Room Escape Artist

Compete. Solve the murder. Don’t be next.

Authors: Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Release Date: April 7, 2026

Location: at home

Team Size: 1; we recommend 1

Duration: 416 Pages

Price: $22.99 Hardcover; $11.99 Digital

REA Reaction

Start with some escape rooms, turn them into a television show, and add a murder. This is The Escape Game. And no, I’m not talking about the escape room company with the same name. However, I got just as excited when I heard about this book’s premise: a murder mystery set on an escape room competition show. While I read, I slowly savored the escape room scenes before the story’s momentum quickly swept me away.

The Escape Game by Marisa Meyer and Tamara Moss takes escape rooms and gives them a starring role beside the novel’s characters. These escape rooms helped move the story forward and were more than just the setting. It’s not a surprise these sections quickly became what I looked forward to.

From how the players approached the escape games and solutions, it’s clear the authors are fans of escape rooms and have experience with puzzles. But, there is more to this story than teenagers escaping rooms. Underneath the clues from the in-story escape games are hints and foreshadowing for the whodunit murder. I gathered information and built my case with every new chapter alongside the team.

Before starting The Escape Game, I was expecting one protagonist with a supporting cast to fill out the narrative. Instead, the book has four main characters, each with their own personalities, strengths, and viewpoints. Between the story and multiple characters there was a lot to take in. I appreciated the mechanism this book used to introduce so many characters in quick succession. Even though I got multiple points of view, I didn’t relate as much emotionally with the characters as I would have liked. Still, by the end of the book I understood their motivations even if I couldn’t connect beyond the love of escape rooms.

Once the initial character development wrapped up and the book progressed, the young adult category became irrelevant as I found myself absorbed in both playing the escape rooms and discovering the murderer. Overall, I believe this book would be enjoyable for anyone who likes escape rooms and murder mysteries.

Who is this for?

• Fans of young adult books
• Anyone who enjoys escape rooms and murder mysteries

Why read?

• Almost like watching an escape room
• Escape room representation beyond horror movies

Story

It’s been six months since Alicia Angelos, a contestant on The Escape Game, was discovered murdered on set during the season four finale. Now a new set of teams will try to escape their way to the grand prize.

For one team the stakes are even higher as they attempt to discover what really happened to Alicia Angelos. Her sister Sierra, a rival contestant last season, is back for season five. With her teammates she’s out to find proof and clear her name as prime suspect. As clues are discovered the team must stay in the game if they want to solve the murder.

Setup

Buy a physical copy or download the e-book and you’ll be good to go!

Gameplay

The Escape Game is a book where the story takes place in and around escape rooms, but it is not a puzzle or play-as-you-read type of book. I would compare the escape room scenes to watching someone play an escape room as opposed to playing yourself. While there were puzzles I was able to solve alongside the characters, including deducing the culprit, this is a novel in the end. The reader is missing some information and cannot solve every scenario.

Analysis

➕ Some chapters included overhead views of the escape rooms. I loved this added visual as I read and often flipped back and forth to use the images for reference.

➖ I read the print version, but I could see a few elements which may not translate well to audio. Especially if you are planning on playing along as much as possible.

➕ The Escape Game fits the intended YA market well while still being accessible to adults.

➖ I didn’t connect with the characters. They felt more like caricatures than characters and I was happy when the murder storyline gained steam.

➕ The hardcover edition is beautiful with its colorful cover, sprayed edges, and thematic endpaper. Maybe there’s even a hidden puzzle somewhere…

❓This book is part of an unfinished series (next book due out sometime in 2027). I won’t mention exactly how the book ends, but the setup for a follow-on book is there.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A comfy chair
• Required Gear: An e-reader if going digital. Maybe some snacks.

Buy your copy of Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss’ The Escape Game, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary book from the publisher.

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