Escape room board games are board games that consist of interactive elements and puzzles that players may manipulate and examine to uncover hidden information. Examples include The Werewolf Experiment, Star Wars, and The Cursed Dollhouse. These games bring the challenge and thrill of exit games into the comfort of home, provide mental stimulation, and encourage collaborative fun.
These games can be DIY escape rooms, and are a low-tech version of VR escape rooms, iPad escape games, and escape rooms to play on Steam.
This article contains:
- escape room board games for families
- escape room board games for large groups
- escape room board games for adults
- escape room board games for kids
Let’s get started!
List of escape room board games
Some games only allow single play because “escaping” requires permanently changing the game pieces, while other games allow a reset to allow multiple plays. However, if you are buying a game with a limited number of uses, it is wise to choose one with a more extended play duration so that you may get your money’s worth. The following are the best escape room board games.
1. The Werewolf Experiment
This escape room box set has 19 riddles for your team to solve. You can take your time with this game, but note that players have an hour to complete the box’s riddles before a mad scientist transforms them into werewolves. To win the game, players must decipher the clues and unlock the three lock boxes included in the set. Since there is no need to damage the set to solve it, you can play this game repeatedly or give it to others without worrying about wasting any pieces. Connecting an Amazon Alexa device enhances the realism of this game. The difficulty level is average, providing enough challenge to keep players interested without being too much of a chore.
2. The Haunted Roller Coaster
If you want to dip your toes into the world of escape room puzzles, then The Haunted Roller Coaster is a perfect option. The Kosmos companion app works like a game-master in a physical escape room, making it simple to consult the game’s rules. Players will use the set’s decoder wheel to unlock clues, solve puzzles, and decode ciphers. Unfortunately, this game only allows one-time use due to the folding, ripping, and cutting required to complete the puzzles. However, the paper and game components are entirely recyclable.
The game includes a fun certificate and social links to publish your timings and scores on social media after you have finished playing.
Get the Haunted Roller Coaster.
3. Star Wars
This escape-room puzzle kit includes cards to recreate puzzles and missions for players. Each package has three separate adventures, and the companion app adds to the immersive experience. For example, the app makes droid sounds and plays Star Wars-themed music. Due to the card-based nature of the game, players can undertake any mission multiple times. Since there are no physical objects to examine or locks to open, this game is best suited to players who love the mental challenges associated with escape rooms.
4. Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill is an ideal horror board game if you seek a longer playtime and prefer narratives over tangible clues in escape rooms. You and up to five other players visit a haunted home full of randomized room tiles in the initial stage of the game. This step precedes one of the game’s 50 haunts, each with its unique scenario and victory condition.
Some haunts need players to work together and plan to escape the haunted home, while others require players to use their wits to answer puzzles or defeat the game’s antagonist. Some horror components could be too much for younger players, making this option one of the escape room board games for adults. An extra pack is available for regular players after you finish the haunts.
Get Betrayal at House on the Hill.
5. The Cursed Dollhouse
Expert puzzle-solvers and experienced escape room players will love the Cursed Dollhouse Escape Room set. The game’s distinctive design features a three-story dollhouse loaded with riddles and physical clues for players to inspect and solve. You can play the game in one marathon session or split up into numerous shorter sessions. Since there is no need to change the pieces to win, you can play this game several times. Think Fun’s spoiler-free support website allows players to check for hints and get recommendations on what songs to play to set the tone for their personal escape room experience.
The game’s complexity, great design, and challenging puzzles make it an excellent option for escape room lovers.
Get the Cursed Dollhouse Set.
6. Death at the Dive Bar
Hunt-A-Killer’s mystery box has many exciting parts that players can use to determine the killer’s identity. This feature makes it ideal for players who like escape rooms’ hands-on, puzzle-solving aspect. While there is no need to “escape” to win, the Hunt-A-Killer mystery kits have puzzle-solving elements similar to those found in escape rooms, such as written documents relating to the case and tangible evidence like the matchbox and coasters found in the bar.
If you get stuck, then the hints and reveals page is meticulous enough to help you without ruining the experience of completing the puzzles independently. You can get the Hunt-A-Killer season bundle if you want a mystery-solving experience that spans numerous sessions. This kit only allows single play.
7. Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor
The player’s mission in this board game is to discover the truth about the Stargazer’s Manor, a mysterious mansion that has been in obscurity since 1869. The game is suitable for players over ten years and requires between three to eight players. The package includes five sealed envelopes, a scene card, a solution wheel, hidden objects, and a handbook. The game is simple to understand and helpful for developing skills like deduction and critical thinking.
Get Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor.
8. Spin Master’s Escape Room The Game 3
Panic on the Titanic, Alice in Wonderland, and Dawn of the Zombies make up the board game’s three scenarios. Players have 60 minutes to finish each of the game’s adventures. This game runs on three AAA batteries and is appropriate for players over 16. This escape room board game is perfect for celebrations like birthdays, dinner parties, trips, and holidays. Playing as a team is essential to success, and the rules are straightforward. A Chrono Decoder comes in the box to aid your progress through the game.
9. The Enchanted Forest
For this game, players must solve puzzles and decipher codes to escape the enchanted forest before time runs out. This game can accommodate up to four players. However, each round requires tearing and folding the materials to decipher the codes, meaning the game is playable once. An accompanying app provides a clock timer, mood music to spice up the activity, and a tutorial to help players get the hang of the game.
Get the Enchanted Forest Escape Game.
10. The Walking Dead Board Game
You have 90 minutes to overcome the riddles that test your survival abilities in this game based on the hit television series, The Walking Dead. Between four to eight individuals over 13 can play the game. However, players need not be familiar with the show to enjoy this game. The kit comes with physical puzzles and locks. You can take advantage of the five hints available to complete the game’s riddles and unlock the door to win.
Get The Walking Dead Board Game.
11. Identity Games’ The Game Version 2
The game gives you one hour to solve one of four different stories. Players need collaboration, ingenuity, and attention to detail to play this game. The Escape Room app delivers exciting music to build the mood, and the included Chrono Decoder gives a digital countdown and some sound cues to indicate if you are in the right direction. You will need three to five other people, and the minimum age to participate is 16.
Get The Game Version 2.
12. Escape from the Haunted Mansion – A Coded Chronicles Game
In this escape room board game, you can play any of your preferred Scooby-Doo characters, including Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, or Fred. You will decipher 50 clues left by the ghost of Lady Fairmont and try to escape the haunted house. With a recommended age of eight and older, this game provides a two-part gaming experience for up to six players with a runtime of over 100 minutes. The package includes five storybooks, 13 map tiles, eight secret envelopes, and a mystery guide.
13. Space Escape
The playing time for this cooperative board game is about 20 minutes. Players aged seven can play, making it one of the best escape room board games for kids. Snakes have invaded Mole Rat’s Space Station, and you must play to escape the station without becoming the snakes’ prey. With an escape room board game, kids may practice critical thinking in a fun, low-pressure setting. The kit has every resource you need to play, including 20 tokens, 51 cards, and rules, and can support up to four people.
Get Space Escape.
14. The Initiative Board Game
The game’s concept centers on four teenagers and their discovery that a mystery board game they purchased at a yard sale had connections to their lives. Deciphering hidden messages inside the game requires strategy, problem-solving, and code-breaking skills. The game’s narratives and mechanics come in a comic book format for simplicity and accessibility. This game takes 30 to 60 minutes and is suitable for one to four players aged eight and above.
Get The Initiative Board Game.
15. Break-In Area 51
In this board game, your character is an alien seeking to recover its spaceship from Area 51 to return home before it is destroyed. Players must figure out the game’s riddles and locate the missing spaceship. Playing this game is like being transported to another universe in a blockbuster film. The game has medium difficulty and about six people may sit down and enjoy this game together.
Get Break-In Area 51.
16. Unlock
Unlock is a straightforward card game that does not need much strategy. You can play Unlock with a deck of rectangle cards, which you can set up on a dining table or other suitable surface. Each set includes a single deck with numbers on the back and pictures on the front to aid you on your adventure. The complementary iOS and Android app is also available for your use.
