16 Festive & Fun Christmas Escape Room Ideas

You found our list of the best Christmas escape room ideas.

Christmas escape room ideas are holiday-themed games that require players to search and decipher a series of clues that lead them closer to escaping the locked room. Examples include Unlock Santa, Reindeer Escape, and Santa is Missing. Christmas escape rooms offer an unforgettable holiday delight for families and teams.

Xmas escape games are examples of holiday team building activities and virtual Christmas games.

This article includes:

• Christmas escape room ideas for adults
• Christmas escape room ideas for kids
• free Christmas escape room ideas

Here we go!

List of Christmas escape room ideas

Escape rooms have increased in popularity and come in many holiday themes in December. Your team will work together and come up with ideas in ways you never thought possible after playing these games.

1. Santa is Missing

Storyline: Santa Claus brings joy to the lives of millions of children throughout the globe every year. Unfortunately, there was a distinct lack of presents this year on Christmas morning. The whole world is concerned about what happened to this mystical custom.

The Elfs are panicking thousands of miles away at the North Pole because Santa has vanished. Your mission is to track Santa down to deliver the presents before Christmas ends.

If you want to extend the fun, then you may turn the game into a treasure hunt by hiding the game’s components across the play area.

Get Santa is Missing.

2. The Great Christmas Escape

Storyline: There is a fire in the fireplace, and the aroma of piping hot cocoa fills the air. Kids play around the Christmas tree while holiday music plays in the background. Candles shimmer as guests gather around the dinner table on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, a big package appears beneath the Christmas tree. Pictures, words, and riddles are inside, and they all seem to have some significance. It is up to you now to solve the puzzles and participate in The Great Christmas Escape.

Get The Great Christmas Escape.

3. Reindeer Escape

Storyline: You are the quickest of Santa’s reindeer. You take the sleigh out for a spin to warm it up before picking up Santa. While taking a break to munch on some snacks, the massive Abominable Snowman emerges from the mountain and locks you within his ice tunnels. Santa’s sleigh will leave in one hour. You must escape before Santa goes out to deliver the presents.

Families and children will love the challenge of being one of Santa’s nimblest reindeer and escaping the room by using just their wits and speed. Designed for players between the ages of five and nine, this mystery relies on hidden clues that unfold as the game progresses. The game takes approximately 60 minutes and comes with an accompanying answer key and pointers for younger players. The maximum number of participants is about five for optimal engagement. An accompanying craft and set of exercises add to the excitement of the game. You should consider Reindeer’s Escape if you prefer Christmas escape room ideas for kids.

Get Reindeer’s Escape.

4. Escape Alone

Storyline: This escape room revolves around the popular Christmas movie Home Alone. Your folks have taken off for Paris without you! Harv and Larry, two would-be thieves, want to rob your home when you and your family are abroad. The thieves are on the verge of entering! You have to outsmart Harv and Larry while searching for the key to the upper window and a mobile phone to contact the police. A shattered television and some rails are all you find. You must act quickly to protect your home.

Kids, families, and adults of all ages will enjoy this printable escape room challenge as they work together to outsmart the bandits, avoid capture, and hand over the crooks to the authorities. Example tasks include setting up toy cars as traps, dropping paint cans from a balcony, and creating a makeshift origami tree home to escape. The optimal number of players is eight, although bigger parties may print it twice and compete against each other. This fascinating escape room comes with 13 puzzles for a complete mental workout. In addition, the envelopes around the walls and floor contain answer clues.

Get Escape Alone.

5. Save Santa!

Storyline: You are now the leader elf of Santa’s Workshop! On Christmas Eve, Rudolph delivers the news that King Winterfrost imprisoned Santa in his ice cave and hid his list of good and bad children beneath the workshop. You get the reindeer’s note and see the door of Santa’s study open. One more hour, and it will not be possible to deliver any gifts! You can help Santa get away by finding the list before he has to cancel Christmas. It is up to you to help Santa escape imprisonment by solving puzzles.

The game has a PDF file with the Escape Room puzzle, setup guidelines, hints, detailed solutions, and Lockmaster solutions. Though intended for children, Save Santa also makes one of the more fun Christmas escape room ideas for adults.

