Online escape rooms offer remote teams a chance to connect in cyberspace for an exciting escape experience. These themed games allow interactive play via digital platforms that utilize video game mechanics for solving puzzles and hunting clues. When used as team building events, online escape rooms encourage collaboration, divergent thinking, and strategic maneuvering for groups located in remote settings.l
These activities are similar to digital escape rooms, escape room games on Steam, and VR escape games.
This article includes:
- multiplayer online escape rooms
- online escape rooms for students
- easy online escape rooms
- online Christmas escape rooms
Here are your best choices for online escape rooms!
List of online escape rooms
You can find a variety of themes and categories for online escape rooms, including several educational, holiday-themed, and history-based games. This list will get you started searching for virtual escape adventures your crew can enjoy.
1. Escape Experience
With Escape Experience, players can choose from eight live-hosted ultra-realistic escape room themes ranging from a deadly virus scenario to a runaway train. These immersive one-hour escape games are highly rated for their responsive play, thanks to their ability to guide an “avatar-operative,” a live actor locked inside an actual Tennessee-based escape room. Teams can connect from anywhere at a scheduled time to begin gameplay, with packages starting at $75.00.
Learn more: Escape Experience.
2. Confundrum
Blackbeard’s Brig and Twisted Woods from Confundrum drop players into the midst of online escape rooms with innovative 3D graphics and suspenseful storytelling. Teams can connect virtually for 60 minutes of brain-busting puzzle solving as they conquer a pirate’s greed and a ghostly cabin. Special pricing is available for corporate groups, though smaller teams can take advantage of individual pricing at $45 for admission to both games.
Learn more: Cofundrum.
3. Trapped in the Web
This British site presents nine self-hosted virtual escape themes, ranging from a concert festival setting to an accidental school lock-in. There is even a holiday-themed game for lovers of online Christmas escape rooms. Each room takes one to two hours to solve using the video chat platform of your choice. Themes vary in difficulty and price, depending on currency exchange rates at the time of play.
Learn more: Trapped in the Web.
4. Enchambered
The spooky adventure Apart in Time is the star of Enchambered’s multiplayer online escape rooms. Two-player teams can work through a trio of escape games that tell a continuous story. This site also offers a collection of strategic escape-style puzzles for small groups to experience together. All games are free or pay-what-you-want-style, ideal for teams with limited budgets.
Learn more: Enchambered.
5. Escapely
The small-team online escape rooms from Escapely include dedicated moderators who help guide gameplay to ensure maximum collaboration. Groups can choose from five themes, including a desert island escape, a basement trap, and a deceptive spell cast on a witch by a diabolical wizard. All puzzles use on-screen with online chat available among players. Coordinators can book a demo before booking their event to see how the virtual games work.
Learn more: Escapely.
6. Breakout IQ
In the Entertainer’s Escape, a group of unhappy creative figures has stolen a precious artifact named the Masterpiece. Your task is to help the Artist’s Alliance recover the artifact within 45 minutes before it goes to auction. This creative hosted online escape room uses music videos, riddles, fact-finding, and online search as puzzle-solving devices for teams of five or six players. Breakout IQ also offers Winter Wander-land, a seasonal virtual escape room with a holiday theme for the cold weather lovers on the team.
Learn more: Breakout IQ.
7. Weve
Space Escape from Weve sees players solve puzzles on a virtual spaceship as they move from room to room hoping to land the craft. In a competitive twist on usual online escape room play, individual players can choose paths separate from the rest of the team. This online escape room is unhosted and can handle up to 100 players at a time for clues that incorporate word puzzles, math challenges, and tricky brain-bending riddles.
Learn more: Weve.
8. Wildgoose
This activity company recognizes the new model of remote workplaces and provides digital experiences to keep workers engaged and connected. There are two escape themes offered, an art heist lock-in and an arctic expedition, in addition to a selection of murder mysteries and other virtual games. These games can connect teams with members stationed anywhere in the world. With a per-player cost of $15, each hour-long experience includes a remote host to guide gameplay and make sure the adventure stays on track.
Learn more: We Are Wild Goose.
9. CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation
Online Christmas escape rooms like CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation can connect remote groups of up to six members for a virtual holiday celebration. Your team of North Pole detectives must help Santa find the mischievous elf who stole the Naughty and Nice list. Players solve puzzles throughout Santa’s workshop to solve the mystery and catch the culprit. This host-free game is also available in a duel edition, allowing larger teams to play in head-to-head competition.
