If you’ve ever gone to an escape room, you might have noticed the biggest downside – having to go home! When the adrenaline wears off and everyone heads out, it can be a real bummer. Fortunately, there is a way to keep the fun going when you can’t make it to your favorite escape room. By making an investment of around 20 bucks, you can bring the fun home with your very own escape room board game. While nothing beats the real thing, we’ve put together some of our favorite escape room board games for escape enthusiasts to check out.

Exit: The Game | Abandoned Cabin, Secret Lab & Pharaoh’s Tomb

This escape room board game is the first installment of a series where players escape various ‘dangerous’ places with different themes (like those in the title of the game.) The game costs about $15 and is well worth the price. It has a decoder disk, puzzle booklet, instructions, and cards that contain riddles, hints and answers. The hint system is well-crafted, the difficulty is average and the duration of the game runs from about 1 to 2 hours. The game says there can be up to 6 players, but 3 is recommended. Unfortunately, the game requires you to destroy some of the pieces as you go along, so there is no replay value. However, ripping through the game is super fun in the heat of the moment.

Escape the Room (Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat & Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor)

The next escape board game set on our list contains two games, Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat and Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor. The games feature several ‘clue envelopes’ that you gain access to by spinning a ‘solution wheel’ after completing the puzzles each envelope contains. The game retails for just over $20 and is recommended to be played in teams no larger than 3 players. The game’s pieces are very well made and high-quality, and there is the possibility of replaying the game if you are delicate with them. The time limit on the escape is 90 minutes and is simply a blast to play.

Journal 29

Journal 29 is unique in that the game is book-based. The book contains 63 puzzles with it’s 148 pages. While the game doesn’t have interactive pieces like other escape room board games, it has a beautiful, hand-drawn look that sets it apart. An internet connection is required to find answers to the puzzles, which are paired with input codes for the website. This is one of the more difficult games on our list and retails at about $18. We recommend groups of 3 and there is no time limit on the puzzles. Since all of the puzzles are written down and unchanging – there is little to no replay value once you’ve solved them.

Better Than Any Escape Room Board Game

While these all work as great substitutes for a real escape room – there really is nothing like the real thing. It is so much more immersive escaping a craftily designed escape room than using your imagination at home.  If you want to go see the real thing for yourself, keep in mind your experience relies on the quality of the venue.

13th Hour offers three thrilling escape games which have become the top escape games in the Tri-State area. To fuel up before your adventure, we offer an escape room and dinner combo courtesy of Hot Rods BBQ- available Tuesday-Sunday 4 PM to closing. At 13th Hour, you can immerse yourself in a thrilling experience that is fun for the whole family. Get your tickets now if you have what it takes to escape before the clock runs out.