The 16 best escape rooms in Manhattan
From mysterious treasure hunts to futuristic missions, where to play the best escape rooms Manhattan has to offer.
The Escape Game
Overwhelmingly Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“As a teacher, this room had an additional level of connection. Of all the rooms, this one was the most fun. There was also a LOT of stuff to do. It is also the only room where I think you absolutely need to have 4 people minimum. I also like that you need to work as a team to solve some of the puzzles, which makes the escape room experience better.”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Fun time. It starts by breaking the group into two teams, so more fun with 4+ people. Good flow, good puzzles, stellar atmosphere as TEGs are known for. There is one area with crawling, but as long as a single member of the team can crawl, the rest of the team doesn't have to. Our game master gave us a few hints when we hadn't asked -- we suspect TEG wants everyone to escape -- but I think you could express your preferences re: hints at the beginning and they would be honored.”
DrPefesspein
46 escape rooms
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room was totally amazing! I can see why we've been told it's a staple at many locations of this company!!! The theming was really well done, I appreciated the fact that it was a multi-level room where you go up and down. It really felt like we were moving from scenario to scenario as opposed to just going from one closet to another. I thought that there were a lot of really unique puzzles, some that require more interaction than you normally get in rooms corporate locations. This is a big plus for anybody who has played more than a couple of games anywhere and is looking for something slightly more challenging. I know that it's touted as a lower difficulty level, but I'd argue that it was more challenging than several of the other games we've played at The Escape Game. Or at least the puzzles were better, so it felt more difficult than games that reuse the same sort of puzzles over and over. 10/10 would recommend!!!”
B
Bubbas
45 escape rooms
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Enjoyed the overall production quality of each room. Even if the puzzles weren’t too hard, I really enjoyed the look and feel of each room. Did feel technologically futuristic as it should be in a Time Machine!”
LexiconPenguino
108 escape rooms
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Great game. The Escape Game continues to show why they are the best *chain* escape room company there is. Game is an excellent mix of two themes, which you’d think is hard to do, but they did it. Pretty much all clues either high tech or use the environment around you which is a huge plus. Rooms were beautiful which was to be expected. I normally don’t recommend chain companies to enthusiasts but The Escape Game has consistently high quality rooms.”
t
travelingescapist69
49 escape rooms
PanIQ Escape Room
Very Positive
39 W 32nd St 4th floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Love this escape room! Super themed as a magician space and some really neat magic tricks that are puzzles! Casey was super friendly and we loved chatting with him! Highly recommend and we will be back to finish the other rooms…”
jlpraino
206 escape rooms
Mission Escape Games
Very Positive
265 W 37th St Suite 802A, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Excellent gameplay. Surprisingly difficult room. All the tech worked perfectly and seamlessly. I was impressed by the amount of thought and effort put into this room. Highly recommended, and possibly the best escape room in NYC.”
m
mason30006
78 escape rooms
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Great game, and not available at other TEG locations. Great puzzles, great flow, and the stellar atmosphere that TEG is known for. There was enough to do in parallel that everyone could play without being on top of each other. There was one unique element that I haven't seen elsewhere before!”
DrPefesspein
46 escape rooms
BrainXcape Escape Room NYC
Very Positive
160 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Absolutely my favorite set design in NYC, despite the fact that I don’t like ‘scary stuff’. Super immersive and love the clue system! I don’t find the puzzles as ‘confusing’ as other comments, but what I wish I knew was that the timer starts exactly at your booked time whether you actually entered the room or not so..DON’T BE LATE!”
chewyaki
47 escape rooms
Exit Escape Room NYC
Very Positive
247 W 36th St Suite 101, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“A really fun room taking place in a very realistic subway train designed environment. My wife and I just needed one “facepalm” clue at the beginning of the game and otherwise were fine the rest of the way through for the most part. Not super difficult but the puzzles are still fun to solve and figure out. Mike our game master was awesome. Really recommend everyone to play this, a real NYC themed room.”
s2escape
100 escape rooms
PanIQ Escape Room
Very Positive
39 W 32nd St 4th floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This was a fun room. Clue Chase has just rebranded the day before as Paniq, so we were a little confused by Google maps. The room itself follow a speakeasy/prohibition theme. We felt like all the puzzles were fare and logical. One of the props that is meant to light up seemed to fail us, so we got a bit stuck on the finale. The host was great at selling the story. Recommended!”