Get Save Santa.

6. Unlock Santa

Storyline: A resentful evil elf has imprisoned Santa. If you want Santa to be free for Christmas, you must figure out the magical combination the naughty little elf used to lock him up.

To play this game, you will need a lock with a customizable four-digit combination.

The first game letter will explain the eight problems that players must find and solve to set Santa free. Each puzzle has a unique color scheme. Solving challenges points you towards one of the ten CodeBusters. All of the CodeBusters have a padlock and a festive emblem. Players may see the combination number through the padlock’s keyhole if they align the arrow on the CodeBuster with the corresponding colored arrow on the Decoder Disk.

Pro tip: For extra fun, someone dressed as Santa wait in the closet, or have a bag full of rewards ready for the winners when they free Santa.

Get Unlock Santa.

7. Santa’s Journey

Storyline: Your mission in this game is to aid Santa in his quest to bring Christmas cheer to children throughout the globe on December 24th. Players will help Santa deliver gifts to children by solving puzzles and collecting clues in this holiday-themed virtual escape room. Although designed with primary schoolers in mind, the Christmas-themed escape game is entertaining for players of all ages. The game is suitable for solo or group gameplay. The escape room is also a fantastic assignment for kids to do at home or in a traditional classroom setting. Santa’s journey is an excellent choice if you want free Christmas escape room ideas.

Play Santa’s Journey.

8. Winter Wonderland Escape

Storyline: In Winter Wonderland Escape, players will embark on a thrilling journey through a frozen world. You will explore otherworldly landscapes with towering bridges, frozen lakes, and giant snowflakes, and enjoy challenging yet rewarding puzzles. As nighttime approaches, the temperature drops dramatically. You can make out a gingerbread mansion in the distance, but a numerical lock secures the entrance. Players must use clues and hints to decipher the code and enter this cute little gingerbread house. However, time is of the essence.

Get Winter Wonderland Escape.

9. The Toy Factory

Storyline: Santa Claus is working frantically to have every item in his sleigh ready to fly from the North Pole to homes all across the globe before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve. Santa must complete his final inspections at the Toy Factory and then go to the Chimney Training Facility to guarantee that he will fit into any chimneys he may meet on his travels. Just as he is about to finish, he becomes trapped on a red-brick chimney, and the Elves scurry to rescue him. The Toy Factory remains unattended, so Santa has the Elf helpers fetch the best kids from his good list to finish making the last set of toys before he leaves. The holiday rides on how well you do on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a reward, Santa has something extraordinary in store for you.

Get The Toy Factory.

10. Santerious

Storyline: When your players open the Christmas box, they will discover a message from Santa instead of gifts. The letter from Santa will explain that this year, instead of leaving gifts beneath the tree, he has hidden clues throughout the room that you must uncover and solve to get your gifts.

It takes around two hours to set up the game in a typical room, and you do not need special skills or equipment to play. Everything you need to play the game is available at a local supermarket or department store. If you want the game to turn out perfectly, you should start planning at least a day in advance.

You can host a memorable holiday party with an at-home escape room experience this year. With this printable home escape room kit, your whole home or classroom can become a treasure hunt for gifts.

Get Santerious.

11. Christmas Escape Room

Storyline: This year, Santa is nervous about his mission to deliver presents around the globe. Your mission is to help Santa rediscover the joy of Christmas before he jets off across the world.

Depending on player experience, skill level, age range, and group size, the adventure may last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. If you want to extend the fun, you may make the games into treasure hunts by hiding the game’s components across the play area.

Get Christmas Escape Room.

12. Mr McJingles

Storyline: It is Christmas Eve, and Santa still has not left on his journey to deliver presents. The new virtual reality workshop is a bustle of activity as the elves finish final preparations. Suddenly, a loud clang and commotion erupts from the kitchen. Mr. McJingles, the head elf, is splayed out on the floor after slipping on what seems to be brandy butter, and has a giant purple lump on the top of his head. By deciphering McJingles’s hints, you can find the secret code and recover the Christmas-saving magic dust in time.

