7 Thrilling Room Escape Games for Crazy Cognitive Fun

In many cities and places around the country, room escape games are becoming more and more popular. The concept is simple: a group of players is trapped in a room, usually with some sort of danger or ‘death’ looming, and they must work together to solve puzzles and escape the room. There is generally a time limit and even organizers will tell you that not every group succeeds. These room escape games offer challenging excitement for families or groups and are an excellent opportunity for team building. They offer an opportunity to play a game together, as a group or family, and succeed through teamwork rather than competition.

However, there may not be an actual room escape facility in your area or perhaps your children are too young for the age limits or maybe it is a little expensive for a single experience. Fortunately, you can re-create the room escape experience at home. These games are just as exciting but are generally less expensive and many of them can be enjoyed multiple times or in the case of some of the games, can be played and enjoyed endlessly.

Exciting Room Escape Games

Spin Master Games – Escape Room The Game
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Escape The Room Secret Of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat Game
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Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters Board Game
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Room 25 Ultimate Board Game
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Monster Mansion Board Game
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1. Spin Master Games – Escape Room The Game

Spin Master Games - Escape Room The Game - room escape gamesSpin Master Games—Escape Room: The Game lets friends and families enjoy the excitement of the escape rooms from home. Three to five players age 16 and up work together to solve puzzles and find hidden clues. Time runs out in sixty minutes, though, so it’s important to work quickly. This game includes four thrilling escape rooms of varying levels of difficulty. Explore and play Prison Break, Virus, Nuclear Countdown, and Temple of the Aztec. Players enter the correct keys in the Chrono Decoder which counts down the time and uses sounds to let you know when you are close to the deadline.

Number of Players: 3–5

Recommended Ages: 10+

2. Escape the Room Stargazer’s Manor Board Game

Escape the Room Stargazer's Manor Board Game - room escape gamesWork quickly to solve the fun and challenging puzzles in Escape the Room Stargazer’s Manor Board Game. Three to eight players work cooperatively to unlock clues and work through the unique mystery. Set in 1989 in Stargazer’s Manor, players must solve the mystery of the ancient mansion. The wife of the town’s astronomer has died suddenly and the astronomer himself has disappeared and his home. Furthermore, the Manor, his home, is plagued with strange occurrences. Use the included scene card, sealed envelopes, secret items, and solution wheel to solve the mystery. The game only includes a single mystery but there are instructions to “reset” the game so that you can either host a game night for others of pass the game along to another group.

Number of Players: 3–8

Recommended Ages: 10+

3. Escape The Room Secret Of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat Game

Escape The Room Secret Of Dr. Gravely's Retreat Game - room escape gamesEscape the Room is one of the most popular creators of room escape games for the home, and Escape The Room Secret Of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat Game is another great addition to their line of games. The high quality, enjoyable games are a favorite with reviewers. Set in the year 1913, players attend Dr. Gravely’s Foxcrest Retreat. It’s supposed to be a health spa with the latest in spa treatments and relaxation, but everything is not as it should be. A dark secret haunts the retreat and players must work together to solve the intriguing mystery.

Number of Players: 3–8

Recommended Ages: 13+

4. Escape The Curse of the Temple

Escape The Curse of the Temple - room escape gamesEscape The Curse of the Temple combines the family fun of board games with the excitement of room escape games. Gameplay is simple; players role the dice, move, explore, and activate gems on the way to your daring escape. Like most room escape games, all players work together to solve the puzzles and get out alive. The games are short, only ten minutes and for those ten minutes a soundtrack plays in the background and lets players know when time is running out. As it is a dice centered game and does not rely on players solving a mystery, this game can be enjoyed over and over. A fantastic game for families.

Number of Players: 1-5

Recommended Ages: 8+

5. Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters Board Game

Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters Board Game - room escape gamesThe Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters Board Game is the English version of the award-winning German game Geister, Geister, Schatzsuchmeister, which won the 2014 Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children’s Game of the Year) award. Families or groups of players work as a team to escape from the haunted house with all eight Treasure Jewels before six of the rooms become haunted. In this dice-based board game, players must drop and pick up Treasure Jewels and solve the problem of getting them out of the house, all while working together to fight the frightening ghosts and hauntings. The game has basic and advanced options.

Number of Players: 2–4

Recommended Ages: 8+

6. Room 25 Ultimate Board Game

Room 25 Ultimate Board Game - room escape games

Play the Room 25 Ultimate Board Game and escape the 25 rooms in 30 minutes and 10 turns. Players have been recruited by “The Ministry” as reality television stars. Except, in the tradition of trial competitions like The Hunger Games, players must navigate deadly traps and dangerous guards on the way to their daring escape. Their challenge is purely for the entertainment of the many viewers. Enjoy two gameplay modes: hidden identity, and cooperation.

Number of Players: 1–8

Recommended Ages: 10+

7. Monster Mansion Board Game

Monster Mansion Board Game - room escape games

The Monster Mansion Board Game harnesses the fast-paced, real-time excitement of traditional room escape games and combines it with a tile laying game that can be played an endless number of times. First, players  choose one of 18 unique characters. Each of those characters has a special ability that will help the player achieve the goal of escaping Monster Mansion. Under the guise of their hidden identities, players work together, shopping for items, helping other players, and fighting vampires, zombies, mummies, demons, robots, and aliens. Earn gold to purchase powerful items to help on the ultimate quest. Escape the mansion together before time runs out to win the game.

Number of Players: 1-8

Recommended Ages: 12+

 

Have you or your family played room escape games? We love to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

 

Feature image courtesy of Flickr, Breakout Basel.
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