Have you ever been to an escape room with friends? They are so much fun. Bringing the fun of an escape room to a board game is so smart. Here are some of the best escape room board games your family will love, and you can play them at home!
Escape Room Board Games Your Family Will Love
I should point out that many escape room games that are created for the home setting are recommended for age 16+. Some are rated for younger ages, such as 10+. Because the game rating is related both to the level of difficulty AND the content, I will list the age range next to the game (please note – games are NOT listed in age order). Also, there are some Escape Room games that I do not list because we don’t do gory and we don’t do paranormal.
- Peaceable Kingdom Space Escape, 7+
- The Initiative Board Game, 8+
- Clue – Treachery at Tudor Mansion, 10+
- Exit: The Enchanted Forest, 10+
- Exit: The Stormy Flight, 10+
- Exit: Lord of the Rings, 10+
- Exit: The Cursed Labyrinth, 10+
- Exit: The Mysterious Museum, 10+
- Exit: The Sunken Treasure, 10+
- Exit: The House of Riddles, 10+
- Exit: Kidnapped in Fortune City, 12+
- Exit: The Abandoned Cabin, 12+
- Exit: The Forgotten Island, 12+
- Exit: The Cemetery of The Knight, 12+
- Exit: Theft on the Mississippi, 12+
- Exit: The Polar Station, 12+
- Exit: The Secret Lab, 12+
- Exit: The Pharaoh’s Tomb, 12+
- Escape Room, Family Edition: Candy Factory and Super Heroes, 10+
- Escape Room, Family Edition: Jungle Escape, 10+
- Escape Room, Family Edition: Time Travel, 10+
- Escape Room- the Board Game Base Kit, 16+
- Escape Room – Welcome to FunLand Expansion Pack, 16+
- Escape Room – Murder Mystery Expansion Pack, 16+
- Escape Room – Da Vinci’s Telescope Expansion Pack, 16+
- Escape the Room: The Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat, 13+
- Escape Room in a Box:The Walking Dead Board Game, 13+
- The Mystery House Base Escape Room Board Game, 14+
- Escape From the Casino of Chaos, 12+
- Escape from the Museum, 12+
- Escape from the Mall, 12+
- Escape Room in a Box: Flashback, 13+
- The Goonies Escape from One Eyed Willy, 12+
- Escape Mail: Escape Room in an Envelope, 10+
- Finders Seekers Mysteries – monthly subscription box, 13+
- Finders Seekers Junior Explorers – monthly subscription box, 5+
- The Conundrum Box – monthly subscription box, age rating not listed
- Escape the Crate – bi-monthly subscription box, 10+
- Create Your Own Escape Room Game Adventure with the Deluxe Escape Room Kit
- The Ten Commandments Escape Room, 8+
- 10 Plagues of Egypt Escape Room, 8+
- Nativity Escape Room, 8+
- Parables of Jesus Escape Room, 8+
- Easter Escape Room, 8+
- New Year’s Escape Room, 8+
- Church Youth Ministry Printable Escape Room Games
The Best Escape Room Board Games
Bringing the fun and intrigue of escape rooms home is made possible with the best escape room board games. Check out this list, and add a game (or ten) to your stack today!
Peaceable Kingdom Space Escape
The Peaceable Kingdom Space Escape game requires up to 4 players to work together to help the busy Mole Rats gather their equipment and make it to their escape pod, after a band of snakes has infiltrated the Mole Rats’ Space Station, before time runs out! This escape room themed board game is for players age 7+.
Rated for ages 8+, The Initiative Board Game, is among the youngest escape room games for the home that I’ve found. This game is set in 1994, when four teenagers find a mysterious game at a yard sale, and includes an integrated comic book that guides you through the story.
