Owners and Creators of Cross Roads Escape Games, Luke & Madison, along with the owners and creators of Exit Game OC, Jeremiah & Christine, played ‘Wrongfully Convicted’ at Escape Revolutions with the one and only, Jeff Goldblum!
We are good friends with the owners of Exit Game OC, Jeremiah, and Christine, who opened just a few months ago down the street from Cross Roads. Christine is also a YouTube star and has been doing videos on Escape Rooms for years. She and her husband have played over 500 escape rooms! The show looked for enthusiasts to play with Jeff, so she was contacted. They needed two others to join her, so she name-dropped us (who have played a modest 250 escape rooms), and after a short video interview, we were in!
Playing an Escape Room with Jeff Goldblum
We were told that the game was modified for filming, so big spoilers or answers were not given away to people who still wanted to play. This was understandable, but it also made it much harder to play. Navigating through the game and not knowing what was relevant to us was very difficult. Not to mention that we were being watched by a crowd of people (the film crew), who were expecting us to fly through the game because we were “experts,” which made it very stressful. Oh, and Jeff made it impossible to focus.
Jeff is an incredibly nice guy, naturally funny, and unpredictable. It took us 6 hours to play the 1-hour escape room because Jeff likes to talk… a lot. Before we started playing, the director told us our job was to keep Jeff on track. Easier said than done.
To be fair, this was Jeff’s first escape room, so he was overwhelmed, confused, and amazed. He was new to what a clue is and how to piece together a code. There is a learning curve for solving escape room-type puzzles, so we had to help guide him through our thought process.
Jeff is easily distracted and jumps from story to story and question to question. He tests your movie knowledge, constantly quoting lines from movies and quizzing you on what movie it’s from and who said it. It was not only hard to get him to focus, but also hard to focus yourself.
One thing Jeff is great at is making you laugh. As stressed as I was, Jeff is a hilarious guy, and it’s hard to take anything too seriously with him around.
Something you didn’t see in the episode is that we figure out a four-digit code for a number lock, and we tell Jeff to be the one to put the code in. Before he does, Christine asks him if he is familiar with that kind of lock and if he knows how to enter the code. Jeff goes into this 10-minute spiel about how he is a “lockmaster,” and his “middle name is Lock,” and he has been “opening locks since he was five years old.” Finally, once he finishes his speech and puts in the numbers, he pulls down on the lock, and it doesn’t open. He looks at us like, “you gave me the wrong code!” So, Christine looks over and says, “oh, you lined it up wrong,” and points to where the code should have gone. He looks back at us and says, “Well, how was I supposed to know that?!” To which I respond with, “Jeff, you just took the last 10 minutes to tell us your middle name was Lock, we thought you knew!” That got a big laugh out of Jeff and the film crew.
Jeff is big into word association games. We noticed him playing a game with himself during breaks where he would say the name of an actor, then a movie that actor was in, then a new actor from that movie, a movie that actor was in, and so on. We jumped in and played a few rounds with him (he was really good).
After the 6 hours of playing the escape room, we finally escape, and we are taken outside for Jeff to interview us and ask us some questions. The director tells Jeff, “Ask them what they like about solving puzzles.” Well, instead of asking us, he answers the question himself. Director says, “That was great; now ask THEM the question.” He turns to us, and instead of asking the question again, he notices an ear hair on Jeremiah, PLUCKS IT FROM HIS EAR, puts it in his pocket, and says, “I’m going to keep this to remember you by. This was such a great day, I’m going to remember it forever.” There is no controlling this man or knowing what he will do next.
Overall, it was a really fun day. The game was challenging, but Jeff made it a blast. He wanted to know all about us and was interested in our story. He cares a lot about other people, goes out of his way to make you laugh, and takes it upon himself to make sure you have a good time. I hope he continues playing escape rooms and had as much fun as we did.
Escape Rooms created by game enthusiasts for game enthusiasts. Owners Luke and Madison Rhoades come from a theatre and haunt background and found escape rooms to be the perfect backbone for their #1 rated company- Cross Roads Escape Games. Celebrating their 6th year in business, here is the story of the creators and designers of Cross Roads and how it all came to be.
