Best Escape Room Games

While real-life escape rooms are always going to be the most immersive experience, when it comes to affordability and accessibility, virtual escape games always take the cake. No matter what console, computer, or mobile device, there are a variety of great options for those who are itching for a fun, new “escape the room” adventure.

One may think that all the games within the genre of the escape room style may be too similar due to their gameplay but the variety the genre has to offer is much more vast than one would think. Many games keep the genre feeling fresh, interesting, and most importantly, challenging.

Updated November 15, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Escape Rooms style games are a super niche genre of gaming that has seen a surge in popularity and demand in recent years. With phenomenal titles like We Were Here and Zero Escape leading the charge, the genre is seeing an uptick in players. Escape Room games are almost exclusively the domain of indie devs as they’re easy to make, are low-budget, and depend a lot more on the creative vision for success than other types of games. Because this is the case, places like Steam are absolutely flooded with games under the Escape Room tag, making it hard to judge which games merit their price tag. The list has been updated with two additional titles that make the cut.

34 CLeM

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Steam
• Release Date: February 6, 2024
• Developer: Mango Protocol

Upon waking up as a small puppet-like doll in CLeM, the player hears nothing but the words, “bring me beauty,” with no other hints or clues about what their main task is. CLeM is narrative-driven and mainly takes place in an elegant mansion, using antique furniture and ornate architecture as its backdrop.

The unnamed player character is given a small notebook to keep track of their progress through the mansion. Haunted by the mysterious voice heard at the beginning of the game, the player makes their way through the mansion and solve clues to progress, all for the sake of the mysterious “beauty” they are tasked with finding.

33 Unboxing the Cryptic Killer

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Steam
• Release Date: April 27, 2023
• Developer: Eleven Puzzles

Unboxing the Cryptic Killer is a detective co-op game that gives each player their own set of tasks to do on two separate devices. While partners are allowed (and encouraged) to speak to one another, they are put into separate environments and must keep their eyes on their own screens.

In each level, partners must help one another to solve each puzzle in order to escape their surroundings and progress the story of the two detectives on the hunt for the mysterious suspect who is the one behind all these cryptic puzzles.

32 Cube Escape: Paradox

Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive

• Platforms: Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Steam
• Release Date: September 20, 2018
• Developer: Rusty Lake

Cube Escape: Paradox chapter one is free to play on Steam and follows the story of detective Dale Vandermeer who finds himself trapped in an unfamiliar environment. There is even a short film based on the game to give players a more cinematic look into Detective Vandermeer’s journey.

The player takes control of the amnesiac detective as he awakens and receives a mysterious phone call that tells him he is in a place that is meant to help its inhabitants “reflect on the past and the future. Detective Vandermeer must explore his surroundings and solve the puzzles around him to uncover his shrouded history and recover his missing memories.

31 Underground Blossom

Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive

• Platforms: Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Steam
• Release Date: September 26, 2023
• Developer: Rusty Lake

Underground Blossom is an adventure puzzle game that takes the player through the life of main character, Laura Vanderboom. The game takes place in an abstract subway system and has each station serve as a representation of a different stage of Laura’s life.

As the player explores each station, interacts with the environment, and discovers clues, they slowly uncover the trauma and heartbreak of Laura’s life and begin the difficult journey of healing and acceptance.

30 The Exit 8

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Steam
• Release Date: November 29, 2023
• Developer: KOTAKE CREATE

While the entirety of The Exit 8 technically takes place in the same singular hallway, it still manages to operate just like an escape room. The Exit 8 puts players in a seemingly never-ending time loop that only keen observation can end.

The player must make their way from exit one to exit eight to finish the game; the only thing stopping them from this are sneaky anomalies. Each time the player makes their way through one level, they must carefully observe their surroundings. If all is consistent, then the player may proceed to the next floor normally. However, if there is even one single detail that is out of place, the player must head back to the previous floor, otherwise, progress will reset, and the player will be sent back to floor one to start all over again.

29 The Witness

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

The Witness is first and foremost a puzzle game, but is often considered a game that falls under the broad umbrella of escape room games. At the core of The Witness is a sense of non-verbal communication, allowing players to understand that there is a problem that needs to be solved in a specific way to move forward. Each of The Witness‘s iconic maze puzzles will involve certain parts of its environment, making each region’s puzzles unique to its specific location.

As the player finishes one area, they can advance to the next puzzle, and then to the next region, all to unlock the final puzzle inside the island’s mysterious mountain.

28 The Turing Test

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

The Turing Test is a sci-fi puzzle game that takes players into the distant future as Ava, the only crew member accounted for on her team’s expedition to one of Jupiter’s moons, known as Europa. Ava is prematurely awakened from her cryogenic sleep by T.O.M. (Technical Operations Machine), an A.I. that warns Ava that her fellow crew members are in danger and must be rescued.

