CellMates is a 12-player online party game in the action, indie, and casual genres set on PC. Players divide into prisoners attempting to escape or guards working to maintain order inside a prison with a three-day deadline before death row. The experience centers on asymmetric multiplayer where one side crafts tools and plans breakouts while the other conducts searches and enforces rules.
Gameplay
Prisoners gather scrap materials to craft items such as shivs and screwdrivers. They hide contraband in bunks and pry open vents to reach the perimeter while keeping their heat low to avoid detection. Guards handle roll call, search cells, taser and cuff suspects, and send offenders to solitary confinement. The day follows a fixed schedule of roll call, work shifts, free time, and lights-out, with missed activities drawing attention from the block.
Two distinct prisons shape the environment. Greybar features a walled block filled with vents, tunnels, and searchlights. Gull Rock forms an entire island that includes a quarry, a harbour, a lighthouse, and sharks in the surrounding waters. Escape routes include vents, digging tunnels, the garbage truck, ropes over the fence, a chopper, or a boat assembled from stolen parts. Players physically haul completed boats to the water, where teammates may interfere by grabbing or disrupting the effort.
NPC inmates and guards populate the facility and react to player actions, creating a responsive environment. Voice chat supports coordination among friends who host lobbies and invite others through the platform.
Game Modes
Each day begins with a vote on a special event that alters the session. Available events include musical cells, stop the clock, king of the pit, prison riot, and a dinghy regatta around the island. These events layer new objectives or restrictions onto the core prisoner-versus-guard conflict.
The two prisons function as primary settings that support different approaches to escape and containment. Greybar emphasizes tight indoor navigation and stealth, while Gull Rock introduces outdoor elements and water-based challenges. The daily cycle of scheduled activities remains consistent across both locations and influences when players can pursue escapes or conduct searches.
Factions and Daily Cycle
The prisoner faction focuses on resource gathering, crafting, and stealthy progression toward the perimeter. The guard faction emphasizes surveillance, direct intervention, and maintaining control through searches and punishments. Both sides operate under the same shifting daily schedule that dictates when roll calls occur, when work assignments run, and when free time or lights-out periods begin.
NPCs add background activity and consequences for visible rule-breaking. Players must balance aggressive escape attempts or enforcement actions against the risk of drawing unwanted attention during restricted hours.
Is It Worth Playing?
CellMates targets groups that enjoy asymmetric multiplayer party games with clear opposing objectives. The described systems of crafting, searching, scheduled activities, and voted events create repeated sessions that change based on player choices and the selected daily event. With a planned release in December 2026 and no user reviews available yet, the game remains untested in practice. Those drawn to 12-player sessions involving coordination, interference, and prison-themed mechanics may find the setup appealing once it launches. Availability will be limited to the PC platform through the standard storefront.
