The best alternative to Couch Clues depends on what you liked about it. For another mystery on the TV with your phones, there's Escape & Chill (our game, with After Hours at the Museum), where you search a 3D room instead of watching videos. Without a screen, the boxed games Unlock!, EXIT and Chronicles of Crime play around the table.
| Game | Price | Players | What you need | Remote play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couch Clues | $24.95 to $29.95 by team size (as of September 2026) | 2 to 5 | A TV and one phone each | Possible |
| Escape & Chill (our game) | First room free, then €9.99 (launch price until October 31, then €12.99), paid once | 1 to 4 | A browser on the TV or a connected computer, one phone each | Yes, each at home on a call |
| Unlock! (box) | Varies by box | 1 to 6 | The cards and an app | No |
| EXIT (box) | Varies by box | 1 to 6 depending on the box | The box, a pen, scissors | No |
| Chronicles of Crime (box) | Varies | 1 to 4 | The box and its required app | No |
Couch Clues is a video mystery you play from the couch. Investigation films shot with actors play on your TV, and each player gets different information on their phone to solve the puzzles. The game is available in French and English, for 2 to 5 players, and a session runs 1.5 to 2.5 hours. If you've already finished it, or you're looking for something else, here is how it works and which alternatives to try.
Below the table, the alternatives mentioned come from other publishers. We make a TV escape game ourselves: it's presented separately, at the end of this article, and marked as ours.
How does Couch Clues work?
After you buy, a link opens a page on your phone where you choose the language and invite your teammates. Then you play the videos on your TV, either through the YouTube app on a smart TV or by mirroring your screen. According to the Couch Clues website, as of October 2026:
- The mysteries: a toxic case (a detective who has disappeared) and "A Case in Paradise" (a stolen artwork in a hotel)
- Players: 2 to 5
- Length: 1.5 to 2.5 hours on average, with the option to pause
- Languages: French, English, Swedish and Dutch; videos in French and English
- Hints: up to three per puzzle, and the solution if you need it
- Guarantee: a refund if the game doesn't win you over after three puzzles
- Price: not shown on the homepage. A Room Escape Artist review put it between $24.95 and $29.95 depending on team size, in September 2026
What reviewers say
The publisher claims more than 100,000 players and a 4.8 out of 5 rating. The Room Escape Artist review praises the high-quality videos, a Poirot-style detective atmosphere, and a game that involves the whole team. It also points out limits: the back-and-forth between looping videos and phones, logic puzzles that get solved alone on your own screen, and, with two players, some answers that both have to type in.
The best alternatives to Couch Clues
For playing without a screen: boxed games
The Unlock! and EXIT lines play on the table, in about an hour per scenario, for 1 to 6 players depending on the box. EXIT boxes are played once only, because you write on, fold and tear the materials. They're the ideal choice for a night without a TV, or as a gift.
For laughing together: party games on the TV
Jackbox and AirConsole also use the TV and phones, but for party games: trivia, drawing, bluffing, in short rounds. No mystery, but a great format for 6 or 8 people.
For searching the house: printable kits
Printable kits can be hidden around the house, just like a real room. Someone needs to prepare and host, often for a birthday party.
For a short break: online escape games
On a computer, some sites offer rooms to solve in 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. They're handy for remote play when you share your screen during a call.
To see all these formats side by side, read our comparison of escape games at home.
Escape & Chill (we make it)
We make Escape & Chill, a TV escape game built differently: instead of watching videos, you explore a 3D room. Each player searches it with their phone's flashlight, inspects the paintings, display cases and statues, and receives documents the others don't have.
| Couch Clues | Escape & Chill | |
|---|---|---|
| On the TV | Videos with actors | A 3D room to search |
| On the phone | Clues and answers | Flashlight, tools, secret documents, answers |
| Players | 2 to 5 | 1 to 4 |
| Length | 1.5 to 2.5 hours | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Remote play | Possible | Each person sees the room, and the phone works as a controller |
| To try it | Refund after 3 puzzles | First room free |
What we saw in testing. In mid-October 2026, during our first test sessions, three teams of two finished After Hours at the Museum in 1 hour 25 minutes, 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 24 minutes, asking for between 4 and 9 hints.
The two games complement each other more than they compete. If you liked the video mystery of Couch Clues, After Hours at the Museum has you search the room yourself. For remote play, here is how to play with friends at a distance.