The puzzles revolve around the use of the E.M.T. (Energy Manipulation Tool), used to control power sources to open each locked door on the way to Ava’s many destinations. Much like a real Turing test, Ava must solve each room with the help of her A.I. pal, T.O.M. to reach the surviving members of her team to find out what kind of dangers Europa has ahead of them.

27 Palindrome Syndrome: Escape Room

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows
• Release Date: October 14, 2020
• Developer: mc2games

Palindrome Syndrome begins with a faceless protagonist who suddenly awakens on a futuristic spaceship with no recollection of where they are or how they got there. With little to no clues about the mysterious protagonist, the player is then allowed to roam their surroundings and begin to solve the various puzzles around them to find answers.

Guided by an unknown and distorted voice over the spaceship’s intercom, the player can find diary entries and notes around the ship that not only help them understand how each puzzle works but also slowly uncover the mystery of how the protagonist ended up in the situation they found themselves in.

26 MOTAS (Mystery Of Time And Space)

Google Users Score: 89%

• Platforms: Adobe Flash Player (PC)
• Release Date: November 2001
• Developer: Jan Albartus

Don’t be fooled by the simplistic art of MOTAS. Adobe Flash hosted some of the best free-to-play point-and-click puzzle games during its prime. What it lacks in graphics and aesthetic, it makes up for in story and challenging puzzles.

MOTAS begins with the player awakening in an unfamiliar room as they learn they are there as a part of an experiment to access a hidden parallel universe firsthand. However, to access this parallel universe, a person must first erase their memories. While the player character supposedly agreed to the experiment, it seems as if this vague agreement may hold important secrets.

25 Crimson Room Decade

Steam Reviews: Mixed

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
• Release Date: June 10, 2016
• Developer: Dream Holdings, TAKAGISM Inc.

Crimson Room Decade is based on the original Flash game Crimson Room, continuing the mysterious story that began ten years prior and serves as the classic’s long-awaited sequel.

Inspector Jean-Jacques Gordot investigates the ship called “La Crimson” that his grandfather was confined in and later passed away on ninety years ago. Gordot begins to search the wreckage of the ship and finds the “crimson brainwashing room” that his grandfather had been locked in.

However, as he continues his investigation, he begins feeling a sense of uncanny familiarity, as if he had been there before. The player must solve the puzzles on La Crimson‘s wreckage and solve the mystery of Gordot’s family’s past.

24 ROOMS: The Toymaker’s Mansion

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam, PlayStation 4, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
• Release Date: May 1, 2015
• Developer: HandMade Game

ROOMS follows the story of a legendary toymaker who kept a mysterious secret from the world and eventually secluded himself in his intricate mansion. One day, the toymaker’s mansion suddenly disappears without a trace. That is until the unnamed protagonist (a young girl) awakens one night to the toymaker’s infamous mansion right in front of her eyes!

ROOMS doesn’t follow the typical escape room formula where players must search each room for clues to finally open an exit. Instead, ROOMS is a sliding puzzle game, tasking the player with sliding and rearranging the rooms and interacting with items to navigate the player’s character through the ever-changing mansion rooms, trying to get from point A to point B.

23 Escape Memoirs (Series)

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows
• Release Date: June 16, 2022
• Developer: 0 Deer Soft

Escape Memoirs is a series of Escape Room games, each one with a self-contained story, where players are tasked with finding the way out of whatever room or facility they find themselves in by solving puzzles to earn clues, which lead to more puzzles, creating a cycle that continues until the escape route is finally clear and the player is home free.

All the puzzles are cooperative, meaning these are meant to be played by two players in tandem, working together to find the solution. Each individual game in the Escape Memoirs series is no longer than two to three hours long, depending on how quickly the puzzles are solved. The settings are humorous, the puzzles are engaging, and the hints strike the perfect balance between being helpful enough to guide players and not handing the solution to them on a silver platter. It’s a fun brain teaser to play with friends, but not more than that.

22 Ten Bells

Steam Reviews: Very Positive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
• Release Date: August 30, 2024
• Developer: Hillfort Games, Acrylic Pixel

Ten Bells is an anomaly horror game in which players have to escape the endless time loop they’re stuck in by playing a game of spot-the-difference. The game is set in an English pub with eldritch monsters and beings out of nightmares hidden behind the counter, under the tables, and inside the fireplace. Jump scares are used liberally throughout the title, but the execution is flawless, and it’s a surprise every time.

The gameplay loop is simple. Walk into a room and look around. If everything is as it should be, move forward; if there is an anomaly, turn back. If an anomaly is missed and the player continues to the next section without turning back, they are sent back to the start and must repeat. Each run is tense because the anomaly variety is large enough that there is very little one can do to prepare for the jump scare, even if they know it’s coming.

