Since the first in-person escape room opened in the US in 2010, we’ve seen massive growth in the popularity of escape rooms. While there were only about 2 dozen escape rooms in the US in 2014, by 2022, that number has grown to nearly 2000. Escape room video games are even more widely played than in-person escape rooms. Not only are they super accessible, with options for VR, PC, and home gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5, but video game escape rooms are even more fun than the traditional in-person version. Without further ado, here are the most exciting escape room games for VR, PC, and PS5.
What is an Escape Room Game?
Before we get into the best escape room games, let’s quickly review what an escape room game is. We’ve all heard of an in-person escape room; you’re locked in a physical room and have to solve puzzles to get out within a certain time limit.
These games have taken the traditional escape room and taken it outside the bounds of reality, offering puzzles (not to mention physics) that simply can’t occur in real life. While some video escape room games are similar to traditional ones, in which you have to escape within a time limit, many video games that are considered escape rooms are simply puzzle-solving games in which you solve puzzles to meet your goal, whether or not that goal is to escape. No matter the style or platform of the game, you’re sure to test your intelligence through difficult puzzles while enjoying the exciting background plots.
Best VR Escape Room Games
As VR technology has improved, we’ve started to see more VR escape room games. Here are a few of our favorites:
Beyond Medusa’s Gate
This escape room game from Ubisoft is one of their best escape room games due to its complex world-building and amazing graphics. Set in Ancient Greece (fans of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will be familiar), this game finds players on the legendary ship of the Argonauts, in a coastal cave on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Your job? Find a lost powerful artifact…and solve puzzles to find your way out.
This game is particularly thrilling because it takes full advantage of the VR platform. You’ll solve puzzles that cannot be created in a real-life escape room while feeling more immersed than ever. You’ll climb, do archery, and more to solve the game. We also love that it’s a 2-4 player game, so you need to work together to solve these puzzles. The only downside is that when one player struggles, the rest of the players may be stuck. But at least this gives you plenty of time to look around at the amazing scenery. Unlike other gaming platforms, this VR escape room game is typically offered only at VR gaming locations.
I Expect You to Die
I Expect You to Die is a VR puzzle-solving game in which you play as a secret agent, tasked with toppling evil Dr. Zor. Oh, and you have telekinetic powers. As a secret agent, you have the option of completing 7 different missions, giving you the most bang for your buck possible. Missions include disabling Dr. Zor’s secret weapon at his winter lodge, gathering intel in Dr. Zor’s boardroom, and destroying Dr. Zor’s Death Engine in space. All you have to do is complete the mission – and escape with your life.
We love how many options this game has, and just how clever the puzzles are. Glowing reviews across the web note that it’s among the (if not the) most puzzle-solving games around today. And given the excitement of the missions, you’ll get your heart racing as you solve each mission. Unlike Beyond Medusa’s Gate, this game is one you can play at home. Better yet, this VR game just came out with the sequel game, I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar, which ups the ante with more villains…and more ways to die.
Best PC Escape Room Games
Not to be outdone, PC game designers have created some truly gripping titles. We think these two are among the best:
We Were Here
We Were Here, by Total Mayhem Games, is the most exciting PC escape room game because it requires two people. The setup is incredibly clever: two players are trapped in one part of a castle in a frozen wasteland, while your partner is trapped in another part of the castle. Luckily, you have a trusty walkie-talkie to communicate, but is that enough to get you out? Test your wits and your friends to find out.
This game is just one in a series of similar escape-room-style games. Every challenge requires new puzzle-solving skills and, most importantly, requires clever communication. This game does require two players, which is part of what makes it so unique (there are very few cooperative multiplayer escape room games out there for PC). This game is also available on PS5 and Xbox.
The House of Da Vinci
We’ve all heard of what a genius Leonardo Da Vinci was… so his workshop must be just as impressive. In this game from Blue Brain Games, you’ll get to experience his workshop first-hand (or at least as first-hand as it gets these days!). In The House of Da Vinci, you play Da Vinci’s apprentice. Unfortunately, Leonardo himself has disappeared, so it’s your job to figure out what’s going on through puzzles and more.
We love this game for its complexity. There are objects hidden in every corner of every room, so it takes a truly observant person to get through this game. The artwork in this game is also beautiful, with locations and puzzles based on real-life Florence, Italy in 1506 and Da Vinci’s inventions and artwork. This game is also available on the iPad and Nintendo Switch.
Best PS5 Escape Room Games
Finally, there are lots of great escape room puzzle-solving games for the PS5. Here are two of our favorites:
Escape Academy
Escape Academy is a game for escape room masters – or at least students training to become escape room masters. In this game, you have access to over 12 unique hand-crafted escape rooms, where you’ll get to know the eclectic cast of colorful characters and explore the secrets of the Escape Academy campus…
This game is probably the most similar to real-life escape rooms but with the added excitement of physics and experiences only possible in a virtual world. Each room is designed with input from escape room experts well-versed in designing real-world, traditional escape rooms. That’s how you know the game will be challenging. This can be played as a single player or co-op with a friend, local or online. The game is available for Playstation, Xbox, and Steam.
Deliver Us the Moon
In this sci-fi thriller game from Keoken Interactive and Wired Productions, you’re the last of Earth’s astronauts on the World Space Agency, a space station that is now responsible for supplying the Earth with all of its energy. All communications with Earth stopped suddenly – can you figure out what happened? In this adventure, you and your robot companion ASE must explore the moon to save everyone else back on Earth. Can you save humanity with your wit alone?
While this isn’t exactly an escape room game, it certainly is puzzle-based. You’ll need to uncover what went wrong by solving complex puzzles while immersed in the game’s excellent storytelling. Reviewers note that this game is “unputdownable,” with countless puzzles and phenomenal visual design.
