Forward: Escape the Fold in IOS

Card-based roguelike

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

88/100

Forward: Escape the Fold is a masterclass in mobile roguelike design. It distills the complex 'dungeon crawl' experience into a three-lane card system that feels like a mix of Solitaire and a high-stakes RPG. Every step forward is a choice: do you take the health potion, the shield, or the monster that might drop a legendary item?

The game is incredibly fair with its monetization—no ads, no predatory in-app purchases, just pure strategy. While some might find the power-up progression a bit luck-dependent, the sheer variety of builds and the quick 5-10 minute run times make it the perfect game for commuting. It’s clever, dark, and highly addictive.

Reviewed on: Sat Nov 01 2025
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Now this... this is a real video game. It’s simple, but don't let that fool you—the decision-making is incredibly tight. Every card choice matters. Do you take the damage to get the gold? Or play it safe and lose the chance at a better item? It reminds me of the best parts of 'Slay the Spire' but condensed into a format that actually makes sense for a phone. The art is clean and consistent, and the 'one more run' feeling is very strong. My only complaint is that once you figure out certain item combos, it can become a bit predictable, but getting to that point takes a lot of skill. This is how you do mobile gaming correctly.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Perfect mobile format
  • Deep strategic depth
  • Excellent balancing
  • Visually a bit repetitive
  • High difficulty floor might repel casuals

Technical Report

Performance: Instant load times; flawless performance.

Accessibility:

    Audience Fit

    Buy if: You love Slay the Spire, card games, or difficult roguelikes.

    Skip if: You want a narrative-heavy experience.

    Similar Games:
    • Slay the Spire
    • Card Thief

    Reviewer Context

    • Reviewer: Dinsun
    • Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
    • Playtime: 15 hours
    • Status: Unlocked all characters

    The Game

    Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

    Version 1.2.7Mon Feb 13 2023

    It was sometimes impossible to enter your profile name on some devices.

    To solve this issue, the save files are now automatically created at the first launch of the application. No need to enter your name anymore.

    I'm really sorry for the inconvenience.

    Don't hesitate to send me an email if you encounter other bugs.


    FORWARD: Escape the Fold was created to be the perfect bitesized roguelike dungeon crawler.

    Choose your champion and face a relentless crawl through the card-based dungeons, collect items to power your abilities and defeat the gruesome monsters facing you. But keep going FORWARD!

    **2022 Megamigs Award Winner**

    **2022 Tiny Teams Fest Nominee**

    **2022 DemoNight Nominee**

    Forward is an innovative game in which you will progress through a procedurally-generated dungeon in the form of cards. Move your character from one card to another and keep going forward while avoiding attacking enemies. However be careful, each card will have specific effects making each move important and strategic.

    Your goal is to clear the 8 levels of a dungeon, each level getting increasingly difficult. In order to succeed, you will have to choose which move to make, which item to pick and use your skills. Each choice is critical.

    Take advantage of many items combinations and build the best character possible based on your goal and the cards you’ll come across.

    Features:

    - 100+ item cards to improve your characters

    - 9 playable characters with unique skills and game mechanics

    - 27 unique active competencies

    - 3 game modes

    As Forward is a rogue-like inspired game, the features you’ll be able to find are :

    - Death ends the game ‌

    - Procedurally-generated dungeons

    - Turn-based movements

    - Resource management (health, armor, mana, gold etc)

    - Many randomly drawn items

    The game is based on the 2022 PC game Forward: Escape the Fold which was received very positively. Developed by Two Tiny Dice, its success prompted the developer to bring the game to mobile.


    Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

    FORWARD: Escape the Fold was created to be the perfect bitesized roguelike dungeon crawler.

    Choose your champion and face a relentless crawl through the card-based dungeons, collect items to power your abilities and defeat the gruesome monsters facing you. But keep going FORWARD!

    **2022 Megamigs Award Winner**

    **2022 Tiny Teams Fest Nominee**

    **2022 DemoNight Nominee**

    Forward is an innovative game in which you will progress through a procedurally-generated dungeon in the form of cards. Move your character from one card to another and keep going forward while avoiding attacking enemies. However be careful, each card will have specific effects making each move important and strategic.

    Your goal is to clear the 8 levels of a dungeon, each level getting increasingly difficult. In order to succeed, you will have to choose which move to make, which item to pick and use your skills. Each choice is critical.

    Take advantage of many items combinations and build the best character possible based on your goal and the cards you’ll come across.

    Features:

    - 100+ item cards to improve your characters

    - 9 playable characters with unique skills and game mechanics

    - 27 unique active competencies

    - 3 game modes

    As Forward is a rogue-like inspired game, the features you’ll be able to find are :

    - Death ends the game ‌

    - Procedurally-generated dungeons

    - Turn-based movements

    - Resource management (health, armor, mana, gold etc)

    - Many randomly drawn items

    The game is based on the 2022 PC game Forward: Escape the Fold which was received very positively. Developed by Two Tiny Dice, its success prompted the developer to bring the game to mobile.


    Ratings & Reviews

    4.5 out of 5 with 115 Counts
    Age Rating 9+

    Screenshots

    Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 1Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 2Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 3Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 4Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 5Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 6Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 7Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 8Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 9Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 10Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 11Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 12Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 13Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 14Forward: Escape the Fold screenshot 15

    Escape the Fold is a card-based roguelike designed for quick play sessions. Players must choose one of three cards in each row to progress, managing their health and mana while collecting items to survive the boss at the bottom of the fold. Each run offers unique synergies and challenging encounters.

    Features

    1

    Premium experience with no ads

    2

    Over 100 unique items to collect

    3

    Multiple playable characters with distinct abilities

    4

    Fast-paced, 10-minute game sessions

    Tips

    Promotion Videos

    Forward: Escape the Fold Gameplay Trailer

    Related Videos

    News on this game

    Best new mobile games on iOS and Android – March 2023 round-up

    GameCentral takes a look at the month's most interesting mobile games, including a new Tomb Raider game and a fun Vampire Survivors clone.

    Metro.co.uk - Sat Oct 28 2023

    Deckbuilding Rogue Dungeon Crawling Awaits in Pyrene Next Month

    Two Tiny Dice is bringing us Pyrene next month, a rogue-like deckbuilder dungeon crawler coming to PC and Mac this September.

    Hey Poor Player - Fri Mar 28 2025

    Gameplays

    Q&A

    Yes, the game features an excellent tutorial that explains the card mechanics in under two minutes.

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