The best escape game at home depends on your evening: a boxed game like Unlock! or EXIT to play around the table, or a TV escape game like Couch Clues or Escape & Chill (our game, with After Hours at the Museum) to play from the couch. Escape & Chill also works remotely, and the first room is free.
| Game | Price | Players | What you need | Remote play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Printable kit | Varies | Varies | A printer, and time to hide the clues | No |
| 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 |
To play an escape game at home, there are five main formats: the board game, the printable kit, the online escape game on a computer, TV party games where the phone is the controller, and the video escape game on the TV. The right choice depends on three things: how many people you are, whether you're in the same place, and how much time you want to spend getting ready.
Below the table, the examples come from other publishers, not from us. Our own game is presented separately at the end of this article, and marked as ours.
The comparison table
| Format | Examples | Preparation | Players | Length | Remote play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board game | Unlock!, EXIT | None | 1 to 6 depending on the box | 45 to 90 min | No |
| Printable kit | Birthday kits to download | 15 to 30 min | Varies | About 1 hour | No |
| Online escape game | Browser-based sites | None | Usually 1 to 6 | 30 min to 1.5 hours | By sharing your screen |
| TV party games with phones | Jackbox, AirConsole | None | 3 to 8 depending on the game | 15 to 20 min per game | With screen sharing |
| Video escape game on the TV | Couch Clues | None | 2 to 5 | 1.5 to 2.5 hours | Possible |
The figures are those published by the publishers or checked in October 2026, and they vary from title to title, so always check the page for the specific game. None of these escape games can be replayed once you know the story.
The board game: the easiest to give
Series like Unlock! or EXIT are the best known. You open the box and play on the table with cards and sometimes an app. Count about an hour per scenario. EXIT boxes are played only once, because you write on, fold and tear the materials.
Best for: a gift, a night without screens, players who like handling physical things. The limit: everyone has to sit around the same table.
The printable kit: closest to a real room
Some publishers sell kits you download, print and hide around the house, often for children's birthdays. Players search physically, like in a real room.
Best for: a birthday party at home with an adult who prepares and hosts. The limit: preparation takes time, and the host doesn't really play.
The online escape game: the fastest to start
On a computer, a site presents a room and its puzzles. It's handy for a short break, or for remote play when you share your screen during a call.
Best for: a first try, a group spread out across distances, 30 minutes in front of you. The limit: when only one person holds the mouse, the others end up watching.
TV party games with phones: the best group energy
Jackbox and AirConsole show the game on the TV and turn phones into controllers. They're mostly party games: trivia, drawing, bluffing, in rounds of 15 to 20 minutes.
Best for: an evening with 6 or 8 people where you want to laugh more than think. The limit: these aren't escape games. There's no investigation to carry out together over time.
The video escape game on the TV: interactive cinema
The Dutch studio Couch Clues offers this format: videos shot with actors play on the TV, and each player gets different information on their phone to answer the puzzles. The game is available in French and English, with two mysteries, for 2 to 5 players, in 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The publisher claims more than 100,000 players and offers a refund if the game doesn't win you over after three puzzles. A Room Escape Artist review (September 2026) praises the videos and the Poirot-style atmosphere.
Best for: fans of detective films, as a couple or with friends, for 2 to 5 players. The limit: you don't explore a room. You watch videos, then answer on your phone. For more detail, read our page on Couch Clues: how it works and the alternatives.
How to choose in one question
- There are 6 or more of you and you want to laugh: a TV party game.
- It's a gift or a night without screens: a board game.
- It's a kids' birthday with an adult hosting: a printable kit.
- You have 30 minutes and a computer: an online escape game.
- You love detective films and there are 2 to 5 of you: a video escape game on the TV.
If you're still deciding between playing at home and booking a real room, read our escape room vs. escape game at home comparison. To prepare the evening, see how to host an escape game at home and the six types of escape room puzzles.
Escape & Chill (we make it)
We make Escape & Chill, an escape game on the TV that works differently: the room appears in 3D, each player searches it with their phone's flashlight, and everyone receives documents the others don't have. The first game, After Hours at the Museum, is for 1 to 4 players, at home on the couch or each at home, and takes 1.5 to 2 hours. The first room is 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.