At Summer Game Fest 2025, we faced a slew of “unannounced” appointments, which can be a bit of a risk. Fortunately, one of my slots turned out to be *Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School*, and the series has been a blast so far, so I was eager to dive into the newest installment. I first experienced the original *Escape Academy* at Summer Game Fest 2022, so it felt nice to maintain that tradition.

Initially, I was teamed up with a stranger, which can complicate co-op puzzles, but they didn’t arrive. Instead, I had the opportunity to enjoy a solid 30 minutes of *Escape Academy 2* with none other than CGM’s editor-in-chief, Brendan Frye. We settled down with an early section of the game, equipped with pen and paper, and engaged in some playful bickering throughout the entire session—not much has changed.

As we entered the first room, our objective was to uncover the names of the school’s founders to make our escape. While rummaging through walls, drawers, and boxes for clues, we encountered combination locks, an overhead projector—I hadn’t seen one of those since high school—and a machine to input names as we discovered them. It was a fairly typical escape room, though *Escape Academy 2* introduced jumping, which was an exciting twist.

### “Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is completely open world, bringing an entirely new level of adventure to the franchise.”

There were a few minor quality-of-life concerns, such as being unable to navigate between one of the desks and the teacher’s desk, along with numerous items in the room that weren’t related to the puzzles. Naturally, that’s meant for misdirection, but I think I clicked on the same apple water bottle around 20 times while inspecting the desks. A handful of clues might still require clearer hints during development, but these could become more evident as you experience the game, considering we were only given a brief segment to explore.

Typically, I might suggest, “Why not create new levels instead of a new game,” especially since *Escape Academy* isn’t particularly old. However, Coin Crew Games has completely redesigned the entire map, and *Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School* is entirely open world, introducing a fresh sense of adventure to the series. If you’re like me, you may have no idea what an open-world escape room entails. Fortunately, I’m here to share that!

Essentially, it’s akin to attempting to move from Point A to Point B in your home as a busy mom with a bunch of children. You can’t simply traverse the house. First, you need to locate someone’s missing sock, unlock three doors, grab a snack, and complete a multitude of tasks before finishing the one at hand. More specifically, before we could access the headmaster’s office, we needed to locate our locker (which involved a puzzle), navigate to the bookstore (which entailed several puzzles), and purchase our books (which, of course, necessitated another puzzle). I think you understand the gist.

### “For those who appreciate a slow burn or genuinely love puzzles, Escape Academy 2 will undoubtedly fulfill that need.”

For those who appreciate a slow burn or truly enjoy puzzles, *Escape Academy 2* will undoubtedly satisfy that desire. Every aspect presents a challenge—and that was just the journey from the original room to the office. Upon arrival, some familiar characters appeared, along with a few newcomers. The game offers a brand new narrative and an explorable campus, so the volume of content in this latest version should be abundant. We were also interrupted by various side quests that we skipped for time’s sake—but that simply means there’s even more content for players to anticipate.

Brendan and I played in couch co-op mode, of course, but the game will also provide online co-op. Coin Crew Games and publisher iam8bit have done everything possible with *Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School* to deliver fresh content, innovate over the original, and ensure that playing with friends is as straightforward as possible. Although there’s no release date announced, I’m eagerly looking forward to heading back to school (truly, not having a September release date—even in 2026—would seem like a major oversight here!)

Fifty years back, *Dungeons & Dragons* set the foundation for the whole tabletop RPG landscape, spawning countless adventures—and various games that take different paths within that framework. Few titles have distinguished themselves like Darrington Press’ *Daggerheart*, which officially debuted just over a month ago.

Similar to other prominent *D&D* alternatives, *[Daggerheart](https://www.daggerheart.com/)* has effectively emerged from the extensive legacy of the original game, yet unlike *Pathfinder*, it did not rise from an earlier iteration of *D&D* but instead from a highly influential community of *D&D* players: [Critical Role](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/tv-series/the-legend-of-vox-machina-series-review/). What initially started as a bunch of voice actors live-streaming their personal game has evolved over a decade, culminating in the establishment of Darrington Press, the game publishing arm of Critical Role Productions, in 2020.

Now, the company’s flagship TTRPG system is available to players far and wide, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But what makes *Daggerheart* one of the fiercest contenders to *Dungeons & Dragons*’ dominance in the space?

## A Formidable Team of Developers

First and foremost, the creative team behind *Daggerheart* was remarkable from the start. The lead designer is Spenser Starke, who had earlier crafted *Kids On Brooms* for Renegade Studios and *Alice Is Missing*, a silent yet collaborative game played through text messages. After joining Darrington Press, Starke directed design for their previous TTRPG, *[Candela Obscura](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/buyers-guides/tabletop-games-2023/)*, a game centered around paranormal exploration with [strong Lovecraftian or dark fantasy themes](https://darringtonpress.com/candela/).