Learn more: CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation.
10. Black Noir Escape
The gangster-era theme of this online escape-style game takes players through a series of crime scenes as they gather clues to solve a murder. The $75.00 price covers up to five players. Teams can purchase multiple admissions to accommodate larger groups. The built-in time tracks gameplay progress, with any video meeting platform providing a workable environment to conduct the event.
Learn more: Black Noir Escape.
11. Expedition Escape
Three online escape rooms from Expedition Escape allow teams to pull off a bank heist, evade the spirit of Houdini, and create a high-power clean energy source. Gameplay lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the player’s experience level. Cost is $5.00 for each group of up to four players, with multiple admissions recommended to allow larger teams to play together.
Learn more: Expedition Escape.
12. Jam Group
If your employees love pop culture, then Jam Group probably has an online escape room experience to suit your team. With a whopping 11 adventure themes to choose from, your group can attempt an escape from Pennywise the Clown, find their way back to Hogwarts, or team up as friends Chandler and Ross as they try to get their oversized couch up to their third-floor apartment. There are also Christmas-themed escape rooms featuring familiar favorites Buddy the Elf and Home Alone, museum edition. This virtual escape room event pricing begins at $30.00 per player with a $500.00 event minimum.
Learn more: Jam Group.
13. Funtania Orlando
Teams of up to 100 players can enjoy online escape rooms from Funtania Orlando. 360-degree gameplay in one of 10 themed rooms turns each virtual scenario into an all-around adventure. There are bank heists, haunted houses, crashing planes, and even role-playing escape games for teams. Pricing starts at $30.00 for two-player teams and goes up to $750.00 for up to 50 players. Custom pricing is available for larger teams.
Learn more: Funtania Orlando.
14. The Adventure is Real
Live performers give this award-winning online escape room a real-time theatrical edge. Teams take on one of three missions, all centered around uncovering a plot against the CEO of the world’s largest company. Each player assumes a different role on the team before meeting their team leader, Agent Venture. Missions occur on the moon, in a secret vault, and on an island populated with deadly cyborgs. Pricing varies by booking, and though the company operates from England, with a schedule that covers Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia.
Learn more: The Adventure is Real.
15. T.R.A.P.T.
In T.R.A.P.T., players race to create a new energy source that will help power the planet without causing damage to the environment. This online escape adventure takes between one and two hours to complete and requires printer access for resources used in the game. Priced at $9.99 per location, this virtual escape allows teams to manage their event budget by gathering locally in smaller groups if more than one player lives in the same region.
Learn more: T.R.A.P.T.
16. Amsterdam Catacombs
In this live-camera online escape room experience, players guide Dr. Fimblewood through the horrors of the catacombs beneath Posthoorn Church as he tries to flee. The 90-minute event is Zoom-based and requires a special request for event set-up. The spookiest part of Amsterdam Catacombs is that the church and catacombs featured in the game are real locations where live versions of this virtual escape room take place!
Learn more: Amsterdam Catacombs.
17. Virtual Escaping
Four distinctly different themed online escape rooms await gamers at Virtual Escaping. Players can tackle an island adventure, a school detention breakout, a subway murder mystery, or a North Pole mission. These games take between 75 and 90 minutes to complete and do not require a platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to play. All four online experiences cost $40.00 for teams of up to six players.
Learn more: Virtual Escaping.
18. Sherlock Escapes
Each of the five virtual escape room experiences from Sherlock Escapes takes place in a vintage radio show format. Players listen to a story filled with puzzles and clues while directing the narrator on what actions to take to solve the mystery. Themes ranging from a summer camp survival to an underwater missile scenario are humor-based to keep teams of up to nine players laughing as they work their way to the story’s solution.
Learn more: Sherlock Escapes.
19. Masters of Mystery
This gaming company offers Save Christmas, a digital quest to keep a mysterious figure from ruining the holidays. This downloadable experience is ideal for holiday parties. Teams looking to ending a busy year with some mischievous fun will also enjoy the game. Though Save Christmas is not a hosted virtual game, a host chosen from the team can join in on the gameplay. Masters of Mystery also offers escape challenges with wizard and Halloween themes. All titles are available in various packages at a discounted price.
Learn more: Save Christmas.
