Abyssal Escape Beginner Guide: Objectives and Killer Moves

Abyssal Escape is an asymmetrical survival horror game on Roblox developed by the group Abyssal Escape, supporting up to eight players per server during its public playtest alpha. Rounds pit a group of fully customized survivors against a single killer on maps such as Don't Drown (a renamed Chemical Plant Zone) and dot dot dot. Survivors win by finding and clearing red mist nodes to drain the round timer until an escape ring spawns, while the killer utilizes stamina-fueled movesets and evolving phase buffs to eliminate everyone before they reach the exit.

Core Objective and Match Flow

A standard match begins with a countdown timer that scales based on player count. Testing matches establish a base clock, with each additional survivor adding 75 seconds to the total time. The killer hunts survivors, while the survivors focus on locating red mist, also identified in game lore as X's presence, scattered across the map.

Dispelling mist is the primary survivor objective. Up to four survivors can interact with a single mist cluster simultaneously. While dispelling mist, players are locked in place and must complete an interactive mini-game. Successfully clearing a red mist node shaves roughly 40 to 50 seconds off the round clock. Coordinating with teammates on the same mist node speeds up the process and drastically reduces the time the killer has to eliminate the lobby.

Once the remaining match time drops to 60 seconds, an escape ring spawns somewhere on the map and is highlighted on survivor screens. Survivors must reach and touch this escape ring before the final minute expires to win the round.

Survivor Customization and Abilities

Survivors do not play as pre-set characters. Instead, every player receives an empty vessel that can be visually customized with accessories, scales, run and walk animations, and distinct voice lines.

Each survivor enters the match with two equipped abilities. Ability usage is tied directly to stamina management and match economy. While sprint speed is not reduced by low stamina, running slows down passive stamina regeneration, and sprinting recovers stamina far slower than walking. Activating abilities and executing killer basic attacks directly consume stamina.

Only Slide and Awareness are unlocked for free from the start. All other survivor abilities must be purchased using rings earned through playing matches.

Loadout variety is enforced by system mechanics: equipping two stun abilities automatically reduces the stun duration of both abilities by 50%. Players are encouraged to pair one movement or defensive utility with one crowd-control skill.

Killer Evolution and Phase Mechanics

Killers operate on a phase evolution system tied to the remaining match clock. During testing, phase two triggers at eight minutes remaining, while phase three begins when the timer hits six minutes (or relative late-game milestones depending on round duration).

Every killer possesses three active abilities alongside a standard M1 attack. In phase one, all killers deal 20 damage per standard basic attack. While stamina does not impact killer run speed, every active ability and basic attack costs stamina. As the match reaches phase three, certain killers receive passive stat boosts, while others completely transform, gaining an entirely new kit.

Launch Killer Movesets

Abyssal Escape features five playable killers during its initial launch and playtest roster: X, Furnace, No More Innocence, Fleetway Super Sonic, and 2017X.

X

X serves as the default starter killer. Unlike most of the roster, X relies primarily on a consistent phase one kit rather than major late-round transformations. X features cosmetic skins including an alternate variant, a 2011X model with unique chase music, and a Disaster X skin with original chase audio.

• Hide and Seek: Provides invisibility and leaves behind a decoy clone while highlighting all survivors on the map. Running directly into a survivor during this state deals 30 damage.
• Ring Trap: Places a red ring at X's current position. Survivors who step into the ring suffer 50 damage (half their health pool). X can view these placed rings across the map and click on them to teleport instantly to their location.
• Peekaboo: Aimed by hovering over a survivor. The target's screen fills with static, and multiple shadowy clones appear alongside the real killer. If the survivor does nothing or collides with two fake clones, X attacks for 30 damage. If the survivor runs into the real killer, X is stunned and loses chase momentum.

Furnace

Furnace is a resource-management killer centered on generating and expending Heat. Hitting survivors or using the Charge Heat ability builds the meter. Charge Heat channels energy while locking Furnace in place, though incoming stuns will interrupt it. Furnace also features a Hell Machine costume.

