10 Most Intriguing Escape Games For Mobile

Escape game is a very unique sub-genre of adventure games. Generally, the core objective for these games is simple yet undeniably mind-boggling. Unlike action adventures, these games do not usually come with an action-packed combat system or any hardcore gaming mechanics. Most escape games are highly associated with puzzles and mystery. As the title clearly suggests, the game often prompts the player to an eerie and enigmatic place where the character is mysteriously locked inside a room. Your mission is to find a way out and escape. To do so, the game usually involves a series of puzzles that you need to solve to unlock the door or to progress to the next scene.

The concept behind most of the escape games today mostly originated from classic text-based adventure games. The genre became more popular when the Myst series by Cyan Inc hit the market in the mid-90s. Point-and-click escape games started to emerge during the peak of the flash game era in the early 2000s. Today, there are still a great number of escape games that are wonderfully optimized for mobile devices. Most developers adopted the same concept but added their own approach to provide a unique escape game experience. Listed below are ten of the most intriguing free-to-play escape games for mobile that you should definitely try.

Adventure Escape Mysteries

Haiku Games offers a great collection of escape games that cover a wide range of mysteries from creepy asylum to intergalactic space adventures. If you want to experience them all, Adventure Escape Mysteries serve as a one-stop portal of all their amazing escape games. The app features all their classic and new titles that you can download directly to its in-game portal. As soon as the game starts, you will be asked to select your preferred mystery which will vary in terms of plot and level of difficulty. There’s Adventure Mystery that is ideal enough for beginners, Murder Mystery for intermediate level, and Horror mystery for advanced players. Regardless of what mystery you pick, you can always access the main portal and switch to a new mystery anytime.

The mechanics for these mystery games are generally simple. You will be prompted into a scene and all you need is to observe keenly and look for items that you can interact with. Collectible items will be sent directly to your inventory. In the entire course of the game, you will be asked to solve different puzzles and gather enough clues to escape and proceed to the next level. What makes Adventure Escape Mysteries even more engaging are the stories offered by each mystery. You will be prompted to a different scenario and deal with different mysteries for every game. To top it all off, the game will save your progress and you can switch to another mystery, go back, and start from where exactly you left off.

Download Adventure Escape Mysteries: Android / iOS

Lost Lands Series

With impressive cutscenes, beautiful animations, and a compelling plot, Lost Lands by Five-BN Games will make you feel that you are playing a console-grade adventure game. The first Lost Lands game was published by BigFish in 2014 for Windows and this was followed by six more sequels. The series follows the story of Susan and her journey to solve different mysteries that mostly involve dark fantasy and ancient stories. The entire Lost Lands franchise has been ported to different platforms including Android and iOS devices. In the first Lost Lands game, Susan will embark on a journey to save her son who was abducted by the dark overlord.

Similar to a typical escape game, the player will be asked to collect items, gather clues, and solve numerous puzzles to progress. Simply tap an area of the given scene to examine and interact. If things are getting quite complicated and if it feels that you are stuck on a certain scene, you can take advantage of the Hints to reveal some clues and help you solve puzzles. Each hint will cost a gold coin which you can collect from the game or by purchasing them from the in-game shop. Appearance-wise, Lost Lands will definitely impress you with visually stunning 3D animations that matched well with the game’s wonderfully crafted stories.

Download Lost Lands 1: Android / iOS

Faraway 4: Ancient Escape

Faraway is another popular escape game that eventually expanded into a successful game series. It was developed by Pine Studio and is published by Snapbreak. Generally, Faraway is merely inspired by the classic Myst game but with a simplified yet modern interpretation to it. The game follows the story of an adventurer who explores the ruins of ancient temples that are mostly filled with challenges and mysterious riddles. It is a very challenging and mind-twisting escape game that requires players to analyze the situation carefully, observe every corner and look for every single detail, otherwise, you might miss an important clue and be stuck in the same scene.

Currently, there are four Faraway escape games in the series. Each of them takes you to an entirely different atmosphere. The first Faraway game took place in an eerie desert, the second one takes you to a mysterious jungle while Faraway 3 takes you on an Arctic adventure. Faraway 4 is the last one being added to the collection which takes you to an abandoned ancient temple. The visuals for Faraway are notably simple and minimalistic yet it is accompanied by an enigmatic piece of music that provides a satisfying eerie experience.

