The 22 best escape rooms in New York City
The vibrant tapestry of New York offers some of the very best escape rooms anywhere in the US. Here are the best in the city.
The Escape Game
Very Positive
1 American Dream Wy, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Ohhh how we loved this room!! We were so lucky to be partnered with fellow Escape Room enthusiasts visiting for the Eras Tour! We were a fantastic team, and speedily charged through this room. This room was fabulous, as most Escape Game rooms are. Great theming, puzzles, and overall experience!”
stephie
51 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
1 American Dream Wy, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Impeccably designed room! Clearly very well thought through and very fun overall. Would be great for a mid-sized group. I'm a sucker for atmosphere and this room delivers well on that. Puzzles were certainly manageable and good for a group of varying experience levels.”
stephie
51 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
1 American Dream Wy, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room is crazy good for a chain escape room place. I was hesitant, especially because we had to do the room with strangers, HOWEVER it was so so fun and so worth the experience. The puzzles are good and the set is so fun, really brought me back to the childhood. Highly recommend if you’re in the area.”
nawiescape
80 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“I loved the atmosphere, loved the puzzles, and there were some great surprises too. I’m curious to see how much more I would’ve liked this at a different branch, because the NYC Escape Game is very compact, but even still it was so fun!!”
tomboytunes
30 games played
The Escape Game
Overwhelmingly Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This was really fun. A nice big colourful set with loads to do, a nice mix of puzzles and physical elements. We were a team of 2 in a game listed as 4-12 players so we were up against it but our host Matt absolutely nailed it with giving us just enough help to give us a fighting chance of getting through, and we made it out after a hectic finish with less than a minute to spare”
ratbag
112 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, 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.”
travelingescapist69
49 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is the best implementation of a Prison Break style room I’ve seen. Like every The Escape Game room, the theming, narrative and puzzle design is absolutely top notch. It can reasonably be beaten by two people as long as you are comfortable yelling to communicate.”
drayner
68 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
The Escape Game
Very Positive
Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Ave, 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
28 games played
Beat the Bomb
Very Positive
255 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
- Other
“I’ve played Beat the Bomb twice, and ended up covered in paint twice. It’s more frantic than a regular escape room, and I definitely recommend stretching beforehand, particularly if you are like me and your limbo game is weak.”
drayner
68 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
445 Gold St c 014b, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Loved this room!! Just as good as all other escape game rooms. However there is one particular puzzle in this room that technically can be done with 2 ppl but it’s MUCH harder and will take a lot longer than if playing with 3-4 ppl - I would recommend playing this room with at least 3 ppl because of this.”
nina713
231 games played
MyssTic Rooms
Overwhelmingly Positive
794 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“If you’re a Stranger Things fan, you will definitely enjoy this escape room. The whole set had so many Easter egg moments! There were some props and puzzles that we have never encountered anywhere else and also played a part in the immersive experience. My partner has never watched Stranger Things before, but still enjoyed the storyline of this room. A lot of the puzzle sequences blew our sci-fi nerd brains. I would highly recommend watching at least Season 1 of Stranger Things first to truly appreciate all the little details in Montauk Project. 10/10!”
siapnomf
27 games played
“This room was so good. It has been on our list to try for awhile and I am so happy we got to do the room. The concept of the room is fun and after doing many escape rooms, it is always exciting to see something new in a room! I see why this room is nominated year after year. Such fun game play and the immersion is spot on. If you are looking for a fun room, make sure to give this room a try!”
twonders91
67 games played
Unreal Escapes
Very Positive
2571 Arthur Kill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room is AMAZING. the story, special effects, production value, set design, prop design, puzzle creativity, story, and pretty much everything is seriously top notch. This room is definitely my 2nd fav room I've ever done. Also, the staff are amazing. I got engaged here and the owners were absolute amazing humans with helping me make it a super special moment . Do this room, you won't regret it.”
Danielfiorica
37 games played
Unreal Escapes
Very Positive
2571 Arthur Kill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Disco 54 is straight up fun! It’s basically a club and escape room all in one! So if there’s anyone in the group who doesn’t want to solve puzzles for some reason, they can just dance the night away to music on the full disco ball lit dance floor! The escape room itself is filled with what I consider logical puzzles, or tasks that feel natural to accomplish if you were the DJ or bartender at the club. The last part is not as impressive as the full club floor, but that 1st room is so phenomenal that I didn’t mind too much. The real life story that this club is based on was interesting too, and the real photos hanging on the wall give this room history and personality! Highly recommended so get down and hit the dance floor!”
