A Way Out Beginner Tips and Tricks - Co-op Escape Guide

A Way Out by Hazelight Studios, published by Electronic Arts, is a co-op-only action-adventure about Leo and Vincent, two prisoners who have to work together through an escape story built for split-screen play.

Content warning: Official storefronts list Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, and Users Interact. This guide stays non-graphic and focused on play.

This guide covers first-playthrough co-op habits, online setup expectations, and split-screen fundamentals. It is not a full walkthrough, achievement route, or minigame guide until exact chapters, checkpoints, and platform behavior are validated.

Essential Tips

1. Confirm the Co-op Setup Before Starting

A Way Out is not a solo game.

Decide whether you are playing couch co-op or online before you settle in. For online play, confirm who owns the full game, who is being invited through Friend Pass or a free trial, whether both players are on the same platform family, and whether the platform subscription and EA account requirements are handled.

2. Pick Leo or Vincent by Personality

Neither lead is the automatic easy mode.

Leo is more forceful and direct, while Vincent is calmer and more controlled. Choose the character whose dialogue style you want to follow first, not the one you think will have stronger mechanics.

3. Treat Split Screen as Shared Information

Your partner may see the solution first.

Watch both halves of the screen when a room stalls. One player may see a marker, NPC, prompt, door, tool, or hazard before the other player’s camera makes it obvious.

4. Use Yellow Markers Before Wandering

The game usually marks what matters.

If both players are circling the same area, stop and scan for yellow markers. They can point to destinations, people of interest, or interactable objects that move the scene forward.

5. Talk Before Timing Sections

Agree on the cue before the prompt starts.

Use short calls like “ready,” “now,” “hold,” “go left,” and “reset.” The game often asks both players to act together, and a clean cue prevents one person from starting early while the other is still reading the scene.

6. Agree on Leo’s Way or Vincent’s Way

Some choices need both players on the same plan.

When the game offers a route choice, talk it out before selecting. These moments can change the immediate gameplay approach, so both players should know whether they are committing to the louder, direct option or the calmer, planned option.

7. Take Turns in NPC Conversations

Two conversations at once can bury useful lines.

If both players start talking to different NPCs at the same time, dialogue can overlap. In slower areas, let one player finish a conversation before the other starts another, especially if you care about story details.

8. Read QTE Prompts, Not Just the Action

The spectacle is designed to distract you.

During quick-time events, focus on the prompt on your side of the screen. Some moments ask for a timed press, others ask for repeated input, and your partner may be handling a different prompt at the same time.

9. Regroup When One Player Gets Ahead

Forward movement by one player is not progress for both.

If one player reaches the next point early, wait and use the pause to look around. Many sections are gated by both characters, and rushing only makes the trailing player solve the route under pressure.

10. Let Each Set Piece Teach Its Rules

The game changes activities often.

A Way Out can move from stealth to driving, shooting, paddling, chases, minigames, or dialogue-heavy scenes. Spend a few seconds reading the new controls and objective before forcing the last section’s habits onto the next one.

11. Use Voice Chat for Online Play

Timing is harder when every cue is typed or implied.

If you are playing remotely, use voice chat when possible. Even simple calls help during simultaneous actions, QTEs, and route choices.

12. Replay With the Other Character Later

Character choice changes perspective more than difficulty.

For a first run, stay focused on finishing cleanly. If you want the other side of the dialogue and personality dynamic, swap Leo and Vincent on a later playthrough.

Co-op Setup Tips

1. Use couch co-op when available: It avoids most account, invite, and subscription friction.
2. Let the full-game owner start online sessions: The Friend Pass/free trial flow begins from the owner inviting a friend.
3. Check same-platform restrictions: Official terms require the online friend to have A Way Out or Friend Pass installed on the same platform.
4. Verify subscriptions before a session: PlayStation and Xbox online requirements depend on the current platform subscription wording.
5. Check EA account and launcher behavior on PC: Steam lists EA account and EA activation requirements, so confirm account linking before a long online session.
6. Do not rely on old labels: Older EA material uses terms like Xbox Live Gold; use the current storefront wording when setting up a new session.

Story and Action Habits

1. Name the immediate job: Say whether you are distracting, searching, holding, climbing, driving, aiming, or waiting.
2. Do not both chase the same marker blindly: If one player has the marker covered, the other should look for the paired action.
3. Watch for unsynchronized moments: One player can be active while the other is watching a scene, so call out when control returns.
4. Use subtitles if dialogue matters to you: Overlapping NPC conversations are easier to follow when text is visible.
5. Pause after failed QTEs: Decide whether the miss was timing, button reading, or communication before repeating the same input rhythm.
6. Respect route-choice commitment: Once both players pick a way, play the chosen plan instead of improvising halfway through.

Hidden Mechanics

Mechanic	What It Means	How to Use It
Co-op-only structure	The game is built for two players	Plan every session around a second player being present
Friend Pass/free trial	One owner can invite a non-owner online	Confirm owner, same platform, trial install, and account requirements
Constant split screen	Both perspectives stay important	Scan your partner’s view before calling an area stuck
Yellow markers	The game highlights destinations and interactables	Check both screens for markers when progress slows
Route agreement	Some Leo/Vincent options require both players	Choose the same plan before acting
Overlapping dialogue	Both players can trigger conversations	Take turns when story context matters
Separate QTE prompts	Each player may have different inputs	Watch your own prompt and call out if your side fails
Wait-for-partner pacing	One player can reach a point before the other	Regroup instead of rushing ahead

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring your partner’s half of the split screen.
• Running toward a marker before checking what your partner can interact with.
• Starting a timed sequence without a shared cue.
• Choosing different Leo/Vincent routes without agreeing first.
• Talking to multiple NPCs at once when you want to follow the story.
• Watching the action instead of the QTE prompt on your side.
• Pushing ahead while your partner is still navigating the previous step.
• Treating Leo or Vincent as the stronger gameplay choice instead of a perspective choice.

Summary

A Way Out is easiest when both players treat communication as part of the controls. Confirm the co-op setup first, use split screen as shared information, follow yellow markers when stuck, agree on route choices, slow down during dialogue, and call timing clearly during QTEs and simultaneous actions.