Unlock the fun at these thrilling escape rooms in northern Illinois

Are you ready to put your problem-solving skills to the test?

Winter is here, and if you’re looking for some indoor fun, northern Illinois offers a variety of escape rooms, each with unique themes and challenges for an immersive adventure.

From historic mysteries to futuristic stories, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned escape room enthusiast or a first-time player, you’re sure to have a thrilling experience.

Game Theory Escapes – Crystal Lake

Use clues and logic to figure out how to escape from two rooms. The Haunted Manor room is a spooky experience, meant to challenge logic skills, with a 4 out of 5 difficulty level, while in the not-so-spooky Last Call room, guests use clues and puzzles to solve the riddle. 835 S. Virginia Road Unit E, Crystal Lake.

Panic Escape Room – South Elgin

Guests choose their own adventure, and will have an hour to figure out how to escape. The themed rooms include Forever Purge, Alice in Wonderland, Unsolved Mysteries, Night at the Museum, and Exorcist. Rooms can fit anywhere from 2 up to 12 players. 1000 W. Spring St., South Elgin. Additional locations in Addison, Schaumburg, and Palatine.

Syco Escape Rooms – Sycamore

Your immersive scenarios include limited-time Halloween- or Christmas- themed rooms, or the permanent rooms, each with their own mental challenges and puzzles. Operation: Rogue Agent and Prison Break are both 60-minute rooms available Thursdays through Sundays. 1170 Sycamore Road, Suite 107, Sycamore.

Spirited Escapes – Joliet

Immerse yourself in fantasy in these escape rooms with expertly designed sets. The themed rooms, which vary in difficulty, include Haunted Mansion, Gold Rush, Cryosleep, and Captain’s Cove. Two of the rooms are appropriate for kids ages 7 and up. 1423 N. Broadway St., Joliet.

Escape Room at the Knox Hotel – Princeton

From November through January, the historic Knox Hotel turns one of its second-floor rooms into a Home Alone Christmas-themed adventure. The game is for groups of 4 to 12 people. 956 N. Main St., Princeton.

Twisted Limits Escape Rooms – McHenry

Guests have either 60 or 90 minutes to solve the puzzle in one of three themed rooms, including Behind the Curtain, The Passage, and Executive Disorder, which vary in difficulty. The games are best for 4 to 6 players, and kids ages 10-14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 3735 W. Elm St., McHenry.

815 Escape – Rockford

Rooms include the Sherlock Holmes-themed The Illustrious Flat, the 1920s mobster-themed The Costello Suite, and the X-Files-themed Bio-Genesis. The rooms have varying levels of difficulty, and maximum capacity for 8 people. 4249 E. State St., Suite 103, Rockford.

Challenge Accepted Escape Room – Bolingbrook

Challenge Accepted is now open in its new location at Bolingbrook Promenade. Try to escape from Shipwreck Island, which is a 9/10 difficulty level for 2 to 8 players. The second room, Escape Detention, is coming soon. 619 E. Boughton Road, Suite 140, Bolingbrook.

iPanic Escape Room – St. Charles

Escape before time runs out! Choose from six state-of-the-art rooms for your game, each with varying levels of difficulty. The themed rooms include Bigfoot, Monster Mayhem, Dragon Slayer, and more, and are for 2 to up to 10 people. 1519 E. Main St., St. Charles.

Mind Trap Escape Rooms – Montgomery

Rooms of varying scare and difficulty levels and success rates await you at this Montgomery escape room, which also offers Axe Throwing. The themed escape rooms include What Happened in Vegas, Mafia Heist, Vampires, Storm Surge, Locked-Up Supermax, The Collector, Doctor Death, and Pharaoh’s Chamber. The rooms are appropriate for 2 to up to 10 or 12 players, and games last from 60 to 75 minutes. 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery.

PARADOXsquared Adventure Escape Rooms – Woodstock

Enjoy good old-fashioned fun in the Mad Scientist escape room, which is perfect for 4 to 8 players. The Houdini’s Revenge room is currently under construction. Rooms are best for ages 14 and older, and last one hour. 118 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock.

Escapade 360 – Elgin

Enjoy the Christmas-themed Save Santa game or hunt for a long-lost secret recipe in The Candy Factory in these themed rooms. Other games include The Sherlock Adventure and The DaVinci Experience. All rooms are appropriate for ages 12 and up. 77 S. Riverside Drive, Suite 300, Elgin.

Riddlebox Escape Room – Naperville

Guests have one hour to escape from the games in one of four themed rooms, which include Prison Escape, Salvation Reactor, Witch House, and Old Tavern. All rooms are appropriate for ages 12 and up. 620B W. 5th Ave., Naperville.

Legendary Escape Rooms & Axe Throwing – Plainfield and Aurora

Choose from two locations to try to outsmart the escape rooms. Themed rooms in Plainfield include The Dragon’s Heart, The Mermaid’s Escape, Kraken Casino, and Uncle Tick Tock’s Circus. The Aurora location rooms include Witching Hour, Traumatized, and X-Cape Z-51. 15115 Des Plaines St., Plainfield and 44 W. New York St., Aurora.

Lockport Escape Room & Axe Throwing

Try your hand at Lockport Escape Room’s 10-minute seasonal escape room for 2 to 6 people. Or play the more difficult games in the 60-minute Escape from Wonderland or Dr. Dreadful rooms. 16547 W. 159th St., Lockport.

CluedIn Escape Rooms – Glen Ellyn

Choose from easy, medium, and hard escape rooms at CluedIn. There’s even one room where guests can select their preferred difficulty level. The themed rooms The Game Master, The Asylum, Double Agent, and The Great Steam Race are for 2 to up to 6 people. 440 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn.

Racetime Sim Racing & VR Escape Rooms – McHenry

The VR Escape Rooms are for 2 to 5 players, and include the themes Dragon Tower, Laserbots, Pirates Plague, Ninja Trials, and more! Additional attractions include 10 racing simulators. Monthly memberships are available. 810 N. Front St., McHenry.