Clue – Treachery at Tudor Mansion
One would absolutely expect Hasbro Gaming, the makers of Clue – the quintessential mystery game – to get in on the at home escape room experience games, and they do just that with Clue – Treachery at Tudor Mansion. This one-time play board game offers classic Clue characters and story in an escape room game that lets players play right away with limited setup. Players move their pawns around a gameboard that’s built room-by-room as they explore the mansion, draw cards, solve puzzles, unlock new rooms, and uncover clues. After escaping the mansion, players review the clues they’ve collected and use deduction to make a correct accusation and win! For players age 10+.
Our favorite escape room games for the home are the Exit games, made by Thames and Kosmos. Their age rating is primarily based on level of difficulty, and both are listed on the cover. Difficulty is based on a 1-5 scale. The ONLY drawback to the Exit games is that they are one time use, since players must mark up, fold, and tear the game materials to solve the riddles and escape.
In Exit: The Enchanted Forest, up to 4 players encounter strange fairytale creatures on a relaxing walk in the woods, and have to be able to find their way back. For players age 10+.
In Exit: The Stormy Flight, up to 4 players are crewmembers on a plane bound for Barbados. Suddenly they find themselves in an electrical storm and an alarm light comes on. Players must solve the riddles and repair the airplane to land safely! For players age 10+
In Exit: Lord of the Rings, up to 4 players join Frodo and the Fellowship on their journey to Middle-earth to destroy the One Ring. Players must decipher and complete Gandalf’s secret tasks in time.
In Exit: The Cursed Labyrinth, up to 4 players get locked in a mysterious labyrinth and must use the clues to get out. For players age 10+.
In Exit: The Mysterious Museum, up to 4 players are on a trip to the Florence natural History museum, intent on visiting the sunken treasure of the Santa Maria. A relaxing day at the Museum is quickly derailed by an incredible adventure! Players must solve the mysteries of the Museum and find their way out. For players age 10+.
In Exit: The Sunken Treasure, up to 4 players set sail for dangerous waters and embark on a treacherous quest for the legendary treasure of the Santa Maria. Yes, this is another Santa Maria escape, but this one is underwater. While investigating a mysterious shipwreck, something goes terribly wrong and players are trapped deep underwater! Players must solve the riddles of the wreck and recover the treasure before the time is up. For players age 10+.
In Exit: The House of Riddles, up to 4 players are summoned to an abandoned house. Never wanting to turn down an unsolved mystery, they arrive at the house. Suddenly, they hear screams and see that the entrance has shut behind them. What’s happening here? Will they be able to crack the case and fintheir way out of the house? For players age 10+.
Exit: Kidnapped in Fortune City
In Exit: Kidnapped in Fortune City, criminal activity is rampant in the frontier town of Fortune City, and now the sheriff has disappeared without a trace. Up to 4 players need to work together to solve the crime and rescue the sheriff. For players age 12+.
In Exit: The Abandoned Cabin, up to 4 players are in a car that breaks down, and must look for shelter for the night. Luckily, players find an abandoned cabin in the woods near the road. But the next morning, the door is locked! Players must solve the riddles left by the deranged cabin owner to escape the cabin. For players age 12+.
In Exit: The Forgotten Island, up to 4 players are on the perfect sailing excursion when dark clouds start rolling in. A mighty gust of wind capsizes their boat and knocks them unconscious. They wake up on a black sand beach and there’s no sign of the boat. Players must solve the riddles to escape the island.
EXIT: The Cemetery of The Knight
In Exit: The Cemetery of The Knight, legend has it that a priceless red ruby is hidden in the tomb of Sir Reginald Wreston and it can only be found when the moon is at the right angle, once every 87 years! Up to 4 players work together to see if they have what it takes to solve the mystery and uncover the coveted ruby.
EXIT: Theft on The Mississippi
In , players are a part of a team of up to 4 investigators, traveling the Mississippi on a paddle-wheel steamboat in 1872. Last night was a robbery, valuable documents have disappeared! Can the team find the culprit before the riverboat docks in New Orleans?