You can have fun with the entire family on Christmas with an escape room experience. The challenges levels range from simple to very difficult. You can save Christmas by finishing the riddles in time. Players of any age are welcome to participate. There are some simple and more challenging problems, but both types are enjoyable for any puzzle solver.

Get Mr McJingle.

13. Christmas Unlocked

Storyline: Until 1967, when she was dethroned as “Miss North Pole,” Connie adored Christmas. Since then, she has hated all items wintery and bright. As a result, she now permanently puts her stockings away in a safe spot, securely locks her fireplace, and forbids any holiday decor in her house. Connie’s grandson Elvin writes to Santa, so Santa sends his elf to save Christmas by unlocking the fireplace.

Christmas Unlocked is a virtual escape game where you and Santa must work together to solve puzzles and unlock hidden Christmas presents. This game is a fun way to spice up your long-distance friendships, whether you are playing alone or with others.

Get Christmas Unlocked.

14. Santa’s Grotto Escape

Storyline: One of the chocolate-making machines in Santa’s Grotto has malfunctioned. Your task is to solve the riddles quickly to turn off the machine before it covers the whole floor of the grotto with chocolate.

Santa’s Grotto Escape is one of the best Christmas-themed virtual escape room for kids. The game is ideal for video calls with loved ones and online trivia nights. This package is perfect for home and school use since it contains eleven puzzles. Easy to set up and play on any screen-sharing platform like Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams, this Christmas-themed Virtual Escape Room was designed with video chat gatherings in mind. You can also play it alone on your TV.

Get Santa’s Grotto Escape.

15. Escape the South Pole

Storyline: Elves from the South Pole have taken Santa hostage. Santa has misplaced his map and must locate his sleigh and reindeer. You and Buddy the Elf must escape before it is too late to save Christmas. You will rescue your reindeer and sleigh out of the Keep by solving riddles and adventuring around the deserted Elf Village. The game comes with 12 puzzles.

Get Escape the South Pole.

16. The Angry Elf

Storyline: While visiting Santa at the North Pole, you unwittingly walk into a trap set by an irate elf called Eunice. She is unhappy and worn out from spending time putting together toys. To get out of the trap, you must put together four toys and decorate a tree using secret elf codes. But if you do not finish the task in time, you will not have any chocolate or cookies overnight.

You can play by exploring the photos and text on the printed pages in great detail. The hidden codes and clues are embedded. The answers exist hidden in codes. First, you will want to figure out the puzzles to ensure you are on the right track, and then you may go on to check the answers. This game has a low to moderate level of difficulty. Overall, you will have to solve six different riddles.

Get The Angry Elf.

Conclusion

Escape rooms have exploded in popularity over the last several years, drawing crowds of all sizes. These games provide an exciting challenge while allowing teams to use their analytical abilities. Physical escape rooms challenge players as their digital counterparts. Some players may find virtual escape rooms even more intriguing since they allow teams to participate in the action without leaving the comfort of their own homes. This article contains a selection of intriguing Christmas escape rooms for you and your team to try out if you are seeking holiday activities.

You can make DIY Christmas Escape Rooms with a few common, inexpensive objects and some downloadable game aids, making for a fun and memorable holiday activity for the whole family.

Now, check out holiday murder mysteries.

FAQ: Christmas escape room ideas

Here are frequently asked questions about Christmas escape room ideas.

What are Christmas escape rooms?

A Christmas escape room is a holiday-themed challenge full of puzzles and clue-hunting. You are confined in a room and must complete several challenges to unlock the door and escape as soon as possible. If you love this activity but would rather not be physically confined, this virtual room setup may be perfect for you.

How do you play Christmas escape rooms virtually?

All virtual escape games function in the same basic manner. To escape the chamber, you must first decipher a sequence of clues, which will appear to you in order. Then, you will get access to the next set of clues. In addition, most games need players to work together to complete objectives, making teamwork an essential component of the gaming experience.

What are some good Christmas escape room ideas?

Some excellent examples include Santa is Missing, The Great Christmas Escape, and Reindeer Escape. The games may seem different, but they all use the same basic ideas. All you have to do is choose the topic that interests you the most.