Break out of prison using game bugs in The Glitch Prison 

The Glitch Prison is a Japanese indie adventure game in which you have to glitch your way out of a prison. Released on January 17, the budget title is available on PC (Steam) in four languages including English. 

Glitches in games incite various reactions from players. Bugs such as a character randomly T-posing during a conversation or an NPC getting stuck on something in the environment can be funny. Glitches can even be useful- bugs that propel you through the air or through walls are often useful for speedrunners. On the other hand, who can forget the frustration of game-breaking bugs that make it impossible to finish a level? 

The Glitch Prison, however, purposefully revolves around the concept of glitches as a game mechanic. You play as an unnamed male prisoner who has been locked up for a long time. The aim of the game is to use bugs in the environment to break out of jail. Predictably, this results in some pretty weird visuals and wacky physics. In his attempt to escape, your prisoner’s limbs suddenly become contorted, and you bounce off walls and objects, and slip through the floor.  

The game currently has mostly negative reviews on Steam. Ironically, it seems that many players are struggling to enjoy a game about bugs because they are being hindered by actual bugs. There were also complaints about camera angles making it difficult to find the bugs, but a positive review urged other players to keep trying. Another positive review praised the game for being funny and said “It was more difficult than I imagined but I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I cleared the game.”  

The Glitch Prison’s bizarreness will come as no surprise to those familiar with the other work of its creator. Japanese indie developer rentaka previously released Crazy Cursed Grandma’s House, a first-person horror adventure game where you explore a cursed traditional Japanese house. Rentaka is also responsible for 2021’s Purgo Box, a surreal online multiplayer exploration game that has been praised for its strangeness and extensive amount of content. 

The Glitch Prison is available now on PC (Steam). It is available at a 10% discount until January 24.