In Exit: The Polar Station, up to 4 players belong to a large research organization, which is divided between several stations. As part of division IMB-Q-12, players are researching climate change at the North pole. Everything is strictly secret and they have no idea what the missions of the other teams are. From division IMB-Q-13, for example, have not seen or heard anything for weeks. Suddenly the evacuation alarm goes off! You run to the door, but it has already been locked automatically. Through the window you can see your colleagues from the other stations run to the helicopters. You are left alone in the freezing Arctic. You crawl into an adjacent station via a ventilation shaft. Again, The door is already locked. The lab is devastated and you wonder what happened here. Then you find a notebook and a strange disk. Everything in the room is secured with numbered locks. Then it dawns on you that only if you can figure out all of the codes to unlock the locks in time, can you escape. If not, this will be your bitter (cold) end.
In Exit: The Secret Lab, up to 4 players report to a lab for a medical study when suddenly vapor rises from a test tube and they start feeling dizzy. When they wake the door is locked, and they discover a notebook and a strange disk. Can they solve the riddles left for you by a previous volunteer and escape the lab?
In Exit: The Pharaoh’s Tomb, up to 4 players go on an excursion to the Valley of the Kingsin Egypt. As they crawl through the narrow passageways, they lose the rest of your tour group. They enter a mysterious burial chamber. A massive stone door closes behind them. On the floor lie a dusty notebook and an ancient disk . Players must solve the riddles and use the clues to escape the tomb.
Escape Room The Game, New Family Edition: Candy Factory and Super Heroes
There are two escape room game adventures, Candy Factory and Super Heroes, in the Escape Room, Family Edition: Candy Factory and Super Heroes. This set of Escape Room: The Game adventures includes the two adventures, an electronic chrono decoder (required for expansion packs), hint decoder, 16 keys, and 3×8 hint cards. The Chrono Decoder counts down from 60 to 0 minutes, giving the feel of a real escape room. Teamwork is the magic word in solving all the riddles and puzzles in time.
Escape Room, Family Edition: Jungle Escape
The Escape Room, Family Edition: Jungle Escape game set has 3 Exciting Jungle Escape Rooms- Magic Monkey, Snake Bite, and Moon Portal. This set has everything you need, including the coveted Chrono Decoder, to solve three escape room adventures. You better be quick, though, because the Chrono Decoder only gives you 60 minutes. For Players age 10+.
Escape Room, Family Edition: Time Travel
Another fun edition to the Escape Room: The Game adventures is the Escape Room, Family Edition: Time Travel. This set includes 3 Time Travel Adventures: Past, Present, Future. This set does include the electronic chrono decoder, needed for expansion packs, and everything you need to escape the three adventures. For players age 10+.
Escape Room the Board Game Base Kit
The Escape Room the Board Game Base Kit is made for older players. The level of difficulty increases AND the some of the themes are not appropriate for younger players. This set contains contains 4 different Escape Room adventures, Prison Break, Virus, Murder Mystery, and FunLand. Each escape room adventure has 3 parts. You have just 60 minutes to enter the correct keys into the Chrono Decoder to escape. Each adventure is increasingly more difficult to solve. Once you’ve conquered all 4 scenarios, keep all the game pieces, you’ll need them to continue your adventure with add-on Expansion Packs (sold separately). For players age 16+. ***A few of the adventures included in this set can be purchased separately as expansion packs, if you have another base game.***
Escape Room – Welcome to FunLand Expansion Pack
The Escape Room – Welcome to FunLand Expansion Pack includes an old amusement park at the edge of town that’s home to Happy Jack, a terrifying circus clown. Escape Room Expansion Packs require Escape Room The Game to play (sold separately). For players age 16+.
Escape Room – Murder Mystery Expansion Pack
In the Escape Room – Murder Mystery Expansion Pack, 3-5 players must solve a murder mystery because the wealthy heir to one of England’s largest steel companies has been found murdered. Players have only 60 minutes to solve the crime and prevent another murder. For players age 16+. Escape Room Expansion Packs require Escape Room The Game to play (sold separately).
