 Escape From The Past (Yes Chef)
• Escape Academy - All Achievements/Trophies Walkthrough - 100% Puzzle Solution Guide (Xbox Game Pass)