If you follow me on YouTube or have played one of my escape rooms, you know I like to use a small handful of the same items. Most are so versatile that they’re a good fit for any topic and can be adapted for whatever you need them for. Others are very much Halloween-themed, perfect for the spooky mood you’re looking for.
Below are some of the best escape room items for a Halloween game. Be sure to check out my Haunted Escape Room DIY video for a look at how you can use these props.
You’re walking through a deserted haunted hotel or museum, and you almost miss this Da Vinci cryptex. It’s covered in dust and is clearly hiding something important. A key, perhaps, or a scroll?
Any five-letter word can be used; changing the answer is easy.
Simple? Sure. But also very useful. The possibilities are endless.
You can see right through it, but if set up properly, it raises the suspense of what’s inside. Cover it with cobwebs and hide a fake spider sitting on a key or a piece of paper with a clue.
This magnet lock is another prop with a wide range of applications. What makes it fun for Halloween is that it has a hint of magic to it. Most people haven’t used a lock that requires a magnet to get it open. This is sure to wow your players, and you can hide the “key” pretty much anywhere.
Speaking of magic…
These are special pens whose ink disappear when heat is applied. As you can see, hiding a message in plain sight is very much possible. Roll up a clue and put it in the cryptex above, and watch your players wonder how they’re supposed to read it.
A flame works to remove the ink, but so does something not so dangerous but that’s still warm, like a heater or blow dryer.
Probably 80% or more escape rooms have a black light hidden somewhere in the room. It lets you hide messages on the wall or on other objects (using special pens), visible only with the lights off and this special flashlight shown directly on the surface.
Halloween isn’t scary without the lights off once in a while, so this makes a perfect addition to not only your Halloween escape room but also to any other room you plan on making.
Fisher Huntz 