Escape Rooms are fun, but it's going to be a long time before everyone feels comfortable hanging out in person in close quarters. Did you know that there are remote and virtual escape rooms?! Basically, you attend an online escape room from your pajamas! It's all socially distant. 🙂 These are a super fun way to "hang out" with friends and family, even if you can't actually get together.
There are several different ways to do an escape room from home. Some companies have converted local escape rooms to a remote zoom experience. They use a host or actor to guide you over zoom and be your physical hands.
On the other hand, some brands have created virtual escape "rooms" through an online platform, with all the clues and puzzles optimized for at-home viewing. Most of these are set up so that multiple parties can log in from different locations and all play together.
We've done a ton of research, so read on to find the right virtual escape room for you!
If you'd rather have something physical to play, click to head to this post with 13 "escape rooms in a box" - subscription boxes and board games you can play at home.
The Escape Game Unlocked
Type: all virtual escape room
Recommended age or group size: Age 12+, 1-4 players
Time to solve: 1-2 hours
Pricing: $10
You can use any device to play the TEG Unlocked digital escape room experiences. You use the evidence the game provides as well as the internet to solve the mysteries.
Sound interesting? Check out this trailer for an idea of their style:
You can also solve this puzzle at your own pace, so you can log out and go back to it later.
The Escape Game Unlocked is available here.
Looking Glass Adventures
Type: remote escape room with a host
Recommended age or group size: Available for both kids and adults, 4-6 players
Time to solve: 1 hour mystery
Pricing: $25 per person, minimum of 4 players needed
This is a remote escape room adventure, catered to families! You work with a live host who is actually in the escape room and acts as your avatar. The host will follow your lead and help you examine clues and explore the room.
They have three themed remote escape rooms: a magical wizard adventure for Harry Potter fans, a spy-themed heist, and a suspenseful mansion mystery.
We used Looking Glass adventures for two virtual birthday parties this year. My 11-year-old invited a few friends to join him virtually for the Maryweather Mansion adventure. They loved it SO much! The avatar was fantastic, and gave just the right amount of clues while still letting the kids puzzle through things. There were tons of different puzzles, and each of them had a chance to shine.
All three moms sent me texts afterward waxing poetic about how awesome the experience was and that their sons LOVED it! Four boys ages 7-10 made it out in 57 minutes, which I think is a testament to both a well-designed room and a good avatar. It wouldn't have been fun if they had solved it too easily or if they got stuck with no options - and having good, excited avatar employees was key to this.
I was really impressed with how Looking Glass Adventures trains their employees, because they honored kids' suggestions but steered them back in the right direction with a comment like " Hey, I still have this key in my hand, what should I do with it?" Just the right amount of hints and freedom.
I'll be honest - I kinda wished I was the one playing and solving the clues! I listened from offscreen since it was a birthday event, but I think it would be totally fun for adults as well.
Looking Glass Adventures are available here.
Two other thoughts: These rooms are usually sold out several days in advance, so plan ahead. It's also a Canada/Eastern timezone, so keep that time difference in mind while booking.
I am in no way sponsored by this company - we paid full price both times we've booked with them.
Check out this quick trailer to see a glimpse of what the rooms look like!
ESC the Game
Type: web-based virtual escape room
Recommended age or group size: 2-6 players
Time to solve: 60+ minutes
Pricing: $20 for a game, or $30 for a bundle of two games
With ESC the Game, all you need is a pen and paper to get started. You get access to a clue-filled quest, very similar to an in-person escape room. It's a web-based adventure! They have two different games, or you can get them both for a discount.
Once you purchase an access code, you can play it at any time. No scheduling or hosts. You can easily play over Zoom or Google Meet with friends and families in other location, all for the $20 cost.
ESC the Game is available here.
It's a pretty cheap option for a fun date at home or game night with friends! And there are hints available if you need them. 🙂
T.R.A.P.T.
Type: web-based virtual escape room
Recommended age or group size: 1-6 players
Time to solve: 1-2 hours
Pricing: $9.99 + tax/fee per household/location
T.R.A.P.T. is an online puzzle that provides a fun and challenging at-home escape room experience. You can play the game with several people in a room or use Zoom, Facetime, or Skype to play in a group across multiple locations.
It's just $10 per location - and each different login will need an account.
You just need your computer, a printer, a phone, and paper and pencil to take notes. Then you and your family can enjoy an escape room from the comfort of your home!
Virtual Escape Games
Type: web-based online experience with a host
Recommended age or group size: Age 18+, 4-16 players
Time to solve: 90 minutes
Pricing: $80 - $100 total
Ready to solve a case? Virtual Escape Games has three themed experiences: solve the case of a missing aerobics instructor in the 80s, escape a summer camp murderer in the 90s, or solve the curse of a chain letter in the 2000s.
They are online escape rooms where you'll be paired with a live host who gives you the background and helps give you work through the game.
The only trick is that you have to sign up in a slot on their website, so you have to plan ahead. Weekends are popular!
Virtual Escape Games is available here.
