The results are in forLudum Dare 21, the competition which tasks designers with building a game from scratch over a weekend. These have always been a great inspiration for pushing people to their creative limits, and the games to come out of the events are free entertainment for the rest of us.

For this installment, the theme was “Escape.” Many of the entries aren’t 2D platformers with deliberately basic graphics, which is a pleasant surprise. That said, there’s always room in my heart for those, too. Besides the top few winners, I’d recommend playingStratus(pictured above).

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Hell, play as many of ’em as you have time for.

John and Molly sitting on the park bench

Close up shot of Marissa Marcel starring in Ambrosio

Kukrushka sitting in a meadow

Lightkeeper pointing his firearm overlapped against the lighthouse background

Overseer looking over the balcony in opening cutscene of Funeralopolis

Edited image of Super Imposter looking through window in No I’m not a Human demo cutscene with thin man and FEMA inside the house

Indie game collage of Blue Prince, KARMA, and The Midnight Walk

Close up shot of Jackie in the Box

Silhouette of a man getting shot as Mick Carter stands behind cover