[Online Co-op

Allows playing Escape Academy and its sequel, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, through online cooperative play. Players can experience and solve escape rooms together with a friend online.

Verification: Human verified

Online Co-op lets you play through Escape Academy and its sequel, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School together with a friend over the internet, solving escape rooms cooperatively rather than passing a single controller back and forth. It is a distinct option from local/split-screen co-op, so you can team up with a remote partner on supported platforms. This guide covers how to set up an online session and what to expect once you are connected.

What [Online Co-op Supports

• Games: Escape Academy and Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School.
• Play style: Two players work through the same escape rooms together online.
• Platform features: On Steam, Escape Academy lists Online Co-op alongside Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, and Remote Play Together [src-9c282bac46]. On Nintendo Switch, the Complete Edition lists online play for 2 players and requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership for online play [src-529381cee6].

Note that Online Co-op is separate from Local Co-op. If you and your partner are in the same room, you can use local/split-screen instead; the setup steps below are for the online path.

How to Start an Online Co-op Session

1. Launch the game and open the main menu. From the main menu, select Play [src-cc415a0c9f].
2. Choose Online Multiplayer. When prompted to pick a multiplayer mode, select the online option (rather than local multiplayer) [src-cc415a0c9f].
3. Invite your partner. Send an invite to your friend through your platform's invite system; once they accept, they will join your session [src-cc415a0c9f].
4. Confirm the connection. Wait until both players are connected and in-game before heading into a puzzle [src-cc415a0c9f].

If you would rather play with a second controller in the same room, the same flow works — just select Local Multiplayer instead of the online option [src-cc415a0c9f].

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

Once connected, you can access co-op puzzles from the dorm room:

1. Go to the dorm room and approach the corkboard [src-cc415a0c9f].
2. Select a puzzle poster from the corkboard. For a first co-op run, the guide example uses the "Lab Rat" puzzle [src-cc415a0c9f].
3. Enter the puzzle and begin solving together. Both players appear in the room (one on the left, one on the right in the reference footage) and can interact with objects and each other [src-cc415a0c9f].
4. Pass items between players. You can hand items to your partner by interacting with them; items can be given back and forth freely [src-cc415a0c9f].
5. Complete the room cooperatively and interact with the objective to finish once the puzzle is solved [src-cc415a0c9f].

You can replay specific puzzles later via the corkboard in the dorm room, which is useful if you want to revisit a co-op room or clean up missed objectives [src-cc415a0c9f].

Tips

• Item passing is a core co-op tool. Because you can hand items back and forth, coordinate who holds what — one player can gather components while the other works a different part of the room [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Use the corkboard to replay. If you want to redo a co-op puzzle or try a different room, return to the dorm room corkboard rather than restarting the whole game [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Check platform requirements first. On Nintendo Switch, online play requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership, so make sure both players have one before scheduling a session [src-529381cee6].
• Cross-platform play is listed on Steam, so verify your platform pairing before inviting if you and your partner are on different systems [src-9c282bac46].

Rewards

Playing co-op contributes toward the game's achievement/trophy set. Escape Academy has 40 Steam achievements [src-9c282bac46], and some of these are co-op achievements that require an online co-op partner (or a second controller) [src-cc415a0c9f]. One example is an achievement for passing five items to your co-op partner, which you can earn by repeatedly handing items back and forth during a co-op puzzle [src-cc415a0c9f]. If you miss a co-op achievement, you can replay the relevant puzzle from the dorm room corkboard to try again [src-cc415a0c9f].

Details

feature_type

Online Co-op

supported_games

- Escape Academy

• Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School

Sources

• Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Review: A Whole World Of Puzzles ...
• Escape Academy on Steam
• Escape Academy: The Complete Edition for Nintendo Switch
• Steam store page — Escape Academy
• Escape Academy - All Achievements/Trophies Walkthrough - 100% Puzzle Solution Guide (Xbox Game Pass)