Back to the Dawn Review

Get busy living, or get busy dying...

There came a moment during our undercover cop playthrough of Back to the Dawn as Bob the panther (he really is a panther, that’s not his full name) where our actual mission felt irrelevant. Sure, we’re incarcerated in Boulderton Prison as an undercover to expose details of the elusive Fenrir, a high-level target linked to all manner of nefariousness, but our main concern right now is for Kevin. Kevin is a koala who continually finds himself in debt, and always to the wrong people. At a daily clip -- because we’re in prison and our time here is spent, daily, being a prisoner to schedule -- he’s conversing; pleading, borrowing and cowering to his financial masters, or anyone else who’ll listen and potentially help.

“Hey man, think you can help me out of a bind?”

He has a gambling problem, you see. It’s not an addiction issue, though he is in prison with not much else to do, rather, it’s a problem because he feels he can continually win back the losses he keeps accruing, and when you play cards with him at the table he is very good at it, but he also has a problem with nudie magazines featuring pouch play alongside other vices, so money owed tends to become money spent. His debts are also plural, so he borrows from Peter to pay Paul, and in the end both Peter and Paul want to beat him up to make an example of him, and to also strong-arm ownership over him for all to see.

Kevin’s tale of woe isn’t the only one in Boulderton Prison, either. For a pixel-art story-heavy RPG starring ‘cutesie’ animals, Back to the Dawn is very mature. Gangs and gang fights are real, alcohol and hooch are real, contraband is real, intimidation is real, crooked guards and prison staff are real. Content around the horrors of prison either explicitly take place, or are heavily inferred -- this is not a nice place to be. But it’s all done with a reverent tone for the story and its myriad personalities. It’s not a difficult game to play; at least, there are just a few hardfail scenarios and you can generally get by, day to day, with one form of success or another, but the whole package is designed to set you in its world, meaningfully. This means certain gameplay economies require management and finesse and the player’s attention to detail is a meta tool the developers challenge them with.

Like its art and presentation, Back to the Dawn is lowkey genius in its design and we can’t speak more highly of it; a rare game where attention to detail, relationships and understanding of a day to day ‘vibe’ are all gameplay. All of which we explore, in-depth, below...

(Note: The game was initially available via both Early Access and on PC, this review largely reflects the current build across its fresh console release and P.C)

Back to the Dawn

Genre: Simulation-RPG
Developer: Metal Head Games
Publisher: Spiral Up Games
Release Date: July 17, 2025 (Full Release)
Classification: MA 15+
Author: Stephen Farrelly
Date: August 01, 2025

Headcount

Back to the Dawn offers two playthroughs of its story, and each is fundamentally different. You can play as Bob like we did, or Thomas -- a journalist who also finds himself incarcerated, after being framed, in the same prison (each available character is in the ‘joint’ together, so you still get a glimpse of each’s dev-intended tale unfolding, albeit in player-fed snippets -- read our “Would you like to know more?” box out for… MORE!). There’s an overarching story that is part of the game’s in-depth world-building with full-on politics involved that feels somewhat inspired by the prison escape greats such as Escape from Alcatraz and The Shawshank Redemption, alongside crime kingpins in The Wire and The Departed (and even Breaking Bad) to round out the nefariousness of it all. But it’s also still very much an RPG and a sim, meaning the story beats you crave, and they are good, will only happen if you function in your new home while keeping your wits about you.

"Information is the most valuable tool you have as either character, and how it’s utilised behind bars and in each’s predicament is of the utmost..."

You’ll join a gang as Bob, or be on the outer as Thomas, but the whole (infernal) affair is crafted around information. We’ll talk more in-depth around prison life and its economies shortly, but know that from here on out, information is the most valuable tool you have as either character, and how it’s utilised behind bars and in each’s predicament is of the utmost. Money and trading and relationships come in closely behind, but there’s also a forever reminder of your mission or goal in terms of the number of days you have before you need to ‘make a move’. There are triggers around all of this as well, because this entire space is a functioning antfarm; while you’re faffing about learning this and that the game and its denizens move and live around you -- all working to their own agendas, some of which conflict with yours. 