ABOUT US
Luke and I are high school sweethearts, and we got married shortly after finishing college. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Fine Art and a minor in Theatrical Set Design. I designed and painted sets around Los Angeles and was the lead scenic painter for The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor for three incredible years. Luke graduated from the Vanguard University of Southern California with a B.A. in Theatre Performance and Scenic Construction. He worked as the Master Carpenter at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. I would often get set design jobs and hire Luke as my technical director and carpenter for almost all of my shows. We were a great tag team duo. I would design it, he would build it, and then I would paint it.
THE FIRST ESCAPE ROOM
On Oct. 31st, 2014, we played our first escape room. We had no idea what we were getting into. I thought I bought tickets for a haunted house, so we were completely shocked when we found out that they would put us in a room with eight other strangers and lock the door. Our group did terrible. It was chaos trying to get ten people on the same page, but that was part of the fun. I remember the time being about halfway up when I realized we had not opened a single key lock. I yelled at the group, “How have we not found a single key?!?!” The girl next to me goes, “Oh! I found a few keys!” and starts to remove about 5-10 keys from her pocket that she decided to put there for safekeeping (and not use?).
Afterward, our game master comes in with a look of disappointment and tells us that we only made it about 60% of the way through. It didn’t matter to us if we won or lost or how far we got, the experience was unlike anything we had ever done, and we were hooked. The idea for The Hex Room came later that same night.
THE BEGINNING
We decided to take a chance. We quit our jobs and used our ten years’ worth of savings that we were keeping for a future house. It was one of those scenarios where we would always live a life of ‘what if’ if we didn’t give it a shot. And what better time to try and fail than when you are young? So we did. We found a location in Anaheim, California, battled the city for permits (that’s a whole story I won’t get into today), and put ourselves in a hole of loans and credit card debt (our savings was drained very quickly). With the help of some amazing family and friends, Cross Roads Escape Games opened one year later.
Cross Roads… get it? Luke and Madison Rhoades… ok, good.
THE GOAL
We wanted to create something that felt so real, you forgot it was a game. Imagine being transported to a new world where you can go anywhere and touch anything you want? To desperately try to find clues to help unlock the secrets to your escape? All our games are designed by us and built from the ground up. Not only is the production value outstanding, but even the game design is different.
We love games. Board games, card games, video games, and now escape games. Once we were hooked on escape games, we played every one that was available to us. Playing escape rooms was a great learning experience. We saw what we liked, and what we didn’t like. Our biggest issue was that no matter where we went, no matter what the mission was, the game was the same. We knew we had to change that up with ours.
CREATING THE HEX ROOM
As huge horror fans, we would always watch movies and say something along the lines of, “If that was me, I would have never run up the stairs!” or, “If I was in that situation, I would have done this…” Now with this new immersive theatre at our fingertips, we decided to create just that: a real-life horror movie scenario where people can find out if they would actually live or die in a horror film.
The Hex Room opened on January 15th, 2016. Unlike traditional escape rooms, The Hex Room takes immersion to the next step and makes players live out a real-life horror movie. Before your game begins, each player takes a quiz to determine which stereotypical horror movie victim they are. You can be cast as the Jock, Rebel, Prom Queen, Virgin, Nerd, or Detective. Once in costume, players are placed in a room by themselves. Their goal is to overcome their individual challenges and still work together as a team, although physically divided. If they are successful, they can rejoin their friends and escape. If not, they can be left behind to die.
CREATING THE FUN HOUSE
The Hex Room became a revolutionary game, but maybe a bit too advanced for its time. When we opened, Escape Rooms were still such a new concept; only a handful of people knew what they were, even fewer played one before. People loved The Hex Room, but we knew that it was a bit overwhelming to a new player, so we also created The Fun House.
The Fun House is the necessary introductory that people needed to escape rooms. People were together for the experience instead of being divided at the start. If someone felt uncomfortable doing something “scary,” we had The Fun House to offer instead. Although the gameplay is more of a traditional escape room, we still had a lot of new ideas to offer. The game became self-aware with lots of fun tricks and jokes along the way, not to mention the amazing Zoltar. Have you met him yet?
The Fun House also allowed us to introduce kids to the world of Escape Rooms. When Fun House opened in April of 2016, it was the only game that allowed players of any age to attend. The following year, we modified the game to change out challenging puzzles to a “KIDS” version, allowing groups of kids to play and succeed on their own.