Escape Room – Da Vinci’s Telescope Expansion Pack
In the Escape Room – Da Vinci’s Telescope Expansion Pack, the adventure unfolds for players while studying Leonardo Da Vinci’s many works, collector Sam Anoli comes across a gem: a previously unknown telescope. Could it unlock Da Vinci’s greatest discovery yet? There’s only one way to find out – while watching the solar eclipse. For players age 16+. This Escape Room Expansion Packs requires several pieces from the base game.
Escape the Room: The Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat
The Escape the Room: The Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat, from ThinkFun, is a grand adventure, for 3 to 8 players, that starts in the year is 1913 and you are the lucky winner of a free stay at Foxcrest Retreat, where the famed Dr. Gravely has improved upon the latest in spa treatments and relaxation for those of high social standing. You take a long all-expense-paid train ride to the retreat. Upon your arrival, however, you and your fellow guests may find the ‘health retreat’ is not what it seems. For players age 13+. This adventure escape room game includes suggestions for music and costumes to create an immersive experience.
Escape Room in a Box:The Walking Dead Board Game
The Escape Room in a Box:The Walking Dead Board Game is inspired by The Walking Dead series and up to 8 players work together to try to break into a safe haven. No prior knowledge of the series is required to play the game. Each group has 90 minutes to solve the puzzles and open the door or be “silenced forever!” The “walkers” are out there! While this one isn’t our cup of tea (we don’t do horror), and is not one we’d add to our shelf, I know there are plenty of Walking Dead fans out there that would love it.
The Mystery House Base Escape Room Board Game
The The Mystery House Base Escape Room Board Game is app driven, so it does require the use of a phone. This 3D adventure allows up to 5 players 60 minutes to explore the House. During that time, players must find all the useful objects, hidden clue, and solve riddles to unlock doors to new rooms and complete the story.
Escape from The Casino of Chaos
Escape From the Casino of Chaos, from Professor Puzzle, is designed for up to 4 players, but can be played solo. It takes place at a casino and requires players to complete all the puzzles to sneak out of the casino with their haul still in hand. For players age 12+.
Escape from The Museum is another Professor Puzzle game that can be played by 1-4 players. In this escape game, an ordinary trip to the museum turns into chaos when you find yourself locked in and all alone, after hours! This mini, collaborative at home escape room experience has an average play-time of 45 minutes and is great fun to do with friends or family!
Escape from the Mall is for 1-4 payers, age 12+. In this game, players complete four different challenges to be able to make it out without any food court freak-outs or dressing room disasters.
Escape Room in a Box: Flashback
The Escape Room in a Box: Flashback is designed for up to 8 players, age 13+. This game features a fun “flashback” theme, and 3 separate game paths, and challenges your team of 2 to 8 players to work together and solve 19 puzzles, including 4 real combination locks, to escape your fate. It can be connected to Amazon Alexa to enhance gameplay!
The Goonies Escape from One Eyed Willy
This The Goonies Escape from One Eyed Willy game brings the fun of iconic movie the Goonies to your living room for a one of a kind game play experience.
Escape Mail: Escape Room in an Envelope
The Escape Mail: Escape Room in an Envelope challenge combines family secrets and a mystery in one envelope sized adventure. It’s everything you need for an intuitive balance of paper and digital puzzles, and makes for a great night in! Available in beginner, standard, and expert levels.
Finders Seekers Mysteries – Subscription Box
Explore a new city and culture each month while solving puzzles and deciphering codes with Finders Seekers Mysteries, a fun escape room challenge! Great for game and mystery fans, puzzle solvers, and travel enthusiasts! Content is always family friendly but challenging for adults. No murder or violence, great for ages 13+! Each adventure includes everything you need for a fun night at home.
Finders Seekers Junior Explorers
The Finders Seekers Junior Explorers monthly subscription box is designed for players ages 5 – 10+. These adventures, which are more mystery than escape, provide hours of fun where kids explore different world cultures while solving mysteries, examining natural wonders and creating art. Each box contain activities that explore the 5 disciplines in S.T.E.A.M. Each box contains art activities that are based on real techniques inspired by world art.