d
drayner
75 escape rooms
PanIQ Escape Room
Very Positive
39 W 32nd St 4th floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“If you enjoy interactive escape rooms, Clue Chase will not disappoint! I will write a brief blurb about each room below, but overall Clue Chase has been one of my favorite franchises in NYC to date. I hope they open a new adventure soon! The one critique I have of the company in general is that their "theme" is based on finding an "artifact" from different time periods, but that does not really factor much into gameplay. However, there are so many positives about Clue Chase, the #1 being their staff! Everyone is animated and excited to be there, and it just makes the experience so much better! You also get a discount if you book your next adventure that day. The regular price is $35/person plus fees and taxes. Pirates of the Bermuda Triangle - Group of 4 If you just do one room at Clue Chase, I highly recommend Pirates! This was the first one I did at the franchise, and it was SO FUN! The tasks align well with the theme, and the puzzles involve you living your best pirate life. We found the puzzles manageable, and just needed two hints from Kiana when she saw we were going astray. 4 is a good number for the room due to one of the activities requiring multiple people and some puzzles are easier when working in a team of 2.”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
BrainXcape Escape Room NYC
Very Positive
160 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“I think you’ll see how cool this escape room is as soon as you get there! The sets were movie quality and just incredible all around. It's amazing we got out JUST in time! Staff was great and made us feel welcome! I look forward to seeing the other rooms here!”
EscapeRoomDocsMASAKO
157 escape rooms
Exit Escape Room NYC
Very Positive
247 W 36th St Suite 101, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is the second escape room I've done in NYC, but I have done about seven other escape rooms. I think 2-3 people is the perfect amount for the Sugar Rush room. My friends and I were able to split up and solve puzzles effectively and everyone was able to play an important role. We broke out with 25+ minutes to spare. The room was well-thought out and the clues made sense, so I would recommend it as a beginner escape room! The one thing I did not care for was the way the room was moderated. This was the first room I've done where you had to ask for clues through a walkie-talkie instead of just asking the room moderator out loud. It made me wonder if they could hear what we were saying. There was one point where we had the right clue but didn't know how to work the lock. I feel like we wasted a lot of time that could have been solved had the moderator written, "Hey, that's the right code but check how you're working the lock."”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
Mission Escape Games
Very Positive
265 W 37th St Suite 802A, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
Playground
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“As a teacher, this room had an additional level of connection. Of all the rooms, this one was the most fun. There was also a LOT of stuff to do. It is also the only room where I think you absolutely need to have 4 people minimum. I also like that you need to work as a team to solve some of the puzzles, which makes the escape room experience better.”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
Prison Break
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Fun time. It starts by breaking the group into two teams, so more fun with 4+ people. Good flow, good puzzles, stellar atmosphere as TEGs are known for. There is one area with crawling, but as long as a single member of the team can crawl, the rest of the team doesn't have to. Our game master gave us a few hints when we hadn't asked -- we suspect TEG wants everyone to escape -- but I think you could express your preferences re: hints at the beginning and they would be honored.”
DrPefesspein
46 escape rooms
Gold Rush
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room was totally amazing! I can see why we've been told it's a staple at many locations of this company!!! The theming was really well done, I appreciated the fact that it was a multi-level room where you go up and down. It really felt like we were moving from scenario to scenario as opposed to just going from one closet to another. I thought that there were a lot of really unique puzzles, some that require more interaction than you normally get in rooms corporate locations. This is a big plus for anybody who has played more than a couple of games anywhere and is looking for something slightly more challenging. I know that it's touted as a lower difficulty level, but I'd argue that it was more challenging than several of the other games we've played at The Escape Game. Or at least the puzzles were better, so it felt more difficult than games that reuse the same sort of puzzles over and over. 10/10 would recommend!!!”
B
Bubbas
45 escape rooms
The Depths
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Timeliner: Train Through Time
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Enjoyed the overall production quality of each room. Even if the puzzles weren’t too hard, I really enjoyed the look and feel of each room. Did feel technologically futuristic as it should be in a Time Machine!”