CREATING THE PSYCH WARD
We are determined to always bring the next level of interactive entertainment, and we went all-in on The Psych Ward, which opened in December of 2018. Being inspired by immersive theatre experiences like Delusion and getting hooked on social deduction games like Werewolf and Secret Hitler, we decided to combine immersive theatre, competitive board games, and escape rooms into one fully automated game.
Because of its complexity, The Psych Ward took about 18 months to complete. We worked with the amazing technical team, Diablo Sound, which helped us program all the puzzles, scoring, and theatrical effects. The game took a few revisions, but we are very proud of the new elements we added and challenging ourselves with the unique design and automation. The Psych Ward is a game-changer that you must play!
WHAT’S NEXT
We revisited our theatre roots and wrote, directed, designed, and produced The Séance, which had a limited run in 2019. This show was an immersive theatre piece with some escape room elements. We had plans to bring back the show to a new location, which sadly got canceled due to the pandemic. There is still a chance it might happen; we are just waiting for the right venue and the right time.
We also announced a revamped Hex Room for 2020, which got postponed. We had everything ordered, contractors scheduled, and then the world shut down. Orders were pushed back, contractors had to cancel, and the whole project was put on hold. I am glad that it did though, these past years, we have been able to use the money we would have spent on the revamp towards keeping our doors open and our employees paid. It has also given me more time to think of even better puzzles and effects! The revamp will still happen as soon as the funds are restored. I am so excited to show you what we have planned!
We have also used all of 2021 to work on a new project that is bigger and totally different from anything we have done before! If all goes according to plan, we will have a big announcement for you in a few months. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU for being amazing and supportive fans. I read every single review that comes our way on google and yelp, and hearing about your fun experience is why we do what we do. I know it has been a long time since we have brought you something new, but big things are in the works. Thank you for being patient and understanding. It will be worth the wait!
Madison Rhoades CEO and Co-owner Cross Roads Escape Games
As a Game Master at Cross Roads Escape Games, you will help provide a memorable and immersive experience for our customers in a new and exciting field of entertainment! We are looking for enthusiastic and responsible candidates to work part time at our location in Anaheim.
What we do: An escape room is a real-life adventure game where you are working with your friends and racing against the clock! With only 1 hour to escape, you must work as a team to search for clues and discover all the secrets before time runs out. Established in 2016, Cross Roads Escape Games has three award winning games and is rated one of the top three Escape Rooms in the nation.
What a Game Master does: A typical day would be to greet and check-in guests, recite and perform the rules in front of the group, and then guide them into the game. Once the game has started, you will monitor the group for up to one hour and provide hints in character as needed. When the game is over, you will provide a post-game briefing and quickly reset the room for the next game.
Compensation: Part-time Game Master positions start at $15 per hour.
Job Requirements:
Provide a fun and memorable experience for all of our guests.
Memorize and recite rules to guests while being engaging and energetic.
Monitor game play and provide clear hints when necessary.
Work independently and as a part of a team.
Able to take direction and constructive feedback.
Maintain ongoing facility cleanliness.
Understand all game progressions and be able to quickly reset games.
Available to work evenings and weekends (Saturday-Sunday).
Able to make quick and effective decisions.
Able to lift up to 20 pounds, crawl, climb stairs, and move quickly.
Ideal Candidate:
At least 18 years old.
Acting or improv experience.
Ability to command the attention of a crowd.
Can work in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication skills.
Prior customer service experience.
Benefits of working at Cross Roads:
Fun working environment.
Promotion opportunities.
Hourly pay, bonuses, and tips.
Employee discounts.
Fun team building outings.
Flexible schedules.
Great experience for someone interested in acting or entertainment.
Your favorite SoCal Escape Rooms are joining forces to make National Escape Room Day an event you don’t want to miss! Join us at Stereo Brewing in Orange County on Friday, October 1st from 6:00pm- 11:00pm! There will be prizes, mini-games, food trucks, beer, and exclusive discount codes to local escape rooms!
This event is free to attend and mini-games are free to play! Open to all ages!
