Escape Island is a color-matching puzzler that sees you swapping colored survivors from one island to the next. Survivors can only be moved to stand next to other people of the same hue, though, which makes things increasingly tricky. You’ll get more colors, less space and trickier combinations to work through.
It can be quite difficult to get to grips with the game, especially once things get difficult in the later levels. So we thought it was a good idea to write up this guide. We’ve found a bunch of different strategies during our time playing Escape Island and now we’re only too happy to share them with you.
Whether you’re just about to move your first group or you’ve already conquered a few of the levels, there’s going to be something that’ll help you out here. After all, these are the very best hints, tips and cheats for Escape Island. So let’s get on with it, shall we?
Find the key color
On most levels there’s a key color that you need to start moving in order to reach the correct solution. Look at the positions of the survivors, the spaces you’ve got to work with and the order in which your colors are placed. From there you should have a decent idea of what you need to do.
Take your time
There’s no time limit here, so feel free to have a long thing about which move is going to do you the most good. It’s hard to win a game on the first move, but it’s pretty easy to lose it. Consider the ramifications of your choices and make sure you’re not making a huge mistake before you make it.
Open the islands?
There are extra islands hidden behind video ads. These give you a chance to make the level easier, and sometimes they’re basically essential. If you’ve backed yourself into a corner, we’d suggest quitting the game and starting over at least once before you decide to spend your time on an advert though.
Question mark levels
There are some levels where the rows behind the movable row are marked with question marks. These can be tricky, but the same basic principles apply. Find the color that’s going to clear the most question marks from the board and move that around. Try and make sure you’ve always got an island open to move to and you’ll be fine.
Don’t leave stacks behind
If you leave a stack of survivors at the back of a larger group of survivors of the same color, things can get tricky. Try not to make huge groups of survivors except on empty islands. It’s not always possible, but make sure you’ve thought carefully about the possible repercussions of your moves before you commit to them.