20. Mystery Escape
Mystery Escape offers six online escape rooms with themes that include superhero adventures, Sherlock Holmes puzzlers, pirate treasure hunts, and Nancy Drew mysteries. Difficulty levels range from beginner to legendary, with pricing between $80.00 and $90.00 per eight-player event. You can also book virtual team building experiences that focus on specific skills, such as inclusion, coordination, and collaboration. Pricing for these events ranges from $250.00 to $275.00 for teams of up to 12 players.
Learn more: Mystery Escape.
21. Paragamix
Players must become experts in murder, online scammers, artificial intelligence, organized crime, seafaring, and Andalusian sherry to solve the puzzling games from Paragamix. Sherry Adventure and Adele are the easy online escape rooms from this provider. Other games offer more of a challenge. All games include 360-degree screen maneuvering through highly detailed virtual environments. Teams can purchase mission codes for $11.80 per every two players or try the Secret Society Singapore escape game for free.
Learn more: Paragamix.
22. Agent November
Your team can assume the identity of master spy Agent November as they work to solve Mind Heist, a live-action virtual escape room spy adventure. Players can choose to work for good or evil as they direct their avatar through his mission. This innovative online escape game experience is British-based and operates on U.K. time zones, though gameplay happens through Zoom in regions outside England. Prices for online events vary based on group size.
Learn more: Agent November.
23. Puzzle Break
The five digital escape games offered by Puzzle Break will turn players into cyber hackers, disco detectives, and characters in a Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale. These online experiences are scalable to teams of any size and last between 60 and 90 minutes, with difficulty levels that vary from easy to moderate. Pricing for standard packages is $37.00 per player. For $62.00 per player, events can have dedicated representatives to assist with preparation and set-up.
Learn more: Puzzle Break.
24. Murfeesboro Escape Rooms
First-time players with this provider have access to three different online escape room adventures: the education-themed challenge called Colors, an alchemy fantasy called Magnum Opus, and a deep forest rescue called Elements. All three games can accommodate teams of up to ten players. Experiences book by date, so groups should schedule events accordingly. You can also subscribe to a monthly plan that offers 15 other online escape rooms for returning players.
Learn more: Murfeesboro Escape Rooms.
25. Shelburne Museum
The A. Tuckaway General Store and Apothecary Shop are great online escape rooms for students interested in American history. Both games recreate actual exhibits found at Shelburne Museum and contain fun late-19th century details for players to explore. These adventures are for solo players or small groups who enjoy escape experiences with a genuine historical flavor.
Learn more: Shelburne Museum.
Conclusion
Online escape rooms are a helpful way to bring teams together no matter where they work or reside. The challenges in these games inspire imaginative interactions and stimulate novel thinking. Every member of the group can add their personal strengths to the effort while learning unique problem-solving skills from their teammates.
Next, check out this list of the best escape room movies to watch and these DIY escape room ideas.
FAQ: Online escape rooms
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about online escape rooms
What are online escape rooms?
Online escape rooms are virtual versions of in-person escape rooms. These digital adventure games replicate the settings and puzzle-solving gameplay of real escape room experiences in a digital setting. With online escape rooms, remote team from all around the world can connect for exciting, themed excursions that test players’ mental skills and collaborative abilities.
How do you solve online escape rooms?
Players solve online escape rooms with similar strategies as physical escape rooms. Teams collaborate to crack codes, figure out riddles, and discern a path that leads to escape. These escape games can also center around a goal rather than an escape, requiring teams to determine a course of action that guides gameplay as players find clues and decrypt mysteries. Teams with diverse skillsets will have the best chance of successfully solving online escape rooms, since the encoded clues are usually crafted in a variety of clever ways.
How do you DIY online escape rooms?
To assemble a DIY escape room online, begin with the objective of the game such as an escape scenario or a crime that needs solving. For example, players may find themselves trapped in a serial killer’s basement, a bank vault, or a haunted house. Storytelling is important in determining the scenario for your escape room, so be sure to create a compelling narrative. Next, can prepare a series of online clues that will lead players to the objective or allow escape. You can encrypt the clues in clever ways with color-coding, musical prompts, or online search challenges. The more your clues take players around the internet, the richer the gameplay. You can utilize free cloud-based platforms such as Dropbox or G-Drive to store your written online escape room clues and other materials for remote players to access. Once completed, you can enlist friends and family to test your escape room for fun and functionality.