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EXIT: The Game vs Unlock! (2026): these are the two biggest names in tabletop escape rooms. EXIT boxes from Kosmos use a decoder wheel, riddle cards and materials you fold, cut and write on, so each box plays once. Unlock! from Space Cowboys uses a deck of numbered cards and a free companion app for the timer, hints and code checks, and the cards stay intact. Both are excellent. The best choice depends on how you feel about phones at the table and about destroying a game.
Our pick for first-timers: Unlock! Escape Adventures
Three full scenarios in one box, intact cards you can pass to friends, and an app that keeps the clock and hints on track. It is the easier way into the hobby.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $30) · Check today’s price on Amazon
EXIT vs Unlock! at a glance
Two escape room game series compared.
- Best value per box: Unlock! Escape Adventures — three scenarios (about $30)
- Best low-cost single night: EXIT: The Enchanted Forest — one family-friendly puzzle (about $11)
EXIT vs Unlock! side by side
| EXIT: The Game | Unlock! | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Kosmos (Thames & Kosmos in the U.S.) | Space Cowboys |
| Scenarios per box | One | Usually three |
| Replay or pass on | No: components are used up | Yes: cards stay intact |
| Tech needed | None | Free companion app |
| Hints | Help cards | In the app |
| Typical price | about $11 per box | about $30 per box |
How EXIT works
Each EXIT box contains a booklet, riddle cards, answer cards, help cards, a decoder disk and a few strange objects. You solve a puzzle to find a three-symbol code, set it on the decoder, and check the matching answer card. Puzzles can ask you to fold paper, tear cards or draw on the box itself, which allows some wonderfully clever tricks. Boxes are rated by difficulty, so you can start easy and work up.
How Unlock! works
You flip numbered cards to discover rooms and objects. Combine two items by adding their numbers, which tells you which card to reveal next. Codes, machines and timed events go through the app, which also handles penalties for wrong answers and gives hints. Because nothing is damaged, you can reset the deck and gift it to another group.
Which is more challenging?
Both series range from beginner to expert. EXIT puzzles often feel more surprising because the designers can ask you to destroy components. Unlock! puzzles lean on observation and logic, with a few app-based twists such as hidden objects in a picture. Teams that like sneaky, think-outside-the-box tricks often prefer EXIT; teams that like a steady story often prefer Unlock!.
Value for money
An EXIT box at about $11 gives one evening. An Unlock! box at about $30 gives three, so the cost per scenario is similar. The difference is that you can pass Unlock! on, or sell it, while an EXIT box ends in the recycling bin. If you want even more Unlock!, Unlock! Epic Adventures (about $37) is another three-scenario box.
EXIT or Unlock!: matching the box to your group
- Pick Unlock! if you want several nights in one box, like to share games, and do not mind using a phone.
- Pick EXIT if you want a screen-free night, enjoy clever physical tricks and like trying a new box every few weeks.
- More escape picks: browse our cooperative games for team building and game night picks.
Tips for your first box
Read the short intro booklet together and lay out the starting cards where everyone can see them. Agree on when to use hints, such as after ten minutes stuck on one puzzle. Keep a notepad and pen handy for codes, and put snacks on a separate table so clue cards stay clean. Most importantly, talk out loud: escape games reward groups that share every odd detail they notice, even ones that seem useless at first.
If you are playing EXIT, have scissors ready and read each card carefully before you fold or cut anything. If you are playing Unlock!, download the free app and the scenario before game night so a slow connection does not stall the start.
Our escape game verdict
Start with Unlock! Escape Adventures if your group is new to escape games. Once you are hooked, add a few EXIT boxes for screen-free nights. Most escape room fans end up collecting both series.
EXIT and Unlock! questions
Can you replay EXIT games?
Not really. You alter components while solving, and you will remember the answers.
Do you need an app to play Unlock!?
Yes. The free companion app runs the timer, checks codes and gives hints. It works without an internet connection.
How many people can play EXIT or Unlock!?
Both series are usually best with two to four players, though Unlock! boxes are rated up to six.
