Online Escape Room

You found our list of the best virtual escape rooms for team building.

Created by real-life escape room company Puzzle Break, this online game has become one of the most popular virtual escape rooms to emerge in the last few weeks. For $25 a person, you and your friends can work together via Zoom to find your way out of the enchanted forest and escape a witch's curse. Not to mention, you also get your own live host. Escape the room is a sub-genre of adventure and puzzle game. Leave different closed places by exploring their surroundings. Room Escape Games. The best new room escape games! Most these games include at least one puzzle. The room usually consists of a locked door, different objects to manipulate as well as hidden clues or secret compartments. Enchambered is an escape room venue based in Sacramento, California located next to the corner of Howe Avenue and Arden Way. Centrally located, we are right up Howe from Sac State and a few minutes from Midtown Sacramento. We currently offer three immersive escape experiences with another four themed games in the works for this location. Online Escape Rooms are a great way to stay connected with family and friends without leaving your home. These are not games played at our physical location and they are not games that are played using a proxy inside a physical location.

Virtual escape rooms are web-based escape rooms conducted via Zoom and other platforms. During these activities, teams solve riddles and complete puzzles in a fixed amount of time, with a goal of “escaping the room.” The purpose of these experiences is to encourage collaboration, teamwork and team building. These experiences are sometimes called online escape rooms or virtual escape games.

Virtual escape rooms are a subset of online team building.

Our list includes:

  • Free virtual escape rooms
  • Virtual escape rooms for groups
  • Online escape room ideas
  • Digital escape rooms for adults
  • Zoom escape rooms

And more 🙂

Here is the list.

List of virtual escape rooms

Online escape rooms run the gamut from guide-led immersive experiences to simple self-guided text-based puzzles. This list offers a range of experiences covering various subjects and difficulty levels, including several free online escape rooms!

1. International Monster Hunter

International Monster Hunter is an online team building adventure that challenges participants to solve puzzles and answer trivia to track down the world’s most mysterious legendary creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster and Chupacabra. The hunt spans the entire globe, chasing beasties from many cultures from the safety of your Zoom screen. A courageous host will lead the charge and keep your crew alert.

The experience is 90 minutes and includes puzzles and challenges that are similar to virtual escape games.

Learn more: International Monster Hunter

2. The Grimm Escape

The Grimm Escape from Puzzle Break is one of the most popular virtual escape rooms for groups. Puzzle Break was one of the pioneers of physical escape rooms, and an early adopter of the virtual medium when businesses mass-pivoted to remote work. This story-themed adventure takes place live over Zoom and accommodates many players. A game-master leads groups through challenging time-sensitive riddles for an hour of fairy-tale fun. Prices start at $25 per person.

Learn more: The Grimm Escape

3. Wildly Different Escape Rooms

Participants play Wildly Different’s escape rooms through an app. One of the perks to this digital escape room experience is that the company that designs the adventures can custom build a challenge just for your crew. Gamemakers can tailor questions and clues to fit your industry or your brand to create a relevant training, video conference games, and team bonding experience all-in-one.

Learn more: Wildly Different Escape Rooms

4. Murder in Ancient Egypt

While not technically an escape room, this virtual event uses similar mechanics to unravel riddles and mysteries. Groups will split up into breakout rooms and work together to solve a real historical murder. A guide will help sleuths along with clues and prompts before finally revealing the true order of events.

Murder in Ancient Egypt is a 90 minute team building event facilitated by a professional host. We’ve run virtual murder mysteries for clients like Google, Microsoft and JP Morgan.

Learn more: Murder in Ancient Egypt

5. Mystery Escape Room

The super sleuths on your team will enjoy these mystery-themed Zoom escape rooms modeled after the likes of Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes. Groups play the games via video meeting software, collaborating to complete challenges and progress through the mystery. An escape room guide is available through the duration of each game. These rooms are suitable for four to eight players and book through a flat rate of $75-$85 per game, averaging out to around $10 per person for an eight-player game.

Learn more: Mystery Escape Room

6. Cofundrum Escape Rooms

3-D graphics set Confundrum’s rooms apart from other digital escape rooms. Teams participate in a virtual walkthrough that lends the experience a video-game feel. Each booking offers a guide to facilitate the game. Virtual rooms vary in difficulty and are suitable for up to eight participants. Themes include Blackbeard’s Brig, Twisted Woods, and Cypherspace. Confundrum offers options for corporate group bookings in addition to package deals.

