Need some quarantine-friendly ideas of something to do? Do you love puzzles and the thrill of solving them? Try an escape room in a box! There are so many amazing options out there, from escape room subscription boxes to board games where you "escape" through a series of puzzles.
These are perfect for date nights at home, group dates, and more! Almost all of these are family-friendly and could be solved as a family.
My husband and I love in-person escape rooms, but sometimes it's hard to get a babysitter and get out of the house for a few hours to enjoy one. Plus, 2020 has taught us that in-person entertainment is sometimes impossible.
Luckily, we've found a solution: an escape room in a box! We've had so much fun doing these for at-home date nights or family activities. Our kids aged 6, 8, and 10 have enjoyed participating with us.
There are lots of different monthly subscription boxes that will give you the murder mystery or escape room experience you love.
We've also purchased a number of board games that provide a similar puzzling experience. These usually utilize sealed envelopes that you open as you solve each puzzle, to move you through the story. Some also have internet options to help give you hints and check answers.
Here's a list to help you find the best escape room in a box for you and your family.
Note: While many of these are appropriate for older kids, you might be interested in this post about Escape Rooms for Kids, including some that are especially for kids age 7-10.
If you want something closer to an in-person room, try something on this list of Online & Virtual Escape Rooms To Do From Home.
Escape Room Subscription Boxes
There are subscription boxes for everything, and escape rooms are no exception.
Creative people have figured out some awesome ways to provide an escape room experience in a box. They usually involved solving a crime, or figuring out a Clue-style murder mystery. Here are some of the best options I've found for a monthly escape room box.
Finders Seekers
- Type: subscription box
- Recommend age & group size: Adults, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 2-4 hours
- Base Pricing: $30/month, cheaper with a subscription
- Buy this if: you are interesting in exploring a new culture while solving puzzles, and are comfortable navigating the internet as you go.
Finder Seekers is one of our favorite subscriptions on this list! We have done 4 boxes so far and are looking forward to the next two in the mail.
Each month you'll get a box of cryptic clues and puzzles from Finders Seekers that transports you to a unique location. You can explore the local traditions and learn about the culture as you solve the puzzle!
The puzzles are a unique combination of physical objects and online elements - you move through a series of webpages as you solve each step. There are hints available, and a robust facebook group as well! It's a great way to "travel" and explore a culture while figuring out a challenge.
One of the things about Finders Seekers is that there is a clear path to solving the mystery; meaning, you always know what elements you're using to solve the current puzzle, and it must be solved in sequential order. Some people love this aspect, because it means you don't waste your time wondering what you're supposed to be doing and getting frustrated. However, some people feel this removes some of the mysterious ambiance that comes from a true escape from experience, where you have to figure out how things work together. It's totally personal preference!
Overall, Finders Seekers provides a rewarding series of puzzles that removes some of the frustration of other escape room boxes.
Finders Seekers is available here.
Note: Finder Seekers boxes have great replayability! So far, every box we've done could be passed onto a friend - just be careful to do any scratchwork on a spare sheet of paper.
The Deadbolt Mystery Society
- Type: mystery-themed subscription box
- Recommend age & group size: Age 13+, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 2-4 hours
- Pricing: $25/month plus shipping
- Buy this one if: you're a newbie, and just want to true an awesome escape room in a box to get started.
The Deadbolt Mystery Society is a monthly subscription of interactive mysteries. Each box is a stand-alone story, so you don't need previous boxes to complete it.
The puzzles are written by escape room creators and contain online components (like QR codes to lead to videos) and to take your game to the next level. The content is challenging but not frustrating - meaning it's not busywork or full of red herrings. You get authentic and satisfying "aha!" moments as you figure it out.
Deadbolt Mystery Society is different from the first option on the list, in that you are given a box full of items and you decide how to proceed. There is technically only one path to success, but part of the fun is figuring out which puzzles need to be solved in which order.
We do them for at-home dates - it's an original, immersive experience very much like an escape room.
Deadbolt Mystery Society is probably my favorite option on the list! We have a subscription because it's the perfect sweet spot of price, content, and enjoyment factor.
The Deadbolt Mystery Society is available through Cratejoy here.
Replayability note: So far, we've been able to solve the ciphers on a scratch piece of paper instead of writing on the booklets. All the other elements are reusable. That means we can pass each escape room in a box on to a friend!
Hunt A Killer
- Type: subscription box that builds on previous months
- Recommend age & group size: 1-6 players
- Time to solve: 90 minutes - 3 hours per episode, meant to be played in 6 month increments
- Base Pricing: $30/month plus shipping, or prepay $165 for a 6-month subscription and get all free shipping
- Buy this one if: you like true crime, and are willing to commit to series of monthly experience
Hunt a Killer is a super popular murder mystery in a box, because it's so addicting!
Every month you'll work with Private Investigator Michelle Gray to solve a cold case. You get a monthly box with new clues that fit with an overall plot that helps you get closer and closer to solving the murder case.
Each season is 6 "episodes" long, so a season subscription will last 6 months. The boxes are filled with clues like autopsy reports, witness statements, and more. Each month has a different goal, working towards solving the ongoing murder mystery.
