A while back, we shared our list of Seven Movies We’d Like To See Made Into Escape Rooms. It was so popular, we decided to visit it, this time with seven MORE films you may not have expected.
Escape room inspiration can come from anywhere, but some of our favorites have included nods to pop culture, mixing the familiar and the unknown. There’s no shortage of great stories or classic films worthy of the escape game treatment. Read on for seven MORE movies we’d like to see made into escape rooms.
Did we leave out a movie you’d like to see made into an escape room? Let us know in the comments!
1. The Dark Crystal
The film’s fantastical settings – the Skesis castle, scientist’s laboratory, Podling village, Aughra’s hut, and the crystal chamber – leave plenty of options to get creative with the particular setup and story of your room(s). Alien languages and ancient writings provide plenty of opportunities for puzzles and hidden messages. You could even incorporate the Netflix prequel, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Put your guests in the position of gelflings, on a quest to restore order to the universe by repairing the cracked crystal. But first, they have to find it.
Discover where the powerful gem has been hidden and restore its power…before the evil Skesis take control forever.
2. Murder on the Orient Express
This movie might have fizzled at the box office, but its storyline is chock full of potential for an escape room. We love any escape game that doesn’t place us in a typical ‘building’. A lavish train car, derailed by an avalanche, is the kind of visually indulgent that really lets you get creative with not only the decor but where and how clues are hidden.
Detective Poirot is nowhere to be found, so YOU the passengers must identify the murderer before they strike again. Follow the clues left by the victims as you move through secret compartments, rifle through strangers’ luggage for evidence, inspect the contents of the dining car, and solve the mystery.
3. Snakes on a Plane
Yeah, this movie was ridiculous. But escape rooms are more fun when they don’t take themselves too seriously.
A trip to paradise turns deadly when your crew discovers that your airplane’s cargo is filled with deadly snakes. Your mission is to make your way from the main cabin into the cockpit and use the flight simulator to safely land the aircraft before a pheromone spray is released into the cabin and hundreds of deadly snakes attack.
Use the plane’s PA system or radio with ground control to deliver hints. Hide rubber snakes in hidden compartments, so guests will never know what will slither out along with their next clue.
4. Frozen
You might be wondering how on earth you’d turn this children’s animated musical into an escape game (or why you’d want to), but the original story “The Snow Queen” is full of mystery and adventure.
Set your story in the ice queen’s palace, where you must find your lost friend and escape before the queen returns and you’re all frozen into ice sculptures indefinitely. Use the clues left by trolls, woodland creatures, and other mythical characters to solve the puzzles and unlock the castle gates.
This would be a great way to get kids hooked on puzzles and escape games. The theme is family-friendly and appealing to younger visitors.
5. Rocky Horror Picture Show
Don’t mistake this for a Halloween escape room: a visit to Dr. Frank-N-Futer’s castle would be hilariously fun any time of the year. There are so many room possibilities: the secret laboratory, the drawing-room where the Transylvanian convention takes place, the dining room, even the bridal suite. You could really get creative with both the setting and the storyline because nothing is too over-the-top for this flick.
Lost in time and space…and meaning….you find yourselves trapped in the strange and mysterious castle. The telephone is dead, but clues have been left for you by Magenta, Riff Raff, and Columbia. Solve the puzzles and unlock the doors and escape, before the whole place is beamed back to the alien planet from whence it came.
6. Aladdin
Exotic palaces. Sparkling jewels. Magic carpets. The city of Agrabah is full of opportunities for an escape game; there’s room for all kinds of hidden details and unique puzzles for guests of all ages (we think even adults would get a kick out of this theme).
Maybe you’re trapped in the Cave of Wonders, surrounded by booby-trapped riches, all of which could lead to instant death if you touch the wrong one. In order to escape, you must follow the clues to uncover the magic lamp and unleash the genie.
Seek thee out the diamond in the rough.
7. The Matrix
This dystopian science fiction flick is filled with twists, turns, and alternate realities that would be perfect for an escape game. You could even draw inspiration from the sequels to add more layers to your story.
Start out inside the abandoned hotel, where you must decide between a blue pill or a red pill to determine your fate. Or maybe you find yourselves aboard the hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar, solving puzzles to access the mainframe before a team of Sentinel agents breach the doors. The fate of the human race rests in your hands.
What do you guys think about these? We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas on social media or in the comments below.