Broadway Murder Mysteries
- Type: printable kit to host a murder mystery party
- Recommend age or group size: Age 13+, 4-20 people
- Time to solve: 1-3 hours (the more people in your group, the longer it takes)
- Pricing: $39
Broadway Murder Mysteries is a perfect for theatre fans!
It's an instant download kit for how to host a murder mystery, either in person or through a zoom link! Your guests try to figure out "who did it," with the help of pre-made scripts and talking points.
Just print out the materials and follow the step-by-step instructions in the host guide and you're all set for a night of fun. They have great directions for how to pull this off through video chat - I've been waiting for a reason to do a family zoom call and play a Broadway Murder Mystery.
Each of the Murder Mysteries are created by Broadway talent, written by playwrights, and voiced by Broadway performers. There are 12 different options to choose from, rated for different ages.
You can also play their games over and over again because the culprit changes each time you play! The culprit is randomly notified at the beginning, and then you use different scripts/clues depending on if you're guilty or innocent. So it has tons of re-playability!
Broadway Murder Mysteries is available here.
There is also a free four player mystery available if you just want to get a sense of how it works. (The paid version of this mystery includes up to 20 characters for a larger group.)
Virtual Escaping
- Type: web-based virtual escape room
- Recommended age or group size: 1-6 devices
- Time to solve: 90 minutes
- Pricing: $40
Virtual Escaping games can be played from multiple devices at the same time so you can play with friends or family members all over the world. You can start playing whenever you want and can solve the puzzles together in real-time.
I was super impressed with the Virtual Escaping Platform - they have everything included on one page, with their own video chat included. There's no need to juggle a bunch of windows on your screen and click back and forth between windows. Great graphics and animations too!
Right now they have two games available: one called Expedition North Pole, and one called Underground Murder. It looks like they'll have another room coming out soon!
Virtual Escaping is available here.
The Escape Game: Remote Adventures
Type: web-based online experience with a host
Recommended age or group size: 13+, 2-8 people
Time to solve: 1 hour
Pricing: $30 per person
If you want a real escape room experience while staying at home, you can book a room with The Escape Game: Remote Adventures. A guide will be in the room with a live camera feed and you'll work with your team to direct your guide through the room.
There are three different rooms you can play: a heist, a gold rush, and a prison break. Just log onto Zoom or another video conference service, where you'll be joined by a host that will help you through the game.
The Escape Game: Remote Adventures is available here.
You can also do a larger group, from 9 people up to... well, as many as you want! So if you have an activity for a big family get-together or work event, this would work for you!
Escapology
Type: web-based online experience with a host
Recommended age or group size: Age 13+, 4-8 players
Time to solve: 1 hour
Pricing: $29 per person, minimum of 4 players needed
Pull up your favorite chair and log onto a video call with your closest friends for this virtual escape room. A "Game Master" will then act as your eyes, ears, and hands in the room.
There are four different rooms you can book, ranging in difficulty. Find a killer on the Budapest Express, turn the power back on your World War I submarine before the air runs out, find an antidote to save the world, or stop a hacker before he frames you.
We haven't played this one yet but it looks really fun!
Mystery Escape Room
Type: web-based online experience with a host
Recommended age or group size: Age 10+, 4-8 people
Time to solve: 1 hour
Pricing: $80-90 total
Have you ever wanted to save Nancy Drew or find an island of lost treasure? What about living out your secret superhero dreams? If any of those sound appealing to you, check out Mystery Escape Room!
With the help of an escape room guide, you and your team will visit virtual locations through a video conference call to find solve puzzles and challenges. They also have Sherlock Holmes and Christmas Carol rooms available!
Mystery Escape Room is available here.
Escape Experience
Type: web-based online escape room with a host
Recommended age or group size: Age 8+, up to 10 people
Time to solve: 1 hour
Pricing: $50 base fee + $25 per person
Escape Experience has several unique virtual experiences for you to choose from. The physical room is based in Tennessee, and after you scheduled a time, you'll work virtually with an on-site guide to solve your room.
Their in-person rooms have great reviews, so I'm sure their virtual rooms are just as good!
Escape Experience is available here.
Paruzal Games
Type: live online escape room, run by a host over Zoom
Recommended age or group size: 1-20 people
Time to solve: 1 hour
Pricing: $15 per person
Paruzal Games provides an online "choose your own adventure" experience where, with the help of a game master also participating in the video call, you'll work with your team to solve puzzles or escape a virtual room.
They currently have 7 games available about all sorts of unique topics, like pizza, pirates, and coffee!
You can also even reach out and ask them to create a custom game! Some of their games are the result of custom requests.
Paruzal Games is available here.
Game Night Out
Type: live game night with a host
Recommended age or group size: Adults, 4-12 people
Time to solve: 90 minutes
Pricing: flat rate of $149, up to 12 people
This is a fun honorable mention if you don't want a crime-themed experience.
With the help of a virtual host, the Game Night "In" experience is designed as a private, virtual game night from the brand Game Night Out.
The host will guide you through everything as you compete in teams in a series of games and challenges. With scavenger hunts, trivia, guessing games, and skill games, there's something for everyone!
Game Night Out is available here.
Hopefully you found something here that you like! 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.
We've also got two more round ups that might interest you:
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