A Way Out: Beginner's Guide & Best Tips

Jumping In: My Honest Take on A Way Out

Alright, let me be straight with you — A Way Out isn't some perfect masterpiece. It's a co-op prison break drama that's equal parts heartfelt, frustrating, and absolutely hilarious when things go wrong. I've played through this thing four times now with different friends, and every single run had at least one moment where one of us screamed at the TV because the other person couldn't figure out how to climb a pipe.

The game is designed for two players — there is no single-player mode. Period. If you don't have a buddy willing to play, you're stuck. But if you do, this is one of those rare co-op experiences where you have to work together. Not like those games where co-op is just two people doing the same thing in the same room. Here, one of you might be distracting a guard while the other sneaks through a vent. You might need to lift your partner onto a ledge, or one of you drives while the other shoots. It's built around that constant communication, and when it clicks, it's fantastic.

But here's the thing — the game does a terrible job of explaining some of its mechanics. I spent my first fifteen minutes in the prison yard trying to figure out how to pick up a shovel, and my friend was laughing at me from the other room. You'll run into moments where the game expects you to just know how something works, and if you don't, you're stuck pressing every button until something happens. This guide is for those moments. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it — some parts are clunky, some QTEs are unfair, and the driving sections feel like they were programmed by someone who hates cars. But it's worth pushing through.

Why This Game Will Test Your Friendship (And Patience)

Let's talk about what actually makes people rage-quit. Because it's not the story. It's the little bullshit things that pile up.

The biggest pain point is the lack of tutorial. The game teaches you one mechanic, throws you into a scenario, and then never tells you about half the buttons you'll need later. You know how many times I watched my buddy mash the wrong button during a QTE because the game showed him "Press A" but didn't explain that some prompts are hold and some are tap? Too many. The game uses both, and you can't tell which is which until you screw up and watch Leo get punched in the face.

Another major frustration: the split-screen camera. On paper, it's cool — both players see their own half of the screen. In practice, it means you'll spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the other guy is even looking at. "No, go left! YOUR left, not mine!" That conversation will happen at least once per play session. The camera also has a bad habit of swinging around at the worst possible moments, especially during chase sequences. I've died more times because I couldn't see what was in front of me than I'd like to admit.

Third: the pacing. The game has long stretches where not much happens. You'll walk across fields, crawl through tunnels, listen to characters talk. Some people love this. Others get bored and start screwing around, which causes the game to softlock because both players have to trigger the next scene together. If your partner wanders off to throw rocks at a window while you're trying to move forward, you're stuck waiting. This is where arguments start.

Finally, the driving and shooting sections. These are the weakest parts of the game, and everyone knows it. The car handles like a boat on ice. The shooting feels stiff and imprecise. There's a section where you're driving a boat and shooting at enemies, and it's an absolute nightmare because the aiming reticle doesn't line up with where the bullets actually go. I'm not exaggerating — I tested it. The bullet impact is about three inches to the right of your crosshair. That's not a "git gud" issue. That's a bug.

First Steps: What You Actually Need to Do From Minute One

Okay, you've convinced your buddy to play. You're both in the prison. Now what?

First: figure out who is Player 1 and who is Player 2. This matters because Player 1 (Leo on your screen) has slightly different starting gear and will be the one driving in a few early sections. It's not a huge deal, but if one of you is way better at driving than the other, assign that person to the character who drives more. Trust me, it'll save you ten minutes of crashing into mailboxes and getting shot at.

Second: go into settings and turn on subtitles. The game has a lot of dialogue that's easy to miss if you're both talking over it. The subtitles aren't perfect (they sometimes lag behind), but they're better than nothing. Also, check your audio settings — the game has a weird default where voice audio is quieter than sound effects, and you'll struggle to hear important story beats.

