[Local Co-op

Local co-op is a multiplayer feature available in Escape Academy and its sequel, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, allowing players to tackle escape rooms and solve puzzles together with a friend either locally or online.

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Local Co-op is a multiplayer mode in Escape Academy (and its sequel, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School) that lets two players tackle escape rooms and solve puzzles together. You can play with a friend sitting next to you on a shared/split screen, or team up online and still see each other's screen. Because most escape rooms are designed for teamwork, playing in co-op is widely recommended as the best way to experience the game [src-96eb59338c].

[Co-op Options Available

Escape Academy supports both Shared/Split Screen Co-op and Online Co-op [src-9c282bac46]. If you're playing on Steam, Remote Play Together is also listed, so a friend without a copy can join an online session [src-9c282bac46]. The game also supports Cross-Platform Multiplayer and Family Sharing [src-9c282bac46]. Note that the store page tags list "Local Co-Op" and "Local Multiplayer" alongside "Online Co-Op," confirming both styles are intended [src-9c282bac46].

How to Start a Co-op Session

1. Launch the game and click Play from the main menu [src-cc415a0c9f].
2. Choose your connection type. Select Online Multiplayer to play with a remote friend, or Local Multiplayer to use a second controller on the same screen [src-cc415a0c9f].
3. Connect your partner. For online play, send an invite to your friend and wait for them to join [src-cc415a0c9f]. For local play, simply have the second player pick up a controller [src-cc415a0c9f].
4. Head to the dorm room once both players are in the game [src-cc415a0c9f].
5. Interact with the corkboard to select a puzzle poster and begin a co-op room [src-cc415a0c9f].

How Co-op Play Works

In co-op, each player controls their own character and sees their own view. Even when playing online, the game uses a forced split-screen so you can watch your partner move their camera and manipulate objects in real time [src-3c4a331aa3]. This shared visibility is central to solving puzzles: for example, one player may read a clue off a note while the other works a combination lock, calling out information like a clock setting or a color sequence [src-3c4a331aa3].

Players can also pin clues to their own screen for reference, and pass items back and forth by interacting with each other [src-3c4a331aa3] [src-cc415a0c9f]. This item-passing mechanic is used both for puzzle progress and for achievements — handing items to your partner repeatedly counts toward co-op milestones [src-cc415a0c9f].

Step-by-Step: Your First Co-op Puzzle

The first co-op puzzle many players tackle is "Lab Rat," selected from the dorm corkboard [src-cc415a0c9f]. While the full solution is a puzzle-specific matter, the general flow is:

1. Split up and gather items. One player can collect the pipes needed for the level [src-cc415a0c9f].
2. Meet your partner and trade items. Interact with your co-op partner to give and receive items — this also progresses the "pass five items" achievement [src-cc415a0c9f].
3. Work the room's systems together, feeding clues and objects to one another as you go [src-cc415a0c9f].
4. Power up the facility and interact with the computer once the room's tasks are done [src-cc415a0c9f].

Tips

• Communicate constantly. Reviewers note co-op "flexes your co-op muscles" because you have to talk through clues and split tasks [src-3c4a331aa3].
• Use the split screen to your advantage — watch your partner's screen to spot clues or actions you'd otherwise miss [src-3c4a331aa3].
• You can solo a co-op room with a second controller if you want to practice or clean up achievements; the second player only needs to act when items are exchanged [src-59f8d3957c].
• Co-op is recommended over single-player for maximum enjoyment, since escape rooms are naturally a group activity [src-96eb59338c].

Rewards

Playing co-op contributes to achievements tied to cooperative actions, such as passing items to your partner [src-cc415a0c9f]. Escape Academy features 40 Steam Achievements in total, and several are most easily earned in a co-op session [src-9c282bac46].

Details

type

Multiplayer Mode

Sources

• Escape Academy - The Co-op Mode
• Escape Academy on Steam
• Escape Academy Walkthrough | ALL Achievements / Trophies
• Escape Academy Review - Noisy Pixel
• Steam store page — Escape Academy
• Escape Academy - All Achievements/Trophies Walkthrough - 100% Puzzle Solution Guide (Xbox Game Pass)