This obviously Paper Mario-inspired RPG is finally out "after 5 long years," and it's already getting great reviews on Steam and console

Plenty of indie games riffing on Paper Mario's craftsy style and turn-based, timing-sensitive combat have come out in the last few years, but Escape from Ever After is a rare one that seems to have landed on what made the Nintendo series so great.

The paper cutout-styled RPG launched earlier this month, on January 23, to stellar Steam reviews. At the time of writing, Escape from Ever After's Steam rating sits at a comfy 'Very Positive' rating with 97% of all user reviews giving it a recommend.

"Best Paper Mario since Thousand Year Door, easily stands alongside Bug Fables as one of the best turn-based indie games to mimic the Nintendo Legend," one player gushes on the platform, pointing to its banging soundtrack, funny writing, and smart combat.

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"I completely lost track of time while playing this awesome game, spending hours enjoying it without even noticing. I’ve just finished the first part, and it’s already proving to be everything I was hoping for and more," another says.

Best of all, Escape from Ever After's hook is immediately endearing. "When a greedy megacorp from the real world starts taking over fairytales for their cheap labor, a newly-hired storybook hero must climb the corporate ladder, rally together other disgruntled employees, and fight back," the Steam description reads.

On Twitter, developer Sleepy Castle celebrated that its game had come out "after 5 long years" of development. It's now on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

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