Escape rooms have been soaring in popularity over the last few years. People really enjoy being shut in a room and having only 60 minutes to figure out clues to escape.
It’s like role-playing in one of your favorite mystery crime shows. If you’re interested in visiting one with your friends, here are some of Charlotte’s best escape rooms:
Timed Out Escape has interesting themed rooms such as Illusion, where you’re in the office of a renowned magician; West, where you’re trying to get your fortune of gold in the wild west; and Depth, where you’re in a genetic research station on the floor of the Indian Ocean.
Each of their rooms are designed to be challenging and fun, not scary. They have exciting story lines and plots to keep you entertained as you work through the puzzles.
Why we like it:
Timed Out Escape is ranked #1 on TripAdvisor’s list of fun things to do in Charlotte! It’s owned by a husband and wife who love puzzles and escape rooms, so they put a lot of thought and effort into their business.
Escape Tactic offers 7 massive escape rooms that can hold up to 10 players each. Most other escape rooms are only for small groups of 4-5 people. They have exciting themes like Seal Team, King Tut’s Curse, Big Bang, and Devils vs Heels.
They are one of the largest escape rooms in Charlotte with over 8000 square feet of space. They avoid any scary themes and instead like to throw complicated challenges your way in the form of puzzles and codes.
Why we like it:
They worked with professional game designers and architects to create stunning and immersive escape rooms so that you have the best multi-dimensional experience.
The Box Escape Room prides itself on its mysterious themes and in-character cast. They have three escape rooms: Predestined, The Ventriloquist, and Cold Case Killer.
While they aren’t meant to be frightening, these mysterious can be unsettling if you scare easily.
Why we like it:
They collect and present the data of their escape room participants, so you know just how difficult their rooms are. Their hardest room has an average escape rate of 25% and a difficulty level of 4.3/5.
Exit Strategy offer 12 different escape rooms, each with their own unique theme. They have had almost a quarter million visitors since they first opened in 2014.
You can attend in a group of 6-10 people for any given room. Exit Strategy has two locations in Charlotte: North and South. Each location has its own different themes, so you have even more options to choose from.
Why we like it:
They have the most amount of rooms and themes, so you can keep coming back and have a different one each time. Whether you like fantasy quests, murder mystery, or jewelry heists, you’ll be able to try them all.
5. Escape Kings
Escape Kings has a lot of entertaining themes to choose from that are perfect for your friend’s party, family gatherings, or even business team-building events. They also have a customized gaming experience with their eSports video gaming arena.
You can use the online feature to enhance your game and play on a multi-dimensional experience. Their Outbreak and Aztec Ruins rooms are their most popular, so try them for some extra entertainment.
Why we like it:
You can play online multiplayer games there to elevate your gaming experience during the escape.
No-Da’s mission is to provoke your emotions through entertainment. They want to frustrate, tease, and even scare you while you’re trying to escape.
They have a Ghost Hunters room that is intended to be scary. Not a lot of other escape rooms focus on frightening you with jump scares or theatrics, so if you’re interested in that you should definitely give them a try.
Their rooms are a little smaller, averaging about 3-8 people per room. Their escape rooms range in difficulties from medium to hard.
Why we like it:
They have a sister company in the same building where you can compete on a live game show.
You’ll get to play trivia and test your skills in challenges. There’s even a host for them! They took the most popular game shows and blended them together to create Outplayed “The Game Show”.
Breakout Games is a leader in the industry and considered one of the best escape rooms in Charlotte. They operate six different escape rooms, all at various difficulties and prices.
Become a spy in a casino, free passengers from a runaway train, or become an undercover detective. Their first escape room was a kidnapping, where you and your friends are actually handcuffed to a chair.
If you’re not too afraid, try that room and see if you can free yourself in 60 minutes before the kidnapper comes back.
Why we like it:
They are the only escape room in Charlotte to offer an online experience. You can join a virtual escape, where you are on a live Breakout Video call and direct your Gamemaster around the room. The fun part is you’re actually directing a real employee through the room!
Murders, kidnappings, exploding trains, undercover assignments—the list just goes on. These escape rooms have amazing themes that the companies spent so much time working on. You can really see the effort and craftsmanship that goes into ensuring each of these rooms are high-quality.
If you’re looking for a fun night out with friends or want your employees to participate in team-building exercises, go visit an escape room! You’ll have an amazing and exciting 60 minutes that will either end in frustration or vindication.
These are the best escape rooms in Charlotte, NC, so you’ll always have a great time no matter which one you choose to go to!