Learn more: Confundrum Escape Room

7. Trapped in the Web

You can play Trapped in the Web’s virtual adventures from anywhere in the world, anytime. These are text-based adventures that incorporate video and picture elements and force the group to navigate the world wide web for clues. The company offers a series of adventures with names like Cabin Fever and A Night at the Theatre. Each room takes one or two hours to complete. Group booking rates are available.

Learn more: Trapped in the Web

8. YouEscape

YouEscape offers digital escape rooms through the Patreon platform. The gamemakers offer several different web-based escape room options with themes like musical, constellations, bomb-diffusing, and murder mystery. Each game lasts between one and one and a half hours. To play with a team you can pay a one-time fee or enlist in a monthly subscription; options start at $30. The subscription plan is a great choice for teams that love escape rooms and would like to complete a new adventure every month. Sizable organizations could also invest in a subscription and allow a new team or department to utilize the challenge each month.

Learn more: YouEscape

9. Brain Chase

Brain Chase’s escape rooms take an educational approach to puzzle games by centering on subjects such as engineering, coding, photography, and reading. Each week brings a new escape room challenge with a new worldly or historical theme. The site even offers a $100 prize to the first user who solves the puzzle of the month. These virtual escape rooms are great for students or workers nostalgic for good old school computer lab days.

Learn more: Brain Chase Escape Rooms

10. 60 Out

60 Out escape rooms offer the ability to work with strangers on puzzles, a plus for smaller groups or teams that want to brush up on soft skills. These escape rooms provide real challenges that require critical thinking. Multiple difficulty levels are available, with themes ranging from spooky ships to sinister killers to time travel.

Learn more: 60 Out Escape Rooms

11. Escape Experience

Escape Experience pairs users with an on-site physical guide for a hybrid experience that is as close to a real escape room as possible. The adrenaline enthusiasts in your crew can enjoy adventures such as a race to stop a nuclear bomb, a getaway from a runaway train, or a daring prison break. Most games last approximately one hour.

Learn more: Escape Experience

12. Paruzal Games

Paruzal Games takes a more whimsical approach to the virtual escape room, trading in action movie concepts like heists and espionage for themes like pizza and rock and roll. Games take place through Zoom, and the site offers an easy booking process. These puzzles are appropriate for all skill and comfort levels, and could be a fun entertainment option for events like virtual retirement parties.

Learn more: Paruzal Games

List of free virtual escape rooms

Here is a list of totally free virtual escape rooms you can try too.

Note: Because many free digital escape rooms take less time than the paid counterparts, we included a bonus fun tip as an extra activity for each entry.

13. Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

Anyone still awaiting an owl-delivered invitation to wizard school will delight in this online adventure. Created by librarians, like many of the free digital escape rooms on this list,this escape room recreates the experience of arriving at Hogwarts for your first year of instruction. The game draws on a mix of Harry Potter references and logic puzzles to create fun challenges. Your crew may not actually get to cast spells, but your teams will bond, and that is just as magical.

Bonus fun tip: Ask teammates to identify as Hogwarts houses. You can take the online sorting quiz on the Wizarding World website together, or you can allow attendees to choose a house. You can change your names on Zoom to show your Hufflepuff or Slytherin pride.

Learn more: Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

14. Minecraft Escape Room

Minecraft may seem like an unusual pick for online escape room ideas, but fans of the games and the Minecraft-clueless alike can enjoy this free digital escape room. Players flex problem-solving skills to solve simple challenges. The many colorful pictures make this room one of the more visually appealing free options.

Bonus fun tip: Playing the actual game of Minecraft may be too time-consuming for an virtual team building activity, but you and your team can customize players and use avatars for team interactions.

Learn more: Minecraft Escape Room

15. Oscar’s Stolen Oscar

The Escape Room Free Online

The National Aquarium created this online adventure centered around oscar fish. Teams will use resources like the aquarium’s virtual tour and educational video to answer questions while learning fishy facts. Other underwater favorites like eels and sea turtles also make cameos.

Bonus fun tip: Make a group donation to the aquarium to support conservation efforts, or relax with more aquatic fun by watching a tropical reef livestream from another great aquarium.

Learn more: Oscar’s Stolen Oscar Escape Room

16. Dr. Who Escape Room

This quite elaborate online escape room will appeal to hardcore Whovians and puzzle fans alike. The adventure presents a series of logic puzzles that will challenge your team’s critical thinking skills. This room contains longer narrative passages than several other online escape rooms, meaning the experience is sure to please the story lovers on your crew as well.

