It can be hard to find the right gifts for your friends and family, especially during the holiday season. That’s why we’ve put together this list. If you need a gift for an escape room enthusiast, you can find something for them here.
What Is An Escape Room?
Are you looking for something for family game night?
Board and card games are a staple of game nights, and escape room-style at-home games have become popular in recent years. They’re a great way to get your puzzle fix at home. Here are a few of our favorite gift ideas for an exciting game night with the family.
Cards At War
Cards At War is a card game designed by The Escape Effect. Inspired by the classic game, War, and At Odds With The Gods, this game incorporates the powers of the Greek gods to shake up the game as you play. We’ve included a special bonus puzzle hunt, though you can’t beat it without the cards. The hunt is broken into four parts, so keep an eye out for upcoming games.
Who Would Like This?
Card game lovers and fans of Greek mythology will love the spin on a familiar game. Puzzle enthusiasts will have fun with the hunt mixed into the game.
Where Can I Purchase This?
Cards At War is available from The Escape Effect online store.
Pick Up Locks
Pick Up Locks is a fun, family matching tile game. It is designed by The Escape Effect, so naturally it has a puzzle-themed twist! Unlike traditional memory games, where you are looking for two identical tiles, Pick Up Locks has you looking for a corresponding lock and key. The bright eye-catching drawstring bag is filled with an array of colorful tiles, it’s sure to make someone smile this holiday!
Who Would Like This?
The game is aimed at ages 3+, but can be enjoyed by all the family. It’s perfect for future escape room players!
Where Can I Purchase This?
Pick Up Locks is available from The Escape Effect online store.
Scooby-Doo: Escape From The Haunted Mansion
Scooby-Doo: Escape From The Haunted Mansion is part of the Coded Chronicles line of escape room-style games developed by USAOPOLY. In this game, your team takes on the roles of the Mystery Gang to solve puzzles and break out of a haunted mansion.
In a classic Scooby-style mystery, each player plays as one of the characters. Each character has a book with dialogue and information on their roles in the game. You’re also given a booklet for hints, in case your team gets stuck. The puzzles aren’t too difficult, and it has a lot of classic Scooby-Doo flair.
This is a great family game The game says it’s suitable for 1–6 people, but you’ll have the best experience with 5 players. That gives everyone a role, so nobody is left out and nobody has to manage two roles.
Who Would Like This?
Any fan of Scooby-Doo will enjoy this game. Since it’s designed to be like an escape room, it’s great for escape room fans.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This game is available on Amazon.com
Are you looking for a gift for a video gamer?
We’re big fans of video games; after all, escape rooms are like a real-life game. We’ve even written about some amazing escape room video games before. Whether your friends are puzzle game pros or fans of the escape-the-room flash games of the 2000s, we have a few gift ideas for them.
The Witness
One of the games covered in our Legendary Escape Room Video Games article, The Witness is filled with deceptively simple line puzzles. As you explore the island, the puzzles become more difficult and you become even better at solving them. It’s a satisfying gameplay experience, and there’s more to discover after you beat it the first time.
Who Would Like This?
This is a great game for anyone that likes puzzle-rich games and exploration, even if they aren’t escape room fans.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This game is available on Steam and GOG. Steam also offers a bundle with Braid.
Escape Academy
Escape Academy is a delightful game that brings real-world escape rooms into a video game setting full of fun and danger. In a way, the history of escape rooms comes full-circle; from point-and-click puzzle exploration to real-world puzzle exploration, and back again. We’ve reviewed Escape Academy before and found the level design to be imaginative and engaging. While the story isn’t all that deep, the gameplay is fun enough to stand on its own.
Who Would Like This?
This is a great game for escape room enthusiasts. Anyone that used to play Flash-based point-and-click room escape games, back in the 2010s, will also enjoy it.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This game is available on Steam, XBox, PlayStation, and the Epic Game Store.
Cube Escape Collection
The Cube Escape Collection is a game series made by Rusty Lake. Throughout this series of point-and-click games, you will explore Rusty Lake and uncover the secrets of the area. It’s a surreal story filled with mystery and intrigue, in a charming art style.
We’ve mentioned Flash games before, and this series was originally part of that category. When support for Adobe Flash ended in 2020, these games were bundled together to preserve them and ensure they would remain available to play.
Who Would Like This?
Fans of mystery stories and exploration will feel right at home with this game collection. Since it has games from the Flash era, it’s also a nostalgic choice for people who played a lot of Flash games.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This collection is available on Steam, Google Play, and the Apple Store.
Are you looking for a gift for someone who loves movies?
We’ve discussed movies for escape room fans before. Mixing puzzle themes with fast-paced action and storytelling is always fun. If you have an escape room fan with space on their DVD shelf, consider giving them one of these movies as a gift.
Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions (2021)
The sequel to 2019’s Escape Room is a fun ride that every escape room fan should see at least once! Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions a fast-paced thriller that features interesting puzzles and a story that leaves you wondering how it was all possible.
Who Would Like This?
Escape room enthusiasts will have fun with this movie. So will people that enjoy fast-paced, high-tension adventure movies. If you’ve seen the original, be sure to read this article before you watch the movie.
Where Can I Purchase This?
The DVD can be found at Amazon and Walmart.
Cube (1997)
Cube is a fantastic movie with a unique setting: a massive cube divided into smaller cube rooms, each with their own deadly puzzles. With no way of telling one room from another and no clear path to escape, the people trapped inside have to figure out how to stay alive. It’s an intense and suspenseful experience.
Who Would Like This?
Whether they like escape rooms or not, any horror fan can appreciate this movie, as long as they don’t mind some gore. It’s a favorite among many for the surreal horror and mystery.
Where Can I Purchase This?
The DVD can be found at Amazon and Walmart.
Saw (2004)
Saw is a psychological thriller that puts people into various death traps, testing their wills to survive. Captives are forced to injure themselves and each other if they want a chance to escape. This movie spawned a large franchise of terror and deadly mystery. With its 10th installment having been recently released, it’s clear that the film remains a cult favorite for many.
Who Would Like This?
Horror and mystery fans can appreciate this thrilling movie, as long as they don’t mind some blood. The deadly traps and mystery can appeal to those that want to combine their interest in mystery and puzzles.
Where Can I Purchase This?
The DVD can be found at Amazon and Walmart. You can also buy the latest in the Saw franchise, Saw X, here.
Are you looking for other types of escape room gifts?
If you’re looking for some escape room-themed gift ideas, or if you want something small to offer your friend, we have a few options for you.
Box One
Box One is a unique puzzle game designed by Neil Patrick Harris. As it says on the box, the game is made to be played by one person (though it can be played with two if you really want to). Are you ready to take on the challenge?
What appears to be a straightforward puzzle game evolves into something unique as you dive deeper into it. The game is rich with puzzles, codes, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. While Box One isn’t exceptionally difficult, it will certainly test your wits (and patience, as there is a part of the game that requires you to just…wait).
Who Would Like This?
Anyone that enjoys a good puzzle will like this game, especially since it doesn’t require a group of friends to make plans. Escape room fans will appreciate some of the game’s twists.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This game is available on Amazon.com and the Theory 11 store.
Escape room gift cards
If you want to give your loved one an escape room-themed gift, but aren’t sure what to get, a gift card can be a great way to give it to them. Get them a gift card to their favorite room and let them pick whatever they want, from merchandise to tickets for their next game. Some escape rooms offer physical cards and others have digital cards available to allow online ordering.
Who Would Like This?
Any escape room fan will appreciate a gift card to their favorite rooms. The flexibility to choose whatever gift they want makes it a great option for supporting their hobby.
Where Can I Purchase This?
If you want to get an escape room gift card, The Escape Effect has digital gift cards available. These can be used for our escape rooms or merchandise at our store in Orlando. Other escape rooms in your area may also have gift cards available.
Escape Puzzle: Curse Of The Wolves
Curse Of The Wolves is an escape room-style jigsaw puzzle made by Ravensburger. You are lost in a dark forest, surrounded by wolves. You need to find a way to break the curse and escape.
In order to get to the puzzles, you must first solve the puzzle. There are 759 pieces to put together. Once the image is assembled, you have to find the clues to break the curse. You also have to figure out what the puzzles are. If you need hints or answers, you can find them on the hints website.
This is a very difficult puzzle, but it can be solved, even by a single person. Don’t be surprised if you find pieces that don’t actually fit into the image. Our box had a few odd pieces, possibly trimmed bits from manufacturing, that didn’t end up being used for anything.
Who Would Like This?
Even without the larger problem of the curse, the jigsaw puzzle is fun. It’s a well-made puzzle with a nice illustration. Fans of secret codes and riddles will enjoy hunting through the image to solve the puzzles.
Where Can I Purchase This?
This puzzle is available on Amazon.com
Escape room keychains
If you want something small to add into the Christmas stocking, or if you want to help your friend add to their escape room collection, keychains are a great option. Keychains are a fun option for bringing some of your escape room fun everywhere you go. You can also pick up other escape room collectibles to give as mementos from their favorite rooms.
Who Would Like This?
Anyone with keys can appreciate a fun keychain, and escape room fans appreciate having small tokens to show off which rooms they’ve beaten.
Where Can I Purchase This?
The Escape Effect has escape room keychains available in our online store, along with other merchandise for escape room enthusiasts.
