From a Bank Heist to Hogwarts, 6 Virtual Escape Rooms You Can Do at Home (Including 2 Free Options)

Published May 13, 2020

It's pretty telling that in a time where we’re literally stuck in our homes, we’re drawn to playing games where the goal is to actually break free from a room. Virtual escape rooms are quickly becoming the go-to at-home activity these days (we suppose everyone ran out of jigsaw puzzles?). So, grab your family members and see if you can conquer these 6 challenging options (several of which are free!).

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1. Expedition Escape's Bank Heist

Expedition Escape, located in the Greater Philadelphia area, actually took their real life escape room and turned it into a free (!) virtual one. In this experience, you'll be part of a crime syndicate on a mission to unlock a safe. Be sure you have a calculator on hand though, since you only have 20 minutes.

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2. The Escape Game: Remote Adventures

The Escape Game offers a variety of activity options, including free online puzzles, a board game you can buy and, of course, more traditional virtual escape rooms at a price of $25 per person. Playing on Zoom, you’ll explore the room by directing a “game guide” wearing a live camera feed. The site is currently offering two options: “Ruins: Forbidden Treasure” or “Hunt for Gold.”

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3. Paruzal's Live Online Escape Rooms

The backstories behind these games are incredibly creative (that’s probably why they cost $15 per player). The latest three episodes: trying to get a boat back to shore before a massive storm hits, sneaking backstage at a Bruce Springsteen concert and running your own pizza restaurant. Just sign up and you’ll be sent a Zoom link for your time slot.

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4. The Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

Created by the Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA—and obviously inspired by the magic-filled works of J.K. Rowling—the experience not only brings you into the wizarding world of Harry Potter, but also challenges your brain, something we're definitely craving from inside our quarantine walls. The best part? It’s totally free.

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5. Brainchase

Perhaps you’re looking for something more educational to entertain your kids. This K-12 platform offers virtual escape rooms on a weekly basis as part of its extracurricular programming. The only catch? Brainchase isn’t free and requires a monthly subscription.

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6. The Grimm Escape

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.

Let’s play

From a Bank Heist to Hogwarts, 6 Virtual Escape Rooms You Can Do at Home (Including 2 Free Options)

1. Expedition Escape's Bank Heist

2. The Escape Game: Remote Adventures

3. Paruzal's Live Online Escape Rooms

4. The Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

5. Brainchase

6. The Grimm Escape

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