Bonus fun tip: Inspired by the fact that Weeping Angel villains can only attack when you look away, challenge your teams to a staring contest.

Learn more: Dr. Who Escape Room

17. Golden Girls Escape Room

Over thirty years after the show first aired, Golden Girls still has audience appeal. Chances are, if you start singing “Thank you for being a friend,” then a few of your team members will chime in with,“traveled down the road and back again.” This Golden Girls Escape room is all trivia instead of puzzles, but is still a fun challenge for your group. The game goes quickly, making this escape room a great option for a warm up or wind down virtual team building exercises.

Bonus fun tip: If the group completes the quiz without Googling more than one answer, then celebrate with cheesecake.

Learn more: Golden Girls Escape Room

18. Pikachu’s Rescue

Online Escape Room For Kids

Pokemon may be the ultimate example of teamwork. Creatures and trainers cooperate to win battles, and the bonds between teams help pave the way to victory. If you want to add a tinge of 90’s nostalgia to your next virtual event, then Pikachu’s Rescue is the way to go. Combining Pokemon trivia with observation and basic math, this virtual escape room provides a fun collaborative adventure for teams.

Bonus fun tip: Challenge your teams to recite the PokeRap.

Learn more: Pikachu’s Rescue Escape Room

19. The Minatour’s Labyrinth Escape Room

This free remote escape room draws on Greek mythology to form a challenging and educational experience. Your teams will crack codes and solve other riddles while learning about ancient myths. The Minatour’s Labyrinth Escape Room activates your group’s collective brain power and brings out your teammates’ inner hero.

Bonus fun tip: Take a team Greek mythology quiz on Goodreads.

Virtual Escape Room Team Building

Learn more: Minotaur’s Labyrinth Escape Room

20. Escape: The Midnight Express

This mini-virtual escape room is sure to appeal to fans of stories like “Murder on the Orient Express.” The self-guided online adventure leads participants through a story of a mystery that unfolds on a midnight train. Escape: The Midnight Express includes visual and audio components, and offers multiple hints along with the solution for each clue.

Bonus fun tip: Ask Zoom attendees to dress up in costume to add to the atmosphere.

Learn more: Escape: The Midnight Express Escape Room

21. Ultra Mega Super Death Escape Room

Though many web-based escape room options are family-friendly and geared towards all ages, Ultra Mega Super Death Escape room is exclusively a digital escape room for adults. This free online escape room presents complex problems with a tongue in cheek tone. The result is a stimulating and amusing self-guided adventure. The creators recommend that you play in groups and use the timer on your phone or computer. The game offers one single hint, but also provides a solution guide if you are super stumped.

Learn more: Ultra Mega Super Death Escape Room

22. Mr. X

Room

This experience deviates from the standard online escape room model of following a form by leading challengers through an interactive online treasure hunt. Groups will use online resources such as YouTube and Google Maps to hunt for clues and track down the sinister Mr. X’s location. Team members simultaneously complete a fun challenge and brush up on internet skills: a win-win for remote teams.

Learn more: Mr.X Escape Room

23. Romeo & Juliet

All the word-nerds and Shakespeare diehards in your crew will enjoy taking a crack at solving the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. The math and logically-brained members of your team will not sit on the sidelines either, as many of the puzzles require critical thinking, not just literature knowledge. Together, you and your team can try to reach a happier ending.

Bonus fun tip: Imagine how cell phones might have changed the plot of the play, and imagine what texts the characters might send each other.

Learn more: Romeo & Juliet Escape Room

24. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln combines the challenge of an online escape room with the fun of a choose your own adventure story. You could choose one of two scenarios to craft your own experience. Because the path differs, you and the crew can play several times. This free virtual escape room draws inspiration from history, yet entertains with a modern sense of humor by using screenshots of text messages and other anachronistic visual aids.

Learn more: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Conclusion

Though virtual escape rooms are less tactile experiences than real life rooms, these experiences allow remote teams to bond, communicate, and solve problems together. There are many ways to build skills and relationships on remote teams while engaging virtual workers.

For similar virtual games, check out our articles on virtual murder mysteries and how to do a virtual scavenger hunt.

FAQ: Virtual escape rooms

Here are some of the most common questions and answers about virtual escape rooms.

What are virtual escape rooms?

Virtual escape rooms are online team puzzle-solving experiences that can be played together on Zoom. The two most common versions of gameplay happen through a Google Form or a video livestream.

How does a virtual escape room work?