It’s a shiv’s edge at the best of times and that’s because, In many respects, you’re a tourist here (Fight Club reference for the devs). however, you’re also an agent of both change and chaos, which is another meta tale the studio layers on top of everything else.

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While Bob, who we've written our review around, has 'street smarts' to help him manage his time in prison, for Thomas this is truly a trial by fire. Having only ever reported on the sorts of crimes his new inmate 'pals' actually did (or still do), he's at an obvious disadvantage. It makes his playthrough an entirely different one and keeps the whole package interesting given both main characters are in Boulderton at the same time. Naturally, as a fox Thomas has unique attributes that Bob doesn't, but his journey on the whole feels almost more *desperate* which is a true boon for the devs and key writers on the project.

“Listen”

We spoke earlier about information being a tool, but it’s more an economic one. As the player, it helps you navigate relationships inside, which then turns into favours; newer info, protection, area access, inmate weaknesses, mislaid trust and much, much more. But it’s important to know it’s not binary. (Read our second “Would you like to know more?” box out for… MORE!)

"Each character in Boulderton with you, as NPC as they are, has a life. They aspire, they fear, they plan, they buddy-up, they love…"

Each character in Boulderton with you, as NPC as they are, has a life. They aspire, they fear, they plan, they buddy-up, they love… it’s all there and it’s entirely up to you to take the time to watch, learn, Befriend and, hopefully, use your accrued knowledge of them to leverage your own time and goals inside, against their own desires. The mission(s) always remain important, but you'll quickly learn you’re a part of this incarcecology (like that?!) and if you try to cold-shoulder it, you’ll fail. You can go through the whole opening Act ignoring all of the sanctioned boxing fights if you want, for example, but you’ll still hear about all the full build up and fallout from it, such is the depth of expositional writing here. But you need to play the game.

More importantly, though, is that every character’s story is laden with depth. Heart-wrenching, cold-blooded, misdemeanour-ful, wrongful… it’s all a gully filled with conflicting stories and reasonings for everyone’s place in Boulderton, but those help flesh out your actual journey. The reason for getting up in the morning isn’t so much the cafeteria as it is overhearing the game’s characters conversing. You’ll even unlock an ability to sell ‘information’ gleaned from your listening skills but, more importantly, it’s simply how you survive. It’s how we got to Kevin’s plight; how we know that Alex is actually a reasonable gang leader; how tired certain guards are; how there’s a cheeky backroom poker game you can get in on, on the reg, provided you know a certain password… the game’s makeup around listening and taking in all information, even the seemingly mundane is, frankly, brilliant and ought to be looked at in more depth down the track. Of course, investing in your own self is just as important as knowing the movements, thoughts and machinations of your fellow inmates, and thankfully Back to the Dawn is packing some seriously addictive player-management.

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There are three main gangs in the prison, a handful of old timers, some prison staff and the guards. As Bob, you're assigned a gang which nets you automatic privileges, but as Thomas you get to choose which means taking in all the peripheral conversations you can is a bit of a bonus. That said, no initial privileges will actually cost you, and in prison money talks louder than all the inmates combined and it can be hard to earn a crust when you're on the outer with one gang or another. Just another nuance the game throws at the player and more evidence that this is one of the year's best.

Cleanliness is Next to Aliveliness

Just by living and doing in prison, you’ll gain experience points in Back to the Dawn. The game employs a simple enough setup: Strength, Agility, Intelligence and Charisma make up your basic stats, and you can invest in passive abilities at an XP cost (remember, this is a prison game, so everything is part of an economy). You’ll also unlock Skills by performing tasks such as completing games on your Game Boy you can buy, reading books in the library, and more. These also cost XP, so how you divvy up your experience earnings helps you craft the type of character you want to be.

"It’s all finely tuned and feels incredibly robust given the nature of things. After all, as a prison game everything is driven by routine..."

