So, based on the Eurogamer review I ended up buying The Escapists (trailer actually makes the game look less slick than the final version):
I was really disappointed, everything seemed a little clumsy and repetitive.
I don't know what it was but all of a sudden the game just clicked into place when I got to the second prison and I had to devise plastic copies of guard's keys, steal a uniform and then sneak out at night to disable a generator. Learning not to push your chances too much and creating balance in the prison environment made so much sense and I got really into it.
I am now on the third prison and I find myself thinking about it when I am doing other things, trying to figure out how to trick the cameras, how to befriend other inmates and figure out how to break through the perimeter wall (I think I might need a sturdy shovel).
Anyway, this seems like the kind of game that The Idle Thumbs would love so I was surprised that I couldn't find anyone talking about it.