Third: learn the button layout. Here's what the game doesn't teach you:

• Interact (E / Square / X) is your main action button — picking up objects, opening doors, climbing ledges. This is the one you'll press 90% of the time.
• Action (Space / Circle / B) is for context-sensitive stuff — like pulling a lever or throwing a punch during a brawl. Some QTEs use this. Some don't. The game is inconsistent.
• Run (Shift / L1 / LB) lets you sprint, but it drains your stamina bar. You can't sprint forever. If you're being chased, manage your stamina — don't waste it running in a straight line.
• Look Back (Q / L3 / LS click) is critically important during chases. You need to see if the cop is gaining on you. A lot of new players forget this button exists and get caught because they didn't see the enemy right behind them.
• Call Partner (R / R3 / RS click) — you can call out to your partner to get their attention. Useful when they're staring at a wall and you need them to look at your screen.

Fourth: don't rush. The game rewards exploration. There are hidden dialogue options, little side interactions, and even a few collectibles. But more importantly, the game only progresses when both players are in the same area and both trigger the next event. If you run ahead and your partner is still looking at a poster, you'll just stand there like an idiot. Talk to each other. Say "I'm at the door, you ready?" before you walk through.

Expert Tricks: Making the Game Easier (And More Fun)

These are the things I wish someone had told me before my first run. Not the basic stuff — the real "oh, that's how it works" moments.

Mash buttons during QTEs — but mash the right ones. The game has fake QTEs where you press a button and nothing happens, but the game makes you feel like you failed. Real QTEs will have a visible timer bar or a flashing prompt. If you see a white circle filling up, you need to hold the button until it's full. If you see a button icon flash once, tap it. If it flashes repeatedly, mash it fast. The difference is subtle but crucial during the action scenes.

The hospital section is a trap. You'll get to a point where you're in a hospital, and you have a choice to either cooperate with the cops or fight. Cooperating is the smart choice because fighting triggers a long, frustrating combat sequence where you'll probably die twice. I know it's tempting to be the tough guy, but the game punishes you for it. Just go along with it, and the game will move on faster.

Driving tip: brake early. The cars in this game don't stop well. If you're approaching a corner, start braking way earlier than you think you need to. Let off the gas entirely and tap the brake as you turn. The only exception is the boat chase — for that one, you want to drift through turns by hitting the handbrake (Space / R1 / RB) and turning hard. It looks sloppy, but it's faster than trying to take a clean line.

The shooting gallery is harder than it looks. There's a section where you and your partner have to shoot targets in a carnival game. The trick is that one player aims high, the other aims low. If you both try to shoot the same targets, you'll block each other's shots. Communicate: "I'm taking the left side, you take the right." And don't bother with the moving targets — they're worth the same points as the stationary ones, and they move too fast to hit consistently.

Save your ammo for the final act. In the first two-thirds of the game, you get into maybe three or four shootouts. They're short and you can usually brute-force them with melee. Starting from the chapter labeled "The Farmhouse," ammo becomes scarce and enemies start using shotguns. If you've wasted bullets earlier, you'll be stuck with a pea shooter against guys who can kill you in two hits. Conserve ammo. Use the environment — you can throw bricks, hit people with pipes, and even kick enemies off ledges.

The QTEs during the final confrontation are brutal. I won't spoil what happens, but when you get near the end, the game throws a long sequence of QTEs at you with almost no warning. I died on my first run because I wasn't ready. The trick is: don't panic. The prompts give you about 1.5 seconds to react, which feels short but is totally doable. Keep your hands centered on the controller. If you're playing on keyboard, keep your left hand over WASD and your right hand ready for the arrow keys or mouse clicks.

One more thing about the soundtrack: The music in this game reacts to what you're doing. During chase scenes, the drums get faster as the enemy gets closer. If you hear the music change, it means you're about to be caught or something bad is about to happen. Use it as an audio cue. It's not perfect, but it's better than any visual warning the game gives you.

Common Screw-Ups That Will Get You Caught or Killed

I've made all of these mistakes. Most of them more than once. Here's what not to do.