• Thruster Flight: Expends Heat to fly through the air, highlighting all survivor positions across the map for consistent tracking.
• Claw Slash: Performs a forward dash and slash. When powered with Heat, the dash travels further, applies burning damage over time, and can be manually cancelled early by reactivating the skill.
• Scorched Earth: Deploys flamethrowers directly ahead, dealing area-of-effect damage to any survivors caught in front of Furnace.
• Phase 3 Passive: Furnace automatically regenerates Heat up to 50% of the maximum bar, allowing continuous Heat generation while moving.

No More Innocence (NMI)

No More Innocence alters the match visually by applying a desaturated, grayed-out filter across the entire map for all players.

During phases one and two, NMI utilizes three deceptive mobility abilities:

• Screen Transportation: Targets television screens positioned around the map. NMI travels between TV monitors and reveals player locations. Reactivating the skill crawls out of the current monitor, playing an exit animation followed by a brief movement speed boost.
• Deceit: Targets a survivor to spawn a clone of a random survivor nearby. If the clone gets close to a player, it highlights them, allowing NMI to instantly swap places with the clone.
• Hallucination: Darkens the field of view for nearby survivors and summons running shadow hallucinations to disorient them.

Upon reaching phase three, NMI transforms into hedgehog form. Television screens disappear from the map, removing Screen Transportation in exchange for a direct combat moveset:

• Tormenting Dash: A forward grab that forces the camera into shift lock, slamming the victim into the ground for 30 damage.
• Spring Trickery: Spawns a false spring at the cursor location that slows any survivor who runs over it.
• Yokai Sight: Slams the ground to mark nearby targets. Clicking on a marked survivor instantly teleports NMI to their position.

Fleetway Super Sonic

Fleetway Super Sonic offers high mobility and aerial crowd control. He features a slight recolor variant.

• Flight: Drains stamina to fly freely. Flying reveals survivor positions across the entire map. Landing or slamming down near survivors deals damage and applies knockback.
• Laser: Fires a long-distance beam that requires accurate aiming to deal direct ranged damage.
• Grab: Grabs a survivor to deal damage over time. This skill can be chained directly with Flight to carry survivors away from teammates and smash them into map geometry.
• Phase 3 Buff: Fleetway gains a major baseline movement speed increase for the remainder of the round.

2017X

2017X functions as a high-pressure rushdown killer in his base form before transforming into Beast Form (also referred to as Broken Face) during phase three.

Base form abilities:

• Top Speed: Running charges a red meter. Once full, activating the ability triggers a high-speed sprint that allows basic attacks and reveals survivor locations.
• Spin Dash: A rolling attack that damages survivors upon collision.
• Obsession: Marks a target survivor at cursor range. While chasing near the marked target, 2017X gains reduced stun duration, faster movement speed, and reduced ability cooldowns.

Beast Form (Phase 3) changes:

• Ground Slam Basic Attack: Replaces the standard M1 with a ranged ground shockwave dealing 35 damage instead of the standard 20.
• Impatience (Passive): Reduces animation and cast times across all active skills.
• Roar: Highlights and slows down nearby survivors.
• Savage Jump: A chargeable leaping pounce that rapidly closes ground.
• Vicious Grab: Grabs a survivor and slams them repeatedly against the floor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do survivors escape in Abyssal Escape?

Survivors escape by touching the escape ring, which spawns and is highlighted across the map once the round timer drops down to 60 seconds. Interacting with red mist clusters accelerates this timer by 40 to 50 seconds per node cleared.

What happens if you equip two stun abilities on a survivor?

Equipping two stun abilities simultaneously applies a balance penalty that halves the stun duration of both equipped moves.

Which killer abilities reveal survivor locations?

Survivor outlines are revealed by X's Hide and Seek, Furnace's Thruster Flight, Fleetway's Flight, NMI's Screen Transportation and Deceit clones, and 2017X's Top Speed and Roar abilities.

Can killers be stunned during phase transformations?

Chargeable channels such as Furnace's Charge Heat can be interrupted by survivor stuns. However, phase transitions occur automatically once the match timer reaches designated late-game thresholds.