Top 3 Mobile Escape Games

Escape games are sort of weird when you think about them, aren’t they? If you haven’t heard, it’s a genre of game, usually played in your browser, where the entire concept is that you’re trapped somewhere, typically locked in a room, and you need to solve obscure puzzles and cobble together items for solutions. It may sound a bit strange, but these games are massively popular, and thanks to smartphones, they’re coming onto the mobile market in a big way.

The Room

(iOS and Android)

Perhaps the most well-known is The Room, available for iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire, and blending a classic Myst -like sense of mystery and magic with some exceptionally clever puzzles and exploration. In the game, you have received a mysterious level that compels you to come to a place that seems to hold nothing more than a safe. Inside that safe is one very special box, one you’re told to keep safe. But as you begin to experiment with it, you soon find yourself drawn onwards by curiosity. The game is broken up into four chapters, and places a heavy emphasis on exploring every single inch of your environment to find hidden compartments, switches, and messages, all of which makes the game feel natural and organic… you know, exactly as it would if you found a magical device in real life, I guess? One taste and you’ll be hooked…so lucky for you the sequel is already out!

Hellraid: The Escape

(iOS and Android)

On the freakier side of things is Hellraid: The Escape, a game built around the idea that you’re trapped in the underworld. If you want to escape, you’ll have to sneak past deadly traps and even deadlier monsters to get the help of a mysterious benefactor who totally promises not to be evil, you guys, for real. You can die in Hellraid: The Escape, and you’re likely going to often, but that’s okay, since doing so just warps your soul right back to your coffin so you can try again. You’ll find your former corpses strewn about where they died in a way that can be morbidly hilarious. While you’ll have to solve puzzles, a lot of your time is spent figuring out how to deal with the huge monsters who want nothing more than to smash you into a fine red paste. It’s a little too over the top to be actually scary, but the stunning production values makes this one well worth the price of admission.

Matryoshka

(iOS and Android)

Finally, if you want a more classic example of the genre, then Matryoshka, a free game by well known escape game developer Kotorinosu, will show you just why the genre is so well-loved. You’re locked in a room and you need to get out. That’s it. No monsters or crazy gimmicks. But don’t let that fool you into thinking there’s nothing to this one. Matryoshka is all about clean design and exceptionally clever puzzles that will have you really using your brain as you explore and search in every nook and cranny. At the same time, it never becomes unfairly difficult and doesn’t on silly logic. If you want to cut your teeth on the escape game genre, Matryoshka will allow you to do so with style, and may make an addict of you yet.