Play exclusive escape room mini-games by: Cross Roads Escape Games The Basement Not Another Escape Room The Entrapment Exit Game OC Square Room Escape Edison Puzzle Labs The Laboratory Escape Room
Win amazing prizes from: Cross Roads Escape Games 60 Out- Downtown Stash House Cinema Escape Room The Entrapment Hidden Donkey Mission Escape Game Unlockables Escape Room Escape Room Era Trapped! Escape Room UNLOCKED: Escape Room Square Room Escape Infinity Escape Escapement Rooms Nerdy By Nature Escape Room Wild Optimists & Renegade Games Puzzle Workshop Escape Room
AND receive exclusive discount codes to some of the best escape rooms in SoCal!
Stereo Brewing is located at 950 S Via Rodeo, Placentia, CA 92870
COVID Protocol: This event is subject to the Orange County Health Department’s rules about COVID safety. As local and state guidelines for COVID safety protocols continue to change up until the event time, we will continue to monitor the situation and inform our guests of these guidelines before the event time. Currently, OC guidelines state that masks are optional for vaccinated guests. The event takes place both indoors and outdoors.
After 4 weeks of voting, the results are finally in! Cross Roads Escape Games is a winner in the 2021 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for best escape room in the nation! We are also the top-ranking escape room for all of Southern California!
This has been our 3rd nomination and our 3rd win!
We want to thank our friends, family, and fans for voting every day and helping us stay in the top 10. Your support means so much to us, and we appreciated the outpour of love and how many of you shared the contest with your friends. YOU. ARE. THE. BEST.
Now to wait for that sweet sweet trophy to come in the mail…
The top ten winners in this category are as follows:
Clue Carre- New Orleans, LA
Boxaroo- Boston, MA
The Official SAW Escape Room- Las Vegas, NV
Enchambered- Sacramento, CA
Mind Trap Escape Rooms- Montgomery, IL
Decode Detroit- Ann Arbor, MI
Escape Artist Greenville- Greenville, SC
Cross Roads Escape Games- Anaheim, CA
60 to Escape- Chicago, IL
The Escape Room USA – Indianapolis, IN
About USA TODAY 10Best Reader Choice Awards:
“10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. The core of the site’s uniqueness is its team of local travel experts: a well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields – and their cities – but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about so the content is constantly updated. 10Best.com averages 5 million visitors per month. It was acquired by USA TODAY in January of 2013.
“USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY’s mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation — today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY, the nation’s number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of more than 1.6 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 16 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).”
Cross Roads Escape Games is excited to be bringing their mini-game back at Halloween events, starting with Creep it Real OC! Creep it Real OC is an all-outdoor event full of spooky vendors, food, and events!
Cross Roads Escape Games will be there with our 10-minute mini-game, THE BOX. We can accommodate groups of 3-5 players every 15 minutes. Up to 20 people per hour. So make sure to arrive early and come by our booth to grab a time slot! THE BOX will be available to first-come-first-served on the day of the event.
What is THE BOX you ask? It’s 1972 and the doctors have ordered your Hydrotherapy treatment. One player will be locked inside THE BOX. The doctors are hoping this treatment helps calm you and heat the crazy right out! The temperature starts to rise to a deadly level; luckily you have some friends on the outside that can help you get out before you are cooked alive! This is a spin-off to our full-length game, The Psych Ward.
We will also be giving out exclusive discount codes to our full-length games, so make sure to stop by!
Creep It Real OC EXPO is returning! Come visit us at the Heritage Museum of Orange County on Sunday September 12, 2021 from 12:00pm-6:00pm. Creep It Real OC EXPO is dedicated to bringing together Orange County’s Halloween community along with local Haunt leaders to share with you all things Halloween!
While at the expo you can visit several mini haunt walk-throughs hosted by local haunts, visit our spooky photo locations, stroll through our Halloween market-like bazaar with over 100 vendors to purchase all your oddities and curiosities, rock out to a Monster Rock and Roll band- The Rhythm Coffin, get down with our spooky DJ Bones Halloween jams, get insta-snappy with our many spooky vehicles, mingle with monsters and cosplayers, meet Disney Legend Bob Gurr, pose with the Orange County Ghostbusters, interact with haunters throughout the event, as well as cruise on by our food truck party in the back including Rad Coffee, Messi Burger, and Loading Fresh and Foodilicious. There will also be giveaways and much more! We are so excited to announce that Creep It Real OC Expo is now SPONSORED by Rad Coffee!
