Back to the Dawn, an upcoming indie strategy RPG about surviving and escaping prison from developer Metal Head Games and publisher Spiral Up Games, has just released a pair of preview teasers. The first is a character backstory, while the second is a gameplay overview.

Further, an enhanced demo has been announced for this month’s Steam Next Fest, extending the in-game access to three full days of challenges and choices.

In Back to the Dawn, players must navigate prison life, reimagined with anthropomorphic animals. You’ll decide on your own methods of survival, and plot a breakout with unique playable characters.

Back to the Dawn currently has no release date, but it’s expected this year and you can wishlist the game now on PC via Steam. You can watch today’s new preview teasers on the Spiral Up Games YouTube channel:

Back to the Dawn’s teasers hint at a gritty, grounded attitude that is sure to equally fascinate and unsettle. Naturally, the gameplay loop will draw comparisons to the likes of The Escapists, the hit sandbox indie series.

However, Back to the Dawn’s tone is grimy and bleak. It also has far more interest in characterization, emphasizing prison life itself with tough moral decisions and consequences. Each NPC inmate has their own story and personality.

This opens the door to deeply personal motivations for players. Today’s preview focuses on a framed reporter, which is certainly a good starting point, creating goals that would benefit an entire city. But the narrative potential with new playable characters is very compelling.

Back to the Dawn feels like it has a lot more freedom than expected. The Steam page explains that you can learn “all kinds of skills”. Back to the Dawn looks like an imaginative and expansive invitation for story-driven cleverness.