Your Adventure Awaits! Get a monthly The Conundrum Box adventure shipped right to your door! Part Escape room, part choose-your-own adventure, wind your way through fun and exciting narratives by solving puzzles with your family and friends. Immerse yourself in different story environments through music, food, history, fiction, and drink recommendations. This subscription guarantees that no puzzle will require an internet search or outside knowledge. However, while everything is contained within the box, the internet is required to check codes and progress in the game. Additional resources include in-theme recipes and drink cards ( both recipes for adult drinks and family-friendly drinks), suggested playlists, and other goodies. Themes vary and you cannot choose boxes.
Escape the Crate is a bi-monthly “Escape Room” subscription box. that allows you to bring all of the fun of an escape room into your own home.. This subscription features a different adventure delivered every OTHER month. Each box is filled with envelopes, glossy papers, and props that are used in the game. The box is also used in the game, as it becomes your game board. Internet access is needed to visit the website to input codes and gain access to audio/visual elements as you play. All of our puzzles fit the theme and the website helps the game come to life! Work with your friends to solve riddles and conquer puzzles. These games can be played either SOLO or in a SMALL GROUP of 2-6, For ages 10+. Themes vary and may include paranormal themes.
Want to create your own escape room adventure? The Deluxe Escape Room Kit enables you to create a fun DIY escape room game! This kit is an easy-to-store, customizable, and cost-effective escape room game solution. It includes everything you need to get started, including example escape room puzzles, tools, and instructions.
The Ten Commandments Escape Room
Looking for Bible based escape rooms? Teach Sunday School has The Ten Commandments Escape Room that is a print and go activity that can be used at home, church, or school. This escape room adventure takes players to the Sinai Peninsula where Moses was given the law of God. In order to escape, players must solve mysteries related to the Ten Commandments by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes! For players age 8+.
10 Plagues of Egypt Escape Room
The 10 Plagues of Egypt Escape Room is another biblical escape room adventure by Teach Sunday School. It is a printable escape room that takes students back in time to the banks of the Nile River where the Jews had been enslaved for nearly 400 years. Players must solve mysteries related to the plagues by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes. For players age 8+.
The printable Nativity Escape Room game takes students back in time where they will solve the mysteries of Jesus’ birth by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes! For players age 8+.
The printable Parables of Jesus Escape Room Kit takes students back in time where they will solve the mysteries hidden within Jesus’ Parables by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes. This game uses the most famous stories Jesus told that were recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Teach Sunday School bible based escape room games are for players age 8+.
This printable Easter Escape Room takes players back in time where to solve mysteries related to the arrest, trial, crucifixion, & resurrection of Christ by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes!
The New Year’s Escape Room is a printable Bible based escape room that explores Bible verses related to new beginnings. Players go back in time to solve Bible-based mysteries by decoding puzzles, answering questions, and breaking secret codes. This game is for players age 8+ and is suitable for use at home, church, school, or even by zoom.
CYM Escape Room 1Get It NowCYM Around the World 1 Escape RoomGet It NowCYM Around the World 1 Escape RoomGet It NowCYM Christmas Escape RoomGet It NowCYM Holy Week Escape RoomGet It NowCYM Easter Escape RoomGet It Now
The Church Youth Ministry site is a youth ministry resource site by author Dave Thornton. The site offers multiple Printable Escape Room Games free of charge. In fact, the only resource Dave charges for is his book, Raising the Bar. The escape room games were originally written for 11- to 14-year-olds, but have also been played by groups of 14- to 18-year-olds and 9- to 10-year-olds.
Escape room games you can play at home are a great addition to any family game night. Be sure to check the recommended age level and level of difficulty to avoid frustrating younger players.
***This guide originally published in November 2022 and may be updated periodically to add more great escape room games that your family will love!***