If you complete each month, you'll catch the killer in the last episode! This is a super fun "long game" puzzle, where you get the satisfaction of solving something each month as well as the big picture experience over the season.
Full disclosure: we haven't tried this one ourselves yet, but it comes highly recommended, so we probably will.
Hunt a Killer is available here.
Sleuth Kings
- Type: Detective-themed subscription box
- Recommend age or group size: Adults, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: Rookie Detective - 1 hour, Master Detective - 2-3 hours
- Pricing: $15/month or $30/month
- Buy this one if: you want actual email correspondence as you work through the mystery.
Sleuth Kings has two different options - a "rookie" box for beginners and a "master detective" box for anyone who wants more of a challenge.
Each month, you'll get a new box with case files and physical objects from Detective King. You can then use those case files and communicate via email with Detective King to solve the case! The email aspect of Sleuth Kings is super unique - none of the other escape room subscriptions we've tried have that option.
Sleuth Kings is available here.
Escape the Crate
- Type: Bi-monthly subscription box
- Recommend age & group size: Adults, teens, and pre-teens, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 1-2 hours
- Pricing: $35/month
- Buy this one if: you're ready to learn about different times and places while you solve the puzzles!
This company was established well before Covid-19 so they really know what they're doing. Everything they send is a clue - including the box!
The idea is that you are time travelers, and traveling to another place in history. You might go back to the World's Fair, the Ice Age, ancient Greece, or Victorian England. That makes all their boxes interesting and original since there's an educational element to add to the fun.
Escape the Crate is a bi-monthly subscription, so they come every other month.
Puzzling Pursuits
- Type: at-home escape room box (NOT a subscription, just mailed)
- Recommended age or group size: Age 13+, 1-6 people
- Time to solve: 2-4+ hours, in two parts
- Pricing: $50
- Buy this one if: you want to play with a small group - you can solve puzzles concurrently.
Puzzling Pursuits has designed its games so you can enjoy an immersive escape room experience from home. Each box has clues and puzzles to take you through a two-part storyline. They have a clever way of letting you check your answer on the internet without spoiling it if you're wrong.
It's great for a small group because there are lots of physical elements and you can work on puzzles concurrently, unlike many of the more linear options on this list. It also gives you two nights of fun, since there are two parts!
There are currently two games available by Puzzling Pursuits, each with two parts included. Their original and most popular game is Blackbrim: 1876.
Puzzling Pursuits is available here.
The Conundrum Box
- Type: Themed subscription box
- Recommend age & group size: Adults, teens, and pre-teens, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 1.5-3 hours
- Pricing: $35/month
- Buy this one if: you want a totally off-line experience to enjoy without screens
The Conundrum Box is part escape room, part choose-your-own-adventure. The mystery uses lots of different kinds of puzzles and unique physical items, pulling together a thrilling theme.
I love that The Conundrum box gives you extra resources to really make it a fun night - they offer themed recipe suggestions and a Spotify playlist for each experience.
The puzzles don't require the internet to solve, just to provide the narrative story and check your answers. The hints are set up really well because they don't give everything away, but lead you to which items might be useful.
The Conundrum Box is available here.
Dispatch
- Type: Mailed box with several segments
- Recommend age or group size: Adults, 1-6 players
- Time to solve: 2-3 hours per installment, for 2-7 installments
- Pricing: Ranges from $45 to $125 total
- Buy this one if: you want a research-based mystery, where you truly have to search the web for solutions. Or you're a pro puzzle solver!
Looking for a challenge? Dispatch by Breakout Games is a little different than a normal subscription box.
Dispatch boxes come in a series of 2-to-7 installments. The shortest ones are The Cat's Eye or On The Run which are two-part stories. So you'd get two different boxes that make a complete story. The price varies depending on how long the series is, and you do need to commit to the whole series in order to wrap up the whole series. I believe you can choose to get all the boxes at once at work through them on your own time.
Each box contains physical clues that will use both the web and the real world to help you unravel the mystery. This subscription is text and research-based, so you're using the internet to look up facts that help you solve the puzzles.
We've tried a bunch of different boxes, and Dispatch was by far the hardest and most complex. Unlike other boxes with a clear pathway of clues, there is little to no guidance on what order to solve the puzzles. If you are an escape room pro, or bored with puzzles that are too easy, then Dispatch is for you!
Dispatch by Breakout Games is available here.
Tabletop Escape Room Board Games
If you don't want to commit to monthly boxes, there are quite a few other options. Many companies have made an "escape room in a box" - like a stand-alone board game that you can play for a date night or with friends.
The nice things is you can easily order these off Amazon or another retailer, and have them available to play whenever the mood strikes.
In addition, many tabletop escape rooms can be repackaged or reset to pass on to someone else. Although only a few of these can be played by the same group again, it's nice when something has "replayability" for gifting.
Escape The Room
- Type: one-time use escape room board game
- Recommend age or group size: Age 10+, 3-8 players
- Time to solve: 90 minutes
- Pricing: $22-30/game
- Buy this if: you want a fun, mystery with no WIFI required
Escape the Room by Thinkfun centers on critical reasoning and logical deduction as you solve clues and challenges to unravel a mystery.