21 Forgiveness: Escape Room

Steam Reviews: Mixed

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
• Release Date: February 28, 2019
• Developer: Chaos Minds

Forgiveness is a set of escape rooms that revolve around the theme of the seven deadly sins. Each room the player must solve their way through is symbolic of each of the deadly sins: lust, gluttony, pride, sloth, wrath, greed, and envy. The player is trapped by the elusive Dr. Benjamin Smith, as the self-proclaimed “god” decides that it is up to him to deliver judgment.

Aside from the game’s unique theme, it also offers two levels of difficulty: “normal” and “extreme.” While the “normal” difficulty is rather standard, the “extreme” difficulty is better suited for diehard puzzle lovers, as it offers fewer hints and a tight time limit to work with.

20 Rooms Of Realities

Steam Reviews: Positive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Meta Quest
• Release Date: April 24, 2023
• Developer: Bluekey

This VR escape room is best enjoyed with a buddy for a fun co-op experience but is still a great game for solo play as well. Rooms Of Realities is very straightforward and doesn’t waste any time with long-winded lore or a heavy story-based setup. Instead, it starts with a simple tutorial before throwing players into the very first room of puzzles.

Rooms Of Realities offers a huge variety of VR puzzles, not only allowing players to feel like clever detectives but also resourceful adventurers, and sneaky spies! The game features tons of puzzles that are sure to make players feel as if they’ve stepped into the shoes of their favorite adventure video game protagonist.

19 Saw: The Video Game

Metacritic Score: 59/100

• Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows
• Release Date: October 6, 2009
• Developer: Zombie Studios

The release of the original Saw movie seemed way ahead of its time. Well before the wave of escape rooms popping up around every street corner, the original Saw film was scaring audiences with Jigsaw and his terrifying traps back in 2004. Saw: The Video Game is a rendition of the misadventures of the movie’s Detective Tapp and his run-in with Jigsaw and other victims of his games.

This game may play a bit differently from the average escape room video game that one may have in mind. Much like the films, the game is gritty and violent; with every dangerous new room posing new threats that make the possibility of failure a fatal one.

18 Rime – Room Escape Game

Google Play Score: 4.5/5

• Platform: Android, Windows, iOS
• Release Date: June 11, 2018
• Developer: izumiArtisan

This escape game is a great option for those who want a simple puzzle title with a bit of an eerie twist in the environment. Rime is a puzzle game that centers around the straightforward story of the player getting lost in the world of a magical book, trying to find their way out. There are a total of three different endings the player can achieve, making multiple runs worthwhile.

Rime‘s clean interface makes for an easy-to-digest story and gameplay experience.

17 Rooms & Exits

Google Play Score: 4.1/5

• Platform: iOS, Android
• Release Date: August 17, 2020
• Developer: Webelinx Games

Rooms & Exits is a fantastic mobile game for those who find themselves itching for a good puzzle every now and then. Rooms & Exits is a point-and-click style escape room video game where the player must search for clues and key items to find their escape. While some mobile games can be a bit too simplistic, Rooms & Exits utilizes the player’s inventory in a more complex fashion; allowing them to look through their inventory to find certain items that may work together or combine to solve certain puzzles.

The game also features many different rooms to keep players busy and offers tons of variation to keep things fresh.

16 Escape F1rst

Steam Reviews: Mixed

• Platform: Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
• Release Date: May 10, 2018
• Developer: OnSkull Games, OnSkull Game Development Studio

More often than not, two brains are better than one! Escape F1rst is a great escape game to play with friends as it is a multiplayer escape game that tests a friendship’s ability to work well together. Escape F1rst isn’t just about bonding with friends while solving puzzles, it’s about challenging them as well!

Not only can puzzles be solved in a co-op setting, but they can also be completed in a competitive mode if players want a challenge. However, for the times when a buddy isn’t ready to play, the Escape F1rst can also be played in a solo one-player mode as well.

15 The Birdcage

Google Play Score: 4.5/5

• Platform: Android, iOS
• Release Date: October 8, 2018
• Developer: MobiGrow, Pine Studio

For those puzzle game fans who can’t seem to find time in their busy day to sit down and relax with some video games, The Birdcage is a great alternative. This mobile game is a quick escape game that’s great for being able to pick up throughout the day. The simplistic (yet still fun and challenging) puzzle designs are perfect for picking up on the go, when waiting for friends, or just as a little break from everyday chores.

This escape game is a unique one as it doesn’t focus on the player finding an escape route for themselves but rather a means of escape for the beautiful trapped bird inside each intricately unique cage.