Virtual escape rooms use video conferencing software and web-based activities to present puzzles and challenges to participating teams. Free versions often utilize Google Forms.

How do I host a virtual escape room?

To host a virtual escape room, first decide whether you want to pay or complete a free online escape room. In both instances, the group typically completes the room with the help of online meeting software like Skype or WebEx. If you pay for a virtual escape room, then your guides will send you specific instructions and facilitate the game via livestream. If you use a free option, then you can invite your team to a video call and share the screen to complete the form together.

What is the best online escape room?

There is no one best online escape room. However, there are online escape rooms that are better than others. To help locate the best options, try searching for online escape room reviews. Then, sort for the most recent reviews.

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Author: Angela Robinson

Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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If you've ever wanted to try an escape room, but would much rather do so from the comfort (and, let's be honest, free will) of your home, you're in luck. Like the world's most iconic museums and stunning parks, you can now adventure around an escape room with just a laptop and internet connection. Warm up with some coffee and a basic puzzle app on your phone. Then, get ready for some quality fun. The best virtual escape rooms have entered the chat, and they're more than ready to challenge your crew.

Let's talk about how they typically work, so you know what to expect. These virtual escape rooms are similar to what you'd experience IRL. They bring you through a set of puzzles that you have to solve in order to advance, and a storyline that's supposed to be cracked within a certain period of time. Some of them are free and can be accessed at any time, while others require you to pay to participate, and ask that a minimum of three or so players are involved. In addition, some come with a magical theme or a subscription box that'll really upgrade your gameplay.

To start, simply toss on some comfy clothes, gather up your friends, and book one of these nine virtual escape rooms.

1. Puzzle Break's 'The Grimm Escape'

First up, try out Puzzle Break's 'The Grimm Escape.' Work with your best friends via Zoom to crack this case, and be treated to a live host. To play, you must a book a time slot online and pay a $25 per person fee. Book a spot now, OK? They're going fast.

2. The Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

Fans of Harry Potter's magical world will adore TheHogwarts Digital Escape Room. Created by Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, Pennsylvania, it puts you in the shoes of a first-year Hogwarts student who's learning spells and how to use a wand. According to ApartmentTherapy.com, this escape room is free.

3. Mystery Escape Room's Online Adventures

Mystery Escape Room made original escape rooms you can play with your friends or coworkers when you're looking to do some team building. Simply go to their website and pick between the different options such as the Nancy Drew-themed virtual room or superhero one. Be sure to book a time and pay the #necessary fee, too.

4. Escape The Crate's 'Midnight Express'

Grab a pencil and some paper, and get the clock app on your phone ready to go. Escape The Crate's 'Midnight Express' is about to send you through time and into a different reality. If you choose to play, be prepared to meet Abraham Lincoln free of charge and sneakily gather evidence.

5. Expedition Escape's 'Bank Heist'

Have you ever been to Expedition Escape in the Greater Philadelphia area? If not, then you can still enjoy their 'Bank Heist' virtual escape room online, and for free. The escape room should take you around 20 minutes, and will require a calculator. It'll put you into the role of a safe cracker who's made for wrapping up a team's unfinished job.

6. Murfreesboro Escape Rooms' 'Magnum Opus'

Gather up everyone in your group chat for the MurfreesboroEscape Rooms' 'Magnum Opus.' This Tennessee-based spot is only charing $30 for a group of up to eight people to be part of their online escape room. The best part? Each team gets a gift card to use at the actual location when they reopen for travelers and escape room lovers.

7. Enchambered's Escape Room Puzzles And Games

If you're into any kind of puzzle or escape-style game, then go to Enchambered's online selection. This escape room location has all sorts of puzzles you can tackle from the comfort of your couch, including a two-player escape room. Call up your long-distance best friend and play from wherever you two are in the world.

8. Know Escape's Online Escape Rooms

Online Escape Room Multiplayer

Have you ever dreamed of doing an escape room with people from around the world? Know Escape, located in the UK, is making your dreams a reality. Each room costs 55 pounds, and must be booked in order to play. Book your time slot and then get ready to battle villains or intense storylines.

Online Escape Room

9. Paruzal's Live Online Escape Rooms

Free Digital Escape Rooms

Last but not least is Paruzal's live online escape rooms. They're designed to put you in charge of a pizzeria or help you sneak in the backstage area of a Bruce Springsteen concert. The stories that go along with these escape rooms are truly so unique, and if you book a time slot, you'll be sent a Zoom link and a sweet chance to have an adventure at home.