LexiconPenguino
108 escape rooms
Special Ops: Mysterious Market
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Great game. The Escape Game continues to show why they are the best *chain* escape room company there is. Game is an excellent mix of two themes, which you’d think is hard to do, but they did it. Pretty much all clues either high tech or use the environment around you which is a huge plus. Rooms were beautiful which was to be expected. I normally don’t recommend chain companies to enthusiasts but The Escape Game has consistently high quality rooms.”
t
travelingescapist69
49 escape rooms
Houdini's Workshop
PanIQ Escape Room
- Escape room
- IRL
“Love this escape room! Super themed as a magician space and some really neat magic tricks that are puzzles! Casey was super friendly and we loved chatting with him! Highly recommend and we will be back to finish the other rooms…”
jlpraino
206 escape rooms
Carbon: 3708
Mission Escape Games
- Escape room
- IRL
“Excellent gameplay. Surprisingly difficult room. All the tech worked perfectly and seamlessly. I was impressed by the amount of thought and effort put into this room. Highly recommended, and possibly the best escape room in NYC.”
m
mason30006
78 escape rooms
Only Murders in the Building
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Great game, and not available at other TEG locations. Great puzzles, great flow, and the stellar atmosphere that TEG is known for. There was enough to do in parallel that everyone could play without being on top of each other. There was one unique element that I haven't seen elsewhere before!”
DrPefesspein
46 escape rooms
The Haunted Hotel
BrainXcape Escape Room NYC
- Escape room
- IRL
“Absolutely my favorite set design in NYC, despite the fact that I don’t like ‘scary stuff’. Super immersive and love the clue system! I don’t find the puzzles as ‘confusing’ as other comments, but what I wish I knew was that the timer starts exactly at your booked time whether you actually entered the room or not so..DON’T BE LATE!”
chewyaki
47 escape rooms
High Speed NYC
Exit Escape Room NYC
- Escape room
- IRL
“A really fun room taking place in a very realistic subway train designed environment. My wife and I just needed one “facepalm” clue at the beginning of the game and otherwise were fine the rest of the way through for the most part. Not super difficult but the puzzles are still fun to solve and figure out. Mike our game master was awesome. Really recommend everyone to play this, a real NYC themed room.”
s2escape
100 escape rooms
Moonshine Madness
PanIQ Escape Room
- Escape room
- IRL
“This was a fun room. Clue Chase has just rebranded the day before as Paniq, so we were a little confused by Google maps. The room itself follow a speakeasy/prohibition theme. We felt like all the puzzles were fare and logical. One of the props that is meant to light up seemed to fail us, so we got a bit stuck on the finale. The host was great at selling the story. Recommended!”
d
drayner
75 escape rooms
Pirates Of The Bermuda Triangle
PanIQ Escape Room
- Escape room
- IRL
“If you enjoy interactive escape rooms, Clue Chase will not disappoint! I will write a brief blurb about each room below, but overall Clue Chase has been one of my favorite franchises in NYC to date. I hope they open a new adventure soon! The one critique I have of the company in general is that their "theme" is based on finding an "artifact" from different time periods, but that does not really factor much into gameplay. However, there are so many positives about Clue Chase, the #1 being their staff! Everyone is animated and excited to be there, and it just makes the experience so much better! You also get a discount if you book your next adventure that day. The regular price is $35/person plus fees and taxes. Pirates of the Bermuda Triangle - Group of 4 If you just do one room at Clue Chase, I highly recommend Pirates! This was the first one I did at the franchise, and it was SO FUN! The tasks align well with the theme, and the puzzles involve you living your best pirate life. We found the puzzles manageable, and just needed two hints from Kiana when she saw we were going astray. 4 is a good number for the room due to one of the activities requiring multiple people and some puzzles are easier when working in a team of 2.”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
Rikers, 1932
BrainXcape Escape Room NYC
- Escape room
- IRL
“I think you’ll see how cool this escape room is as soon as you get there! The sets were movie quality and just incredible all around. It's amazing we got out JUST in time! Staff was great and made us feel welcome! I look forward to seeing the other rooms here!”