As this is a prison setup, you will eventually find yourself in a scuffle or two (or more, depending on your demeanour), so Strength and Agility will be important, but you’ll also gain weapons and other advantages to help you out in these moments, while the other attributes will help you forego certain puzzle-solving scenarios or help in relationships and conversations. It’s all finely tuned and feels incredibly robust given the nature of things. After all, as a prison game everything is driven by routine. In the morning you awake, brush your teeth, take a dump, go to Headcount, mingle, eat lunch, go to rec in the yard, then get ready for Lockdown. There’s plenty of lateral movement during all of this, and certain days afford other engagements, such as doctor appointments, fight nights, chaplain visits and more. It’s also important to stay on top of these and your schedule overall -- ignoring the Infirmary as Bob won’t help your bung shoulder get better, for example, meaning you won’t get stronger, plus you’ll miss out on opportunities to build a relationship with the prison doctor, Beth. 

Moreover, missing a bowel movement or not sleeping or eating can net you seriously negative Body (Body and Mind are your two most important things) which can lead to one of the game’s few hardfail scenarios. Even not taking a shower can become a problem, so the sim stuff takes hold pretty quickly. That said, this is a story-heavy RPG so while your routine is important, don’t go expecting a status quo to govern your time here as soon enough the game's amazing writing will direct things in ways you either did, or completely didn’t, imagine.

There is no Spoon

With the above said, it’s important to reiterate that there’s a story unfolding here, and you’re in it. You’ll manipulate all of the above to feed the endgoal, which we won’t spoil for you save to say you will experience the tropes expected of this setup, but also that the game just gives you more. It’s a long and drawn-out experience, though, and not one for people who like to skip conversations or don’t care about the seemingly small stuff in games around world-building, because here that stuff is gold. 

"Back to the Dawn is a rare game where attention to detail, relationships and understanding of a day to day ‘vibe’ are all gameplay..."

Upon completion of all things prison and break you’ll unlock a NG+ mode which is welcome if you want to play as the other character, but also makes things harder now that you know the ins and outs of a life inside. Otherwise, there’s not a lot more beyond the core experience, which we’re all for.

Back to the Dawn is wonderfully presented and, despite some hiccups here and there from an editorial and proof-reading perspective, is utterly engaging; lowkey in the best possible way, deep and malleable and, simply, charming. In spite of the fact it is a game that embraces the very harsh reality of prison life. It also happens to be one of the year’s best games and we can’t wait to see where this team goes next.

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Back to the Dawn wear its collective influence firmly on its sleeve. Everything the devs love is referenced throughout such as Fight Club and Breaking Bad through to The Witcher and Minecraft. Whether it's a character name, an NPC storyline, a book or a throwaway line, no nerd stone is left unturned which just adds to the game's overall charm. There's nothing better than feeling a kinship with game-creators and in Back to the Dawn, you'll find plenty of things you likely have in common with the team.

What’s Boss?

  • Two unique and uniquely different storylines and characters to play through as
  • Incredible writing that references the best while also standing on its own
  • Excellent mix of sim and RPG with plenty of room to build out your character how you want
  • Fantastic presentation that belies the depth of content and effort throughout
  • Perfectly paced from a story perspetive
  • Play Game Boy at night in your bunk

Not Boss Enough?

  • Might be considered too slow for some
  • Some editorial/proof-reading issues (very few)

A prison life and escape simulation and RPG all in one. A cute-ish game that hides a dark and sinister undertone that requires critical thinking and an attention to detail few games currently do. Easily one of 2025's best releases.

Learn about our reviews

About the Author

Written By Stephen Farrelly
Stephen Farrelly is a veteran journalist and editor with more than two decades experience in the worlds of gaming, entertainment, lifestyle and sport. He is a proud pug dad, loves art in all forms (particularly street and tattoo culture), and is the director of Swear Jar Editorial and Media Pty Ltd, this site's owner and publisher. When not dispensing words, he's also dispensing boutique beers as a taproom fixture at Bracket Brewing in Marrickville, NSW...
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