This event is subject to the Orange County Health Department’s rules about COVID safety. As local and state guidelines for COVID safety protocols continue to change up until the event time, we will continue to monitor the situation and inform our guests of these guidelines before the event time. MASKS are OPTIONAL- this is an all outdoors event.
General Admission: Ages 13 and up are $7 each. Available at the door or on Eventbrite.
USA Today is having another contest for Top 10 Best Escape Rooms in the Nation. We are nominated along with 19 other amazing escape rooms all across the U.S. Help us stay in the top 10 by voting once a day until Aug. 30th. Voting only takes a click!
VOTING ONLY TAKES A FEW SECONDS. NO SIGN-UP OR EMAIL IS REQUIRED! YOU CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY UNTIL THE CONTEST ENDS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 30TH AT NOON.
We were nominated in 2017 & 2018 and ended up ranking in the top 10 list! Below you can see me holding up two trophies from our past wins. This is the 3rd time we have been nominated, and we are determined to keep a 100% track record! Help us take 2021 by voting every day!
Thank YOU for your support and your help in the past with this contest! Our fans are amazing and we would not have survived 2020 if it was not for you!
After being closed for 3 months, we are excited to announce we will be reopening June 19th! Upon reopening, we are implementing new operating procedures to make Cross Roads a safe environment for both customers and our employees. Please read below to see the precautions we are taking to keep you safe.
Our games will remain private. Your group will not be paired with another group.
Games will be spread out so the lobby is not shared by different groups.
Game masters will have a full hour to reset and thoroughly clean all props, locks, and surfaces between every game using medical grade disinfectant.
All customers are required to use hand sanitizer before entering the games. Complementary hand sanitizer will be available.
Employees are required to wear face masks at all times.
Customers will be required to wear face masks when entering, but may be removed inside the games.
Employees will get their temperature checked at the beginning of their shift . They will not be allowed to enter the building if their temperature is above 100.4° F.
There are a few changes coming to our games as well:
The Hex Room- Some costume pieces have been updated to allow for easy cleaning between games. We have also removed the blindfolds initially required at the beginning of the game.
The Psych Ward- Players will no longer receive a patient gown. Instead, they will get a patient number sticker to put on their chest. The game master will also spend less time inside the game with the players and only enter when necessary.
The Fun House- We will not offer costumes for the after game photos at this time. We are also adjusting the minimum number player requirement from 4 players to 3 players, so smaller groups can play.
Hello everyone! My name is Madison and I am the Co-Owner and Creative Director of Cross Roads Escape Games along with my husband, Luke. I wanted to share with you an update as to how we are handling this time being closed and what new operating procedures we will be implementing to keep Cross Roads Escape Games a safe place to visit.
First, I want to thank everyone who was very understanding about us having to cancel their upcoming booking with us. And we really appreciate those who were willing to take a credit code over a refund. I also want to thank those who purchased a gift card from us during this time. We really appreciate all the help and support our community is showing us.
Currently, we are under a government mandated closure until further notice. We are watching the news and constantly checking to see when we may be able to reopen. We want to make sure it is safe to open, and we are not putting our employees or customers at risk. We will be reopening as soon as we receive word that gatherings of up to 10 people are permitted.
Our last day of operation was March 15th, which was also first day of our March Madness Escape Room Tournament. Sadly, we did have to cancel that tournament but many of the businesses who sponsored a prize are willing to work with us again on a future event, so hopefully we will see a similar event again soon.
In a previous update at the beginning of March, we mentioned that The Hex Room was going to close for a period in April to allow for a revamp. Unfortunately, the revamp is postponed for the time being. With other companies closing we are finding it difficult to get the equipment and supplies that we need. We also want to make sure we have the funds to support ongoing business expenses for as long as we may be required to close.
Upon reopening, we are implementing new operating procedures to make Cross Roads Escape Games a safe environment for both customers and our employees. A few steps we will be taking are:
Groups will never come in contact with another group. We will have less available games per day to insure that the lobby is never shared by two different groups. The lobby will be cleaned between every group.
Longer resets, to allow ample time for sanitizing the games between use. Game Masters will have a full hour to reset and thoroughly clean all props, locks, and surfaces between every game using medical grade disinfectant.
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building for customers and employees. All customers will be required to use hand sanitizer or wash their hands in the bathrooms before entering the games.
