Wondering how to escape from prison in BitLife or unlock the elusive BitLife prison escape achievements? You’re in the right place! In this immersive life sim game, even the most daring actions—like breaking out of jail—are possible.
Whether you’re aiming to master how to escape BitLife prison for a challenge or simply crave the thrill, this guide will turn you into a jailbreak pro.
While escaping isn’t easy, strategic moves during the prison mini-game can tip the odds in your favor. Let’s dive in!
How to Escape Prison
1. Tap the Prison button.
Besides Age, it’s the only button available, located in the first spot on the gray bar above your stats.
2 Tap Escape.
The game will ask if you want to confirm your escape attempt. Tap Yes to continue.
3. Tap the arrow buttons to move.
You must move towards the exit and outrun the guard to escape prison. For every move you make, the guard will make 2 moves towards you in the same direction.
4. Get to the “exit” sign to escape prison.
Once you escape, you can attempt to return to your normal life.
- If you’re caught, you can try again after aging up one year. Getting caught will increase your sentence by at least 1 year.
Prison Escape Tips & Tricks
1 When you try escaping prison, the guard can only move certain ways.
For every one move you make, the guard will make two moves. The guard will also move towards your character, but will prioritize horizontal moves over vertical moves.
- This means if you can get the guard into a spot where there is a wall above him, he will get trapped and you’ll be able to create enough distance to escape.
2. There are 14 minimum security prison layouts and 9 maximum security layouts.
The minimum security layouts range from a 3×4 grid to a 7×4 grid, and all but one of the maximum security layouts are 8×8 (the one outlier is an 8×7 layout).
- While this sounds like a lot, many of the layouts are repeats of one another, just flipped horizontally or vertically.
- In each layout, there will be a star noting your starting spot, an “exit” sign designating the exit, and a policeman emoji for the guard’s location. The thick, dark lines are walls you can’t walk through.
3. You can watch an ad to skip the prison break minigame once per life.
If you haven’t escaped prison before in your current character’s life, you can skip the prison escape minigame one time (per life) by tapping the Steal a guard’s uniform to escape! button.
- If you end up going back to prison, you’ll have to escape by completing the minigame.
4. An alternative method of escape is escaping in a riot.
It’s rare that you can escape in a riot, but it is possible. This is usually achieved if you have more than 25 prisoners participating in the riot.
Achievements & Ribbons
1. There are three achievements for escaping prison.
The achievements are as follows:
- Escape Artist: Escape from prison once
- Theseus: Escape from a maximum-security prison once
Aftermath: Escape during a prison riot
2. There are three death ribbons you can get after escaping prison.
These ribbons and how to get them are as follows:
- Cunning: One of the ways you can get this death ribbon is by escaping prison by completing a difficult minigame puzzle
- Houdini: Escape from prison at least 10 times
- Jailbird: Escape prison once and get sent back
Activities to Avoid After Escaping
There are a few activities you should avoid after a prison break.
These activities will get you sent back to prison, where you’ll have to try and escape all over again.
- Returning to your home country after emigrating
- Enlisting in the military
- Calling the police for anything
- Getting caught committing another crime
In the 8×8 prison escape mini-game, focus on trapping guards horizontally. Build walls diagonally to block their path, then sprint to the exit while they’re stuck.
Smaller grids like 7×5 require quick moves. Lure guards left or right, wall them off, then zigzag vertically toward freedom.
For 6×6 grids, prioritize creating barriers early. Guards have less room to maneuver—trap them in corners to clear your escape route.
Yes! On 6×5 grids, use walls to split the grid into sections. Isolate guards on one side, then dash to the exit opposite them.
Narrow grids like 7×4 limit vertical movement. Trap guards horizontally near the top or bottom, then slip past them mid-grid.
The core mechanics remain the same (guard AI, wall-building). However, grids may vary slightly—always adapt to the layout!
Yes! If a prison riot triggers (random event), use the chaos to attempt an escape. Keep your health high to survive fights with guards.
Guards move faster on smaller grids. Practice timing your walls and always plan 2-3 moves ahead. Check our full guide for advanced tips!