When I typically think of the average indie game, I tend to consider more compacted experiences that are either run-based or can be enjoyed in a handful of hours. Of course, there are plenty that deviate from that path in some way, but I don’t usually think of indies that aren’t somehow creative in some way as being something I’ll need to really invest in to get the most out of them. One style of play that can break out of that expectation would be what are essentially sandbox titles, where instead of a linear or simpler narrative or objectives, the goal is to let you explore and find your own way through the experience. The trick then is that they can only be as good as what you’re willing to invest in them, so the risk is that results will likely vary.

As you may have guessed, that’s how I’ve come to understand Back to the Dawn, which is a sort of mix of a sandbox prison simulator and an RPG. That may sound a little unusual, but in general it feels accurate as there is no singular way to “win” here, something made clear by your simply being able to choose which of two quite different characters to play as. They’re fundamentally different people, and their paths through and potentially out of prison are also very different, but if you’re down for the experience, and getting the most out of the obvious investment the developers have put in, it should all be worth it. The reason I’d also say it has a foot firmly in the RPG camp is that it has an old-school sort of dice-roll method of determining whether you’ll succeed in a wide variety of your actions, and then the fact that they’ve taken the time and care to really flesh out the majority of your fellow prisoners.

Of course, this depth of the different NPCs who surround you, two different main characters with their own stories, and then simply going through the trial and error of how best to approach the game all point to extended play overall. Pretty well everything you choose to do, or not do, will have some consequence concerning your ultimate success, so if you’re someone who struggles with indecision this could very well be torturous. Since the hook is that there’s no singular right answer to that question, and no defined roadmap, this really feels like a love or hate proposition. Are you someone who will embrace the challenge, digging in and working through having multiple successful runs with each character, immersing yourself in all of the content the developers have laid before you, or will you dabble in it and then walk away, unwilling or unable to make the commitment it takes to get the most out of the experience?