Matthew Mercer, Critical Role’s principal Dungeon Master, contributes his vast experience as an additional Game Designer, and his distinctive style of running adventures is reflected throughout much of the text. The credits are similarly packed with seasoned tabletop creators of various kinds, enriching the game with a wide range of viewpoints.

In addition, in recent weeks, Darrington Press has brought on board two particularly noteworthy figures—[Chris Perkins](https://www.cgmagonline.com/interviews/curse-strahd-interview-chris-perkins/) and [Jeremy Crawford](https://www.cgmagonline.com/interviews/jeremy-crawford-d-and-d-legacy/) as Creative Director and Game Director, respectively, after they departed from *D&D* publisher Wizards of the Coast earlier this year. As two of the industry’s most esteemed leaders over the past few decades, the exit of *D&D* translates into a direct advantage for *Daggerheart*. Todd Kenreck, the well-known face of *D&D*‘s social media, was (confusingly) let go as well and [will now be producing content independently for both games](https://www.instagram.com/toddkenreck/reel/DLkYKzUR0TF/?hl=en).

A multitude of influential forces in tabletop RPGs is rallying around *Daggerheart*, and this shared pedigree alone should catch the attention of players.

## An Abundant Core Rulebook

Regardless of the terminology a game prefers for its primary player-facing rulebook, it becomes the most crucial volume to possess, and *Daggerheart*’s Core Rulebook stands out compared to many of its contemporaries.

The core element is the hardcover book itself. With 366 pages, it encompasses all vital components for individual players and groups—efficiently fulfilling the roles of the [Player’s Handbook](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/tabletop/dnd-2024-players-handbook/) and [Dungeon Master’s Guide](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/tabletop/dnd-2024-dungeon-masters-guide/) found in other games, alongside aspects of a Monster Manual. While the enhanced layout was one of my favorite features of the 2024 edition of *Dungeons & Dragons*, perusing the *Daggerheart* Core Rulebook felt even more streamlined and effective.

The second part of the Core Rulebook offering consists of a set of cards that contain the details for all the components that create a complete character. Ancestry, Community, Subclasses, and features connected to the various Domains form this collection of 279 cards, stored in a magnet-clasped box for easy organization and transport. While information can be found in the book itself, the cards prove useful during character creation *and* as a reference throughout gameplay.

For a similar price, *Daggerheart*

Crunchyroll made waves at Anime Expo 2025 with thrilling announcements during their annual Industry Panel, exciting anime enthusiasts around the globe. Among the standout highlights was the confirmation of a new season for the cherished series “Black Clover,” which will return exclusively on Crunchyroll. Studio Pierrot, known for popular titles like “Naruto” and “Bleach,” is set to oversee the production, and attendees were treated to a teaser trailer and key visual. Yuki Tabata, the original creator, shared his excitement for the series’ 10th anniversary and the forthcoming season.

In addition to “Black Clover,” Crunchyroll revealed several other highly awaited titles. “Daemons of the Shadow Realm,” inspired by Hiromu Arakawa’s manga, is being adapted into an anime directed by Masahiro Ando. The series promises a mix of mystery and fantasy, as highlighted in the teaser trailer.

“Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4” was confirmed to stream exclusively on Crunchyroll in 2026, featuring a teaser with characters Natsuki Subaru and Emilia. “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation” is also set to return for a third season, showcasing its breathtaking animation and the comeback of Eris in the teaser.

Crunchyroll additionally announced “Classroom of the Elite 2nd Year” and a new game, “Classroom of the Elite – Merge Puzzle Spacial Exam –,” which will be available to Mega and Ultimate Fan tier members. Other exciting reveals included “Sentenced to Be a Hero,” “Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider,” and “You and I Are Polar Opposites,” all scheduled to premiere in 2025 and 2026.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Ouran High School Host Club,” Crunchyroll announced a new merchandise collaboration. Moreover, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” fans can anticipate a replica of Misato Katsuragi’s iconic jacket in the Crunchyroll Store, commemorating the series’ 30th anniversary. Music fans will be thrilled with “Hiroyuki SAWANO LIVE [nZk]008,” which will join Crunchyroll’s extensive concert collection this summer.

With these exciting announcements, Crunchyroll continues to reinforce its role as a premier platform for anime aficionados, providing a varied range of content and experiences for fans everywhere.