Each box contains a scene card, 5 sealed envelopes of secret items, a solution wheel, and an instruction manual. The solution wheel is really quite clever because it allows you to see if you've gotten the answer right for each of the puzzles, but not ruin any puzzle if you got it wrong.
They have various games in their series, and some seem easier than others, so check the reviews so you get the level you're looking for.
Escape the Room is available here.
EXIT: The Game
- Type: one-time use card game
- Age & group size: Age 12+, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 1-2 hours
- Pricing: $15/box
- Buy this if... you want a cheap and easy way to play an escape room at home, or you and the kids need a break from screens.
EXIT: The Game is a series of escape room games where players solve riddles and crack codes to escape from an imaginary room. Each game has a unique theme with clues and puzzles integrated right into the storyline.
Everything you need is included in the box, but since you must mark up and sometimes tear the game materials to crack the codes, each game in the series is only one-time use.
In our experience, the puzzles in Exit usually have a range of difficulty levels, from obvious "gimmes" to much bigger jumps in logic. We don't have a problem using the hints since the point is to have an enjoyable time! But be aware that the Exit games have to be solved in a certain order, and you may need to use the hints or solution cards to be able to move forward.
EXIT: The Game is available here.
Note: Each of the EXIT games is written by different people, so the games are hit or miss. We loved The Secret Lab but the Cemetery of the Knight was terrible! Read the reviews and make sure you check the skill levels. And feel free to email the company if you're unhappy - they'll try to make it right.
Escape from Iron Gate
- Type: tabletop board game with unlimited replay
- Recommend age or group size: Age 13+, 3-8 players
- Time to solve: 1-2 hours
- Pricing: $30/game
- Buy this if: you want a tabletop game that can be played over and over without different outcomes. It is not an escape room, but more of an escape-themed Cranium.
You and your friends have been falsely accused of a crime and are stuck behind bars. No one believes your claim of innocence, which leaves you only one option... a prison break! The bad news is - only one of you can make it out.
This isn't an "escape the room" game - it's a board game with a prison break theme. It's played similarly to Cranium, with lots of Pictionary/Trivia/Charades-type challenges that advance the game.
This game has a lot of replay options, so you can enjoy it again and again!
Escape from Iron Gate is available here.
Detective: Season One
- Type: stand-alone board game with 3 different experiences
- Recommend age or group size: Age 12+, 1-5 players
- Time to solve: 1.5-3 hours
- Pricing: 30/game
- Buy this one if: you're looking for more bang for your buck in a tabletop game.
Detective: Season One is an immersive and cooperative board game that is perfect for any murder mystery lovers looking for a fun game night.
In the box, you'll receive everything you need to solve 3 different cases. You'll investigate the mysterious death of a university professor with ties to the FBI, uncover the dark secrets of a well-known British family, and delve into a power struggle between two mafia gangs.
Each one takes anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how quickly you work through them.
Detective: Season One is available here.
Escape Room the Game
- Type: board game with multiple challenges in the box
- Recommend age or group size: Age 16+, 3-8 players
- Time to solve: 1 hour per challenge
- Pricing: $35-40/game
- Buy this if: you're looking for a board game with several related experiences. Family-friendly version is available too!
These Escape Room games give you 60 minutes to find codes and solve riddles to "escape" the game you're locked in. Their boxes contain multiple escape adventures, so they will last you a little while. Each adventure gets more and more difficult to solve.
You need the base edition here to play - it has 4 games included. Once you've conquered all 4 scenarios, keep all the game pieces and you can play any of the extension games.
They also have 2 player edition meant for date night, and available here.
They also have a family version that can be played by kids 10 and up.
You can also download the Chrono Decoder app, which goes along with the game. It features sound effects and a soundtrack while you play!
Escape Room the Game is available here.
Chronicles of Crime
- Type: stand-alone board game with VR options
- Age & group size: Age 12+, 1-4 players
- Time to solve: 1-2 hours
- Pricing: $40/game
- Buy this if: you want a super unique, virtual reality experience. It's the perfect interactive combo of board game and app technology!
Chronicles of Crime mixes VR with board games for a unique, cooperative game of crime investigation.
You can still play the game without having VR, and you'll still have lots of different scenarios and crime stories just with the board game. However, you also have the option of downloading the app and using your own VR technology to enjoy extra scenarios and activate different clues and stories.
If you're looking for a mix between board games and new, interactive technology, this is the game for you!
This one has a bit of language, so keep that in mind if you're looking for a family-friendly option.
Chronicles of Crime is available here.
I love escape rooms and mysteries, so it's exciting to be able to enjoy an escape room experience from the comfort of my own home.
Don't have time to wait for a box to arrive? Try one of these Remote/Virtual Escape Rooms you can play right away!
Looking for something to do with children? Check out these Best Escape Rooms For Kids.
Have you tried any escape rooms that aren't mentioned? Let me know in the comments below; I'd love to add them to my list.
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