Download Faraway 4: Ancient Escape: Android / iOS

Escape Machine City

Developed by Big Loop Studios, the same team behind the Doors series, Escape Machine City takes you on an intense steampunk-inspired adventure. As the title of the game connotes, your main objective is to escape the Machine City. Apparently, a meteor will be hitting the city which will result in a major catastrophe. Your goal is to find your way out of the city before it’s too late. Escaping, however, will not be an easy task as the city itself is filled with mind-boggling puzzles that you need to solve.

Generally, Escape Machine City follows the same formula. It takes you to a series of beautifully-presented scenarios and you must interact and examine every corner. You can collect certain items and place them into your inventory. These items can either be used individually or you might need to combine two or more objects together to make a new item. You also have to observe carefully and look for every possible clue to solve a puzzle, operate a machine, or unlock a new area. What really makes this game more engaging are the visually stunning 3D graphics that are accompanied by well-fitting music that sets the eerie and enigmatic tone of the game. It is important to note that the free version of the game gives you access to the first 9 levels and the rest can be purchased from the in-game shop.

Download Escape Machine City: Android / iOS

Cube Escape Collection

Cube Escape by Rustic Lake is a nostalgic surrealistic escape game that quickly reminds us of the critically-acclaimed Submachine series by Mateusz Skutnik that was first launched as a browser game in 2005. The first Cube Escape game was released in 2015 which quickly expanded into a series that is composed of nine sequels. Generally, the series follows the story of Detective Dale Vandermeer and his investigation into the mysterious death of Laura Vanderboom. As he investigates, he will encounter a series of unexplained paranormal-like activities that will either help or harm him in the process.

Cube Escape Collection, as the title suggests, contains the entire Cube Escape series. It includes the nine Cube Escape titles including the Lake, Seasons, Arles, Harvey’s Box, The Mill, Birthday, Theatre, The Cave, and Case 23. You can explore all titles in any order you want. If you are looking for a mind-boggling escape game that will surely put your skills and knowledge to a test, Cube Escape is definitely a perfect fit. Players can also take advantage of the Hints to help them solve the puzzle. Hints, however, can be obtained by watching a reward video. Appearance-wise, Cube Escape takes you to a very surreal atmosphere that makes this game creepy and fun to explore.

Download Cube Escape Collection: Android / iOS

The Birdcage

From the same creators of the Faraway series comes a very unique puzzle game. The Birdcage is definitely not your typical escape game. It doesn’t offer any heavy mystery plot to follow and it doesn’t come with any eerie or enigmatic atmosphere to creep you out. As the title clearly suggests, the game literally features a birdcage. Your main objective is to free the bird out of its cage. While it sounds like a simple task, this mission has never been easy. To do so, you must solve all the puzzles by figuring out how all the mechanisms on the bird cage work. This is the only way to reveal the hidden key that unlocks the cage.

What really makes this game more special is the unique touch control system that allows you to experience the feel of the surface to sense the authentic atmosphere. The interaction with the puzzles is more than just the typical point-and-click. If you get stuck on a level and if it feels like nothing is working out despite all the effort you made to solve the puzzle, you can always use the Hint feature in exchange for watching a reward video. Unfortunately, the free version of Birdcage will only give you access to the first 10 levels and 2 bird species. You can unlock all the other packs via the in-game shop for a full and ad-free experience.

Download The Birdcage: Android / iOS

All That Remains

What will you do if you woke up and find yourself locked in a bunker? To make it much worse, you found out that there is a major catastrophic event that occurred while you are sleeping and your sister is in great danger. The only communication you have is through a transceiver. All That Remains is an escape game developed and published by Glitch Games. Here, you play the role of Campbell Price, a man who is locked up by his father in a bunker in order to save him from an outbreak. Your sister Clara, however, was locked up in a different location and the infected are already breaking through her room. Now, your objective is to escape the bunker and save your sister before it’s too late.