To begin, choose a “room” card that reveals the game’s theme and your objective. For example, you can select from cartoon circuses or old, dusty temples. Other cards with numbers and letters with clues might help you in your quest for triumph. The cards may represent a locked door, a complicated mechanism, or a tricky problem that players must solve with the aid of supplementary software. All your actions in the game revolve around these cards and clues.
Get Unlock Escape Game.
17. Talking Tables: Host Your Own Escape Room
One popular option is Talking Tables: Host Your Own Escape Room. The plot revolves around the protagonist trapped in a Japanese movie theater, and you must rely on logic and reasoning to escape the dangerous situation. You must deal with codes, riddles, clues, and lateral thinking questions to progress through and win the game. At least two people can play the game. The puzzles and riddles are enjoyable and solvable, making them perfect for a night in with the family or a get-together with friends.
Get Talking Tables Escape Game.
18. Trapped
You will need to work with other players to pull off the heist of a gorgeous and highly sought-after artwork before escaping the room. The game is great for an evening of family fun with players eight and older. You will need a few different kinds of cards and some extras to play. Keep in mind that you need to make notes during the game.
The plot and idea, in particular, are interesting and worth reading. Players receive an invitation to attend an art show that a very affluent family is hosting. However, the family’s youngest son has become disenchanted with his family’s hard work and success over the years. As a result, he begs you to steal artwork and never give it back. However, he is worried about being caught, leaving clues for you to find. Furthermore, he has persuaded a staff member to assist, so you may expect to get further hints from that source as well.
Get Trapped Escape Game.
19. The Deserted Lighthouse
In this board game, your goal is to prevent an oncoming ship from crashing into the rocks by solving puzzles and climbing to the top of the lighthouse to turn on its beacon. The twist this time is that the puzzles themselves are riddles. However, unlike other EXITs, this game does not even come with a game board and no cards. Instead, players will discover four puzzles during the game and piece them together, one at a time, to win. Solving a problem will generate a picture of the room and any items you need to discover inside it.
At the beginning of the game, you have nothing but the puzzle bag full of pieces, but as you go through the game, you will discover that there are other bizarre objects hidden around that you can use to solve the puzzles. The game ends when you save the ship from certain doom by solving the last riddle and reactivating the lighthouse beacon.
20. The Awakening
Unlike other escape room board games for large groups, in The Awakening, you are not racing against the clock to solve the mystery. Instead, players assume the character of Sam, whose daughter has been in a coma for months and for whom medical professionals have offered no explanations. The doctors claim that the girl is healthy and has no reason to be in this state. Sam is at his wits’ end, searching for solutions everywhere he can find them.
Then along came Mark, a father whose son had been in a similar situation. Mark is evasive about the specifics, but he does give Sam a book with a ritual in it titled “The Awakening,” which seems terrifying. However, even if Mark says the book has the solution, Sam must psychologically prepare himself for the long road ahead. During the gameplay, you will discover new areas and solve puzzles in a very immersive and meaningful experience.
Get The Awakening Escape Game.
Conclusion
Playing escape room board games for families and solving puzzles have several positive effects on mental health as you keep your brain active. There are many interactive elements and puzzles in the best escape room board games, much like in an actual escape room, but you can do them in the comfort of your own house. In general, the suspenseful atmosphere of these board games makes them attractive. Furthermore, the games raise stakes by imposing strict time constraints and making players work to find solutions to riddles in a race against the clock.
Next, check out this guide to escape rooms for team building, and these top escape room movies.
FAQ: Escape room board games
Here are frequently asked questions about escape room board games.
What are escape room board games?
Escape room board games try to replicate the excitement of being trapped in a room full of interesting items, like the physical versions. These games still provide all the thrills of the real game with their unique blend of sophisticated riddles, code-breaking gimmicks, and thematically fascinating brainteasers.
What are some good escape room board games for large groups?
Some escape room board games for large groups include Trapped, Talking Tables, and the Werewolf Experiment.
How do you play escape room board games?
Like real-life escape rooms, escape room board games have tangible puzzle pieces that players may manipulate and examine to uncover hidden information. You will not be locked in a dark chamber but racing the clock to solve the final puzzle.
Where can you find escape room board games?
You can find escape room board games on Etsy and Amazon.