Make Valentine’s Day Special with a Play at Home Escape Game

Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day wasn’t quite the same last year, there was no taking your loved one out for a meal and movie, in fact most of us chose between rooms in our homes when it came to ‘where shall we go tonight?’. This year, things are looking a bit different and the outside world is now and option, but there are still options if you don’t fancy being out-and-about just yet.

If you’re looking to break the monotony of pandemic life, then you should really consider an online escape room. If you’re reading this then you’ve probably heard of escape rooms, those games where you get locked (it’s never fully locked) in a room and then have to solve puzzles to escape, well now you can play them from the comfort of your own home.

There are a number of different types of digital escape rooms and we certainly haven’t played them all, but here are our top picks from the games we have played which we think could help put a bit more fun in your Valentine day plans. If you want a more detailed review, then just click on the title of the game and that will take you to our review.

clueQuest Print + Cut + Escape: Mechanics of the Heart

Ok, so technically we haven’t played this game but we have played all their other games and they have been great so we are confident in recommending this one (*update*: we’ve now played and reviewed this game, and thoroughly enjoyed it). As with all the clueQuest print and play games, you have the choice of printing this game yourself (£15) or they will print and post it to you (£25).

clueQuest games are always top quality and as an added bonus they’ve included a way for you to hide a personalised message into the game. Ditch the roses, nothing says ‘I love you’ like a hidden message in an escape game!

• Price:  £15 print yourself, £25 print and post
• Est Time: 90 mins
• Link: clueQuest: Mechanics of the Heart

Cyphstress – Deadlocked

Is this Valentine’s themed? No. Is it a wonderful game with a beautiful song? Yes!

Unlike the first game by Deadlocked (The Insiders), Cyphstress is completely online so you don’t need to print anything and it is one of the games that we are often recommending to people as we really enjoyed it.

Cyphstress can be played solo or as a team, so you and your loved one could do this together (awhhh). There’s a wonderful sense of adventure in this game and it will have you scouring social media, visiting tropical islands, and solving some very clever puzzles.

• Price: £12  (or order it from Siren and get the beer too for £35)
• Est Time: 2 x 90min chapters
• Link: Deadlocked: The Cyphstress

Enchambered: Together at Heart

If you fancy a game that will get you and your beau talking, then Together at Heart by Enchambered is the perfect choice. This is a game that is designed for two players and the only way to progress is to communicate and solve the puzzles together.

Like their other games, Alone Together and Together Apart, this is a beautifully assembled game and is a great challenge for your brain and your relationship (in a good way)

• Price: $10 (min, you can pay more if you want)
• Est Time: 90 mins (maybe? We took around 60)
• Link: Enchambered: Together at Heart

Theory 11 and Neil Patrick Harris: BoxOne

You may have guessed from the name that this game is designed for one player, and that’s true. However, you can play it as a couple (we did) and it still has the same enjoyment, wonder, and delight that it would if you played it solo. An experience shared and all that, right?

This game is much easier to get hold of if you’re in North America (Target), but there are stockists in the UK so you can hopefully get it in time. It’s not cheap, but it’s totally worth it. It’s also available direct from Theory11 and they now do worldwide delivery!

• Price: $29.99 (plus delivery)
• Est Time: Two hours maybe? (We took 60 mins)
• Link: Theory 11

Post-a-Puzzle

Post-a-Puzzle is exactly as it sounds, you pay some money and puzzles are sent in the post. There are a number of games like this available, and we’ve played a few, but the reason we’ve selected this one is two fold: 1: the game is completely recyclable and they plant a tree on your behalf, 2: confetti! Yes, confetti, this card gives you the option of purchasing confetti to make it that little bit more special (bonus – use code ‘REVIEW’ to get confetti added to your card for free, it used to work so we think it still does?).

Post-a-Puzzle is lacking story, so if you just want to send a card and puzzles to a loved one, this is the game for you. You can choose the card, choose your confetti and have it sent straight to the recipient. This is a great idea if you can’t physically be with them on the day (or even if you can).

The best thing about Post-a-Puzzle? Once all the puzzles are solved, a message from the sender is revealed. You can choose to upload an image, a video, or just text. This is a lovely way to say ‘I love you’, make them work for it!

• Price: £12.99
• Est Time: Perhaps an hour
• Link: https://post-a-puzzle.com/

Sector X – The B.R.U.C.E. Project (Part 1): Bewilder Box & Eltham Escapes

If you want to play a game online but can’t be in the same location as each other, then The B.R.U.C.E Project could be the game for you. This game has oodles of humour, really good puzzles, and to make you feel like you are connected to your loved one, you can see each other’s cursors on the screen as you interact and move around the interface.

As a Brucey bonus (see what we did there?) if you want to play a game but don’t want it to be too difficult then The B.R.U.C.E. Project Part 2 has easier puzzles and you don’t really need to have played Part 1 first.