The mechanics for All That Remains are generally simple and somehow, formulaic. Much like the typical escape game, your task is to interact with your surroundings, collect any valuable items, and gather enough clues that you can use to solve all the mind-boggling puzzles. As you progress, you will eventually unlock the mysteries behind your father’s disappearance and the reason behind the catastrophe. Appearance-wise, All That Remains is an absolute visual delight that treats you with visually stunning 3D graphics that is accompanied by a well-fitting piece of music and audio effects that set the game’s enigmatic and eerie atmosphere. One thing that is unique about the game is the camera system. Here, you can take snapshots of almost anything and use the photos you took as references. You can even draw or highlight the photos to emphasize clues.

Download All That Remains: Android / iOS

Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst Unlocked

Prior to that illegal gambling fiasco and before the popularity of flash games started to decline, Big Fish was, in fact, a successful gaming company that managed to produce popular titles like Hidden Expedition, Drawn series, and of course, the classic Mystery Case Files, the game that introduced and popularized the hidden object puzzles. Ever since the first MCF game was launched in 2005, it expanded and became a successful franchise with 24 installments, multiple spin-offs, and even a novel series. While most of the MCF games fall under the hidden object puzzle category, Ravenhearst Unlocked is considered an escape game.

Ravenhearst Unlocked served as the final chapter of the Ravenhearst storyline. It follows the story of a detective and his journey of unveiling the dark mystery behind the Dalimar twins. In this game, you are prompted back to the Manchester Asylum and you will find yourself trapped in the very cell that the Dalimars once occupied. Your goal is to escape the asylum and finally solve the mystery behind the Ravenhearst’s past. The mechanics for this game are generally simple yet frustratingly challenging. It requires you to analyze every situation carefully and make sure not to overlook any details, otherwise, you might find yourself stuck in the same room. Whether you are playing MCF for the first time or you are an avid fan, Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst Unlocked is absolutely worth exploring.

Download Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst Unlocked: Android / iOS

Hospital Escape

Hospital Escape by Jusha is another unique and intriguing escape game. The game is not just all about solving puzzles but also making the right choices. Generally, it is a mixture between an escape game and a visual novel. The game features anime-style graphics that we typically see in most otome and JRPGs today. In this game, you play the role of a psychologist who decided to seek the truth behind his parent’s mysterious death. When he was a kid, he developed an ability to enter someone’s subconscious mind. He uses this ability to experiment with patients and discover the reason behind their suicidal thoughts. Be mindful that this game will cover sensitive topics related to mental health including depression, suicide, death, and more.

As soon as the game begins, it will prompt you to an ancient hospital. Here, you will not just solve puzzles but you will also be asked to interrogate and experiment with various patients. The clues and items that you collect from the game will affect the interrogation and will help you achieve successful results. To top it all off, the game also highlights challenging and mind-boggling puzzles that you need to solve in order to progress. Hospital Escape managed to merge its beautiful yet eerie graphics with its intense decision-making gameplay and wonderfully crafted plot altogether which makes it a decent escape game that everyone should explore.

Download Hospital Escape: Android / iOS

Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure

Prison is definitely the perfect environment to apply the concept of escape games. Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure is a collection of escape games that are published by Big Giant Games. Unlike the other games mentioned in this list, Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure takes you to different locations. As soon as you launch the app, it prompts you to a dashboard showcasing all the available escape game puzzles. The puzzles are sorted into different categories with multiple chapters to explore. These include the main Prison Escape games, New Dawn, Adventure, Thriller, Lockdown, No Way Home, and Alcatraz. Since the game doesn’t follow a certain plot, you are free to explore any games in whatever order you like.

The mechanics are generally simple and easily manageable. In the entire course of the game, you will be asked to interact with the environment, collect valuable items, and search for relevant clues that you will use to solve puzzles. You are strongly encouraged to observe very keenly and make sure not to miss any small details, otherwise, you might find yourself exploring the same rooms over and over again. You can also take advantage of the hints to help you solve difficult puzzles. However, you need gold coins to use this feature which you can obtain only via the in-game shop. Premium coins are also used to unlock premium levels.

Download Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure: Android / iOS

If you think you have the right skills to solve all the mind-boggling puzzles and mysteries and if you have enough courage to survive the eerie and enigmatic atmosphere, feel free to explore these Top 10 most intriguing escape games for mobile and see how far you can go! Good luck and have fun!