• Wandering off alone when you need to cooperate. There are several puzzles where one player needs to hold a door open while the other crawls through. If you both try to go through the door, it closes on you and you have to restart. The game doesn't tell you this. If you see a puzzle where you both need to push something, assign roles: "I'll push, you go through." Then switch.
• Ignoring the minimap. The minimap in the corner of the screen shows enemy patrol routes. Guards follow predictable paths. If you just rush through without looking at the map, you'll walk right into a guard's cone of vision. Wait for them to pass, then move. This is especially true in the prison library section and the construction site.
• Mashing the interact button too fast. In a few sections, you need to pick up an object, carry it to a specific spot, and use it. The game has a weird input buffer where if you press interact twice quickly, you'll drop the object and pick it up again in the same frame, which can softlock you. Press once. Wait for the animation to finish. Then press again.
• Not covering your partner. During the shooting sections, one of you will usually be on a mounted gun (a turret or a stationary MG) while the other moves forward. The mounted gun has limited firing angles. You can only aim so far left or right. If your partner moves out of your field of fire, you can't protect them. Stay in the open area where you can see each other. If you're the one moving, don't run past your partner's turret — they'll have to spin around, and in that time, you'll get shot.
• Forgetting to look behind you. This is the #1 reason people die in chase sequences. You focus on running forward, you don't check the enemy's position, and suddenly a cop grabs your collar because they were two feet behind you and you didn't see them. Click the look-back button every few seconds. If the enemy is close, you can also perform a "shove" by hitting the melee button (F / Triangle / Y) while sprinting. It buys you a second or two.
• Letting your partner control the conversation. During dialogue choices, both players can choose different responses. The game picks a response based on whichever player talks first. If you're trying to be the calm one and your partner chooses the aggressive option, you might end up in a fight you didn't want. Tell your partner which response you're going for before you hit the button. "I'm picking option 2, you pick option 1 so we get the middle one."

Quick Answers to Things You're Probably Googling

Q: Can I play this game solo?
No. There is no AI partner. You need a second person. You can play online or local split-screen, but you cannot play alone. If you don't have a friend, find someone in a co-op LFG group.

Q: How long is A Way Out?
About 5-7 hours depending on how much you explore. It's a single-sitting game for most people. Don't expect a 20-hour epic. It's a tightly told story that doesn't overstay its welcome.

Q: Which character should I play? Leo or Vincent?
Doesn't matter much. Leo has a bit more action-oriented gameplay (he's the one who drives in most car sequences), while Vincent has a few stealth-specific moments. For your first playthrough, just pick whoever you think looks cooler. The story beats are the same.

Q: Is there a trophy/achievement for beating the game?
No. There are no achievements. At all. Zero. The game has no trophy list. I don't know why, it's weird. Don't expect any.

Q: The game glitched and I can't move. What do I do?
This happens. Usually a softlock. Try pressing the "Call Partner" button to reset your position slightly. If that doesn't work, both players should quit to the main menu and continue from the last checkpoint. If that still doesn't work, reload the chapter. The checkpoints are frequent, so you won't lose much progress.

Q: Is the game scary? I don't like horror.
No. It's a prison drama with some tense moments, but there's nothing supernatural or jump-scare heavy. One section takes place in an abandoned warehouse that's dark, but nothing will jump out at you. You'll be fine.

Q: Can I replay specific chapters?
Yes. After you finish the game, chapter select becomes available. You can replay any chapter you want. This is useful if you missed some of the hidden interactions or just want to experience a specific section again.

Q: The game is supposed to be co-op, but can I play with a stranger?
Technically yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. Half the fun is the interaction between you and your partner. Playing with a random person who doesn't talk or who rushes through everything will ruin the experience. Find a friend. It's worth it.

If you've made it this far, you're ready. Go grab your buddy, pick a character, and remember — when you're crawling through that vent in the prison, don't accidentally kick your partner in the face. It happens more often than you'd think.