Panda
380 games played
The Depths
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Ohhh how we loved this room!! We were so lucky to be partnered with fellow Escape Room enthusiasts visiting for the Eras Tour! We were a fantastic team, and speedily charged through this room. This room was fabulous, as most Escape Game rooms are. Great theming, puzzles, and overall experience!”
stephie
51 games played
Gold Rush
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Impeccably designed room! Clearly very well thought through and very fun overall. Would be great for a mid-sized group. I'm a sucker for atmosphere and this room delivers well on that. Puzzles were certainly manageable and good for a group of varying experience levels.”
stephie
51 games played
Playground
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room is crazy good for a chain escape room place. I was hesitant, especially because we had to do the room with strangers, HOWEVER it was so so fun and so worth the experience. The puzzles are good and the set is so fun, really brought me back to the childhood. Highly recommend if you’re in the area.”
nawiescape
80 games played
Gold Rush
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“I loved the atmosphere, loved the puzzles, and there were some great surprises too. I’m curious to see how much more I would’ve liked this at a different branch, because the NYC Escape Game is very compact, but even still it was so fun!!”
tomboytunes
30 games played
Playground
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“This was really fun. A nice big colourful set with loads to do, a nice mix of puzzles and physical elements. We were a team of 2 in a game listed as 4-12 players so we were up against it but our host Matt absolutely nailed it with giving us just enough help to give us a fighting chance of getting through, and we made it out after a hectic finish with less than a minute to spare”
ratbag
112 games played
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.”
travelingescapist69
49 games played
Prison Break
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is the best implementation of a Prison Break style room I’ve seen. Like every The Escape Game room, the theming, narrative and puzzle design is absolutely top notch. It can reasonably be beaten by two people as long as you are comfortable yelling to communicate.”
drayner
68 games played
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
28 games played
Paint Bomb Mission
Beat the Bomb
- Escape room
- IRL
- Other
“I’ve played Beat the Bomb twice, and ended up covered in paint twice. It’s more frantic than a regular escape room, and I definitely recommend stretching beforehand, particularly if you are like me and your limbo game is weak.”
drayner
68 games played
Gold Rush
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Timeliner: Train Through Time
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Playground
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Cosmic Crisis
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Loved this room!! Just as good as all other escape game rooms. However there is one particular puzzle in this room that technically can be done with 2 ppl but it’s MUCH harder and will take a lot longer than if playing with 3-4 ppl - I would recommend playing this room with at least 3 ppl because of this.”
nina713
231 games played
Montauk Project
MyssTic Rooms
- Escape room
- IRL
“If you’re a Stranger Things fan, you will definitely enjoy this escape room. The whole set had so many Easter egg moments! There were some props and puzzles that we have never encountered anywhere else and also played a part in the immersive experience. My partner has never watched Stranger Things before, but still enjoyed the storyline of this room. A lot of the puzzle sequences blew our sci-fi nerd brains. I would highly recommend watching at least Season 1 of Stranger Things first to truly appreciate all the little details in Montauk Project. 10/10!”
siapnomf
27 games played
Ghost Light
MyssTic Rooms
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room was so good. It has been on our list to try for awhile and I am so happy we got to do the room. The concept of the room is fun and after doing many escape rooms, it is always exciting to see something new in a room! I see why this room is nominated year after year. Such fun game play and the immersion is spot on. If you are looking for a fun room, make sure to give this room a try!”
twonders91
67 games played
Battleship
Unreal Escapes
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room is AMAZING. the story, special effects, production value, set design, prop design, puzzle creativity, story, and pretty much everything is seriously top notch. This room is definitely my 2nd fav room I've ever done. Also, the staff are amazing. I got engaged here and the owners were absolute amazing humans with helping me make it a super special moment . Do this room, you won't regret it.”
Danielfiorica
37 games played
Disco 54 NYC
Unreal Escapes
- Escape room
- IRL
“Disco 54 is straight up fun! It’s basically a club and escape room all in one! So if there’s anyone in the group who doesn’t want to solve puzzles for some reason, they can just dance the night away to music on the full disco ball lit dance floor! The escape room itself is filled with what I consider logical puzzles, or tasks that feel natural to accomplish if you were the DJ or bartender at the club. The last part is not as impressive as the full club floor, but that 1st room is so phenomenal that I didn’t mind too much. The real life story that this club is based on was interesting too, and the real photos hanging on the wall give this room history and personality! Highly recommended so get down and hit the dance floor!”
Panda
380 games played
More Escape Rooms
Learn More About New York City Escape Rooms
Just like with almost everything, the capital of escape rooms is probably New York City. Since the first escape rooms arrived in here 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 New York City Escape Rooms with Morty
There are plenty of awesome escape rooms to choose from in New York City. 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 New York City?
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 New York City 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!