EscapeRoomDocsMASAKO
157 escape rooms
Sugar Rush
Exit Escape Room NYC
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is the second escape room I've done in NYC, but I have done about seven other escape rooms. I think 2-3 people is the perfect amount for the Sugar Rush room. My friends and I were able to split up and solve puzzles effectively and everyone was able to play an important role. We broke out with 25+ minutes to spare. The room was well-thought out and the clues made sense, so I would recommend it as a beginner escape room! The one thing I did not care for was the way the room was moderated. This was the first room I've done where you had to ask for clues through a walkie-talkie instead of just asking the room moderator out loud. It made me wonder if they could hear what we were saying. There was one point where we had the right clue but didn't know how to work the lock. I feel like we wasted a lot of time that could have been solved had the moderator written, "Hey, that's the right code but check how you're working the lock."”
jaelyn7
60 escape rooms
Ultimate Bank Heist
Mission Escape Games
- Escape room
- IRL
More Escape Rooms
About Manhattan
This is it, Manhattan, the center of the universe as far as some people are concerned. A new experience to discover around every corner, and it just keeps getting bigger and better. Manhattan is as complex as the people who call it home, and it certainly offers something for every taste. If classic tourist spots get you going, then look no further than The Empire State Building or The Statue of Liberty. Or if less traveled roads are more your style, then perhaps a ride on the Roosevelt Island Tram is for you. Oh and in case you haven’t heard, the food here is phenomenal. From Michelin-starred renowned restaurants like Eleven Madison Park to one of the best slices of pizza anywhere at John’s of Bleecker Street, it would take 10 lifetimes to experience everything Manhattan has to offer. Oh and by the way, Manhattan also happens to have some of the very best escape rooms in the world.
Learn More About Manhattan Escape Rooms
Since the first escape rooms arrived in New York City in 2016, the culture capital of the World hasn’t stopped crafting these immersive puzzle experiences. In fact, New York City is home to nearly 50 different escape room venues and Manhattan offers a particularly exciting array of escape room experiences that are suitable for all tastes. 60 Out’s Gold Rush has been a fan favorite for years, and was voted the 4th best escape room in Manhattan. Clue Chases’s Houdini’s Workshop is another hit that is known for its beautiful set and immersive story. With over 100 escape games in the entire area, the possibilities are nearly endless — you’ll find games with themes of horror, adventure, crime, espionage, and plenty you may not expect.
How Do Escape Rooms Work?
Remember those point-and-click adventure games where you’re locked in a room and have to solve puzzles to find the key and escape? Those online games were the original inspiration for the live escape rooms you’ll find all across the world today. An escape room is an immersive experience where you (and your team of 2 or more people) are locked in a room with a series of puzzles for 60 minutes. To escape and win the game, you have to look for clues, solve the puzzles, and find the key. While most escape rooms only give you 60 minutes to complete the challenge, others may have shorter or longer time limits. Many venues are private rooms where you and your team are the only players. However, some places may pair you with other groups who booked a slot at the same time. And don’t worry about getting stuck, asking for hints on a difficult puzzle is totally normal. While the original escape room (created by SCRAP in 2007) had a fairly simple aesthetic, today’s escape games often take you into a different world. Artistic set designs, secret doors, and unique interactive elements are all part of the fun. It’s like an adventure game that you can interact with in real life. But if you’re hoping to preview any rooms before you book a game somewhere, detailed images and videos can be hard to find. To keep the puzzles a secret and preserve the experience of seeing the room for the first time, most venues only offer a few photos or a short trailer about the room’s theme or narrative. The only way to know what it’s like is to go and try it for yourself!
Find the Best Manhattan Escape Rooms with Morty
There are plenty of awesome escape rooms to choose from in Manhattan. The goal of Morty is to make escape rooms more accessible for everyone to find and play. With Morty, you can: - Browse escape rooms anywhere in the country - Read reviews and ratings from other community members - Book a room together with your friends Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned escape room enthusiast, our aim is to help you play more escape rooms and visit more immersive attractions.
Frequently asked questions
How Do I Book an Escape Room in Manhattan?
Most escape room venues don’t accept walk-ins, and time slots for popular games may fill up fast. Besides that, not every escape room is the same — some have varying difficulties, and you don’t want to get stuck playing a room that’s beyond your experience level. That’s why the best way to book an escape room in Manhattan is through the Morty app. You can get updates on new games, read reviews, compare details (including difficulty, theme, runtime) and plan an outing with friends, all on the same platform. You can even coordinate games with your friends collaboratively. Download the Morty app and book your adventure today!