• Price: £18
• Est Time: 60 – 90 mins
• Link: https://bewilderbox.co.uk/onlineescaperooms/

Something Different?

Morgans Escapes: Stolen Valentine’s Date

We haven’t actually played this game, but we did play Mystery Times by Morgan Escapes, and we really quite enjoyed it. These games are a little different to the others, as they come with a box, padlock, and chain so that you can make your valentine really work for their gift. It’s far too easy just to give a gift, make them work for it!

• Price £15+ (depending on size)
• Est time: 40 minutes
• Link: https://www.morgansescapes.co.uk/

Agent Venture: The Heist, Cyborg Island, The B.A.D Side of the Moon

If you have friends, want to do a double date and want something different, then any of the games by Agent Venture would be a good choice. Again, not really Valentine themed (you’re a secret agent), but this is an audio led adventure where each team member (up to 5) has a set role and has their own challenges and puzzles to solve. They have three games to choose from and each episode’s story follows on from the first so it probably makes sense to start at Episode 1.

• Price: £12 per person (4 people min)
• Est time: One hour
• Link: https://www.agentventure.com/

Trapped: Bank Job / Art Heist / Carnival

These aren’t the most challenging of games but they enable you to set up an escape room in your own home. The game arrives in a small box and has instructions on what needs to go where, keep your loved one out of the room and then let them in to be amazed by what you have created.

These games are available from many locations, if you’re going to purchase one then please check out your favourite escape room company to see if they stock them, if not, then you can always find them on ‘the site that shall not be named’ (it rhymes with Blamazon).

• Price: £12.99 each
• Est time: One hour

Solve our Shirts: Escape from the Maze of the Minotaur

As far as we’re aware Solve our shirts is unique, but if you’re UK based you may have left it a bit late to order this; if you’re in North America you may be in luck. This is both a gift and a game in one so it’s like a two-for-one type of thing. We thoroughly enjoyed this game as it had cracking puzzles, was very cleverly constructed, and the t-shirt is supersoft and is high-quality.

Buy this game and your loved one will have a new t-shirt that they can wear when the world reopens and they can play real escape rooms again! Solve our Shirts have also now released a new game that involves a t-shirt, The Treasure Trove of Pirate Cove (which is equally wonderful).

• Price: $35-95
• Est time: 60 – 90 mins
• Link: https://www.solveourshirts.com

Cryptic Enigmas: CSI Bristol (UK only)

We had the pleasure of playing CSI Bristol last year, and it was a great game! Cryptic Enigmas will either deliver the box to you personally or arrange a courier, either way it is seamless.  What you get is a box filled with puzzles and padlocks that gives a flashback to when we used to be able to play ‘real’ rooms. This is a big box of goodies with really clever and well constructed puzzles.

Once you have purchased your voucher for CSI: Bristol, contact Cryptic Engimas directly to book your slot. They will arrange for it to be couriered to your address and include a return label to make it easy to return. You do not own this game, you are simply hiring it. They require at least 7 days’ notice, and only have so many in stock, so you better be quick!

• Price: £60 – £85
• Est time: 2 hours
• Link: https://crypticenigmas.com/csi-bristol/

The Panic Room: Valentine’s Day Escape Room Cards

Another one we haven’t played but The Panic Room are normally good in what they do. If you want to literally just get your loved one a card, without spending a lot of money then perhaps check these out. The Panic Room have two versions available – much better than a boring regular card!

• Price: £4.25 (+ postage)
• Link: The Panic Room Online: Valentine’s Cards

Live Avatar / Hosted Games

There are lots of top quality avatar games out there, these are games where from the comfort of your own home you tell a real person (avatar) in a physical room what to do and how to interact with the puzzles. We purposely haven’t included any recommendations for those rooms for a few reasons.

• Price varies greatly (£35 – £150 or more)
• You have to book a slot at a specific time (don’t forget timezones)
• The avatar may have a loved one who they’d like to be with, but you’re making them work (awhhh)

We aren’t aware of any Valentine themed escape rooms and we certainly haven’t played any, but if you really want to play a live avatar game then these would be our recommendations (based on theme/fun) that could be suitable for a little Valentine’s day virtual outing. We’ve included the country where the game is located as you’ll need to factor in the timezone when booking.

• UK – Headlock Games: The Keeper & The Fungus Among Us (like live theatre, with original songs. Hilarity ensues)
• UK – Agent November: Virtual X-Caper (lots of fun, and lots to do)
• Canada – Improbable Escapes: Neverland: Heist on the High Seas (beautiful set)
• Ireland – Escape Rooms Ennis: The Beach Bar (if you can’t visit a real bar, this is the next best thing)

Need more?

These are all just general recommendations but if you are looking for a game and there is something specific you want from it, just drop us a message and I’m sure we can help point you in the right direction. We’re often contacted by email or message us asking for recommendations, but be prepared, we have a lot of recommendations!