Employees will be provided with a washable cloth mask. Masks will be required to be worn around customers at all times.
Props and costumes considered unnecessary to the game will be removed. To help prevent contamination, only necessary items will be in the game.
We appreciate you being a loyal customer and we will continue to bring you high quality immersive entertainment. Because of your support over the years, we will be opening again soon.
Hey everyone! It’s Madison. I am the co-owner, along with my husband Luke, of Cross Roads Escape Games. It’s a weird time right now for everyone. Businesses are shut down and everyone is forced to stay inside. Everyone’s brain is going a little crazy because it is not getting its normal amount of stimulation or problem solving that it is use to. At least, that is how I feel.
I am the proud owner of a lot of board games. A LOT. So, if you need some activity in your life, here are a list of games I think anyone will enjoy!
I’m not too sure how many people or who you are quarantined with so I have given some guidelines as to who I think the games would be good for as far as age, group size, and complexity is concerned.
Let me know what you think! I would also love to hear of any board games you have been enjoying that I should add to my shelf.
1. SURVIVE! Escape from Atlantis
Ages: Kids, teens, and adults will all equally love this game. Group size: 2-4 Complexity: Easy. You can learn it in 5-10 minutes. BUY HERE
Survive! is super easy to learn, which makes it great for any age. I’ve played this game with my 7-year-old nephew, my husband, my siblings, and my parents. Seriously, it’s great for everyone. The game is pure chaos. But fun chaos.
About: “In this game, you try to lead your people from the sinking central island of Atlantis to the safety of one of four islands nearby. Your people can get there quickly by boat (if they find one) or more slowly by swimming. But it will be a perilous journey as they must avoid Sea Serpents, Whales, and Sharks.”
2. The Game
Ages: Kids, Teens, and Adults Group Size: 1-5 Complexity: Easy BUY HERE
This is technically a card game, but I like it so much that I actually carry it with me in my purse. The game is simple, but hard to win. Every time you play, you get a little better and better.
About: “Cooperative game that involves hand management and memory. You’ll have to work together with your friends to play cards into one of four different piles, with the hopes of discarding all 98 cards in ascending or descending order. The trick is, you aren’t allowed to tell anyone else what cards you have, so you’ll constantly be on edge as each card played could upset your best-laid plans.”
3. Codenames
Ages: Teens and Adults Group Size: 4-6 Complexity: Easy BUY HERE
I played this game last night with my whole family. Before you yell at me about social distancing, let me add that we were all in our own homes communicating through video! This game was pretty easy to play virtually, and you only need one person who owns the game. The Codename owner lays out the cards to create the playing board and takes a picture and sends it to everyone. From there you can look at the picture/board and make marks on it using the writing tool on your phone to mark what agents have been found. It was pretty easy, and a great way to spend time with family while physically apart.
About: “The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.”
4. Pandemic
Ages: Teens and adults Group size: 2-4 (I recommend just 2) Complexity: Medium BUY HERE
What better game to play right now then Pandemic? This is a great game to introduce people into the more complex games out there. Once you know the rules, the game is easy to grasp, but hard to win. I recommend playing with only 2 people, although you can have up to 4.
About: “Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together and plan their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.”
5. Catan
Ages: Teens and Adults Group Size: 3-6 (you will need the 5-6 player expansion for more people) Complexity: Medium BUY HERE
This is a classic game. If you haven’t played Catan yet, what are you doing? The description does not sound that interesting, trading resources sounds kinda lame, I get it, but this game is a lot of fun. Trust me. Every time that dice is rolled and its one of your numbers, you get an instant boost of endorphins and you feel unstoppable. My family loves this game so much, we have even created a Catan crown, that the winner wears, until they are dethroned of course.
About: “Your adventurous settlers seek to tame the remote but rich isle of Catan. Get resources from Catan’s many harbors and regions: pastures, fields, mountains, hills, forests, and desert. Build your cities and rule of all Catan!”
6. Carcassonne
Ages: Teens and Adults Group Size: 2-5 Complexity: Medium BUY HERE
What I love about this game is that the board is constantly changing. It’s one of the few games where you get to create the board piece by piece, which also makes it completely different every time you play!
About: “Each new tile placed creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers.
As the map grows, so does the opportunity for players to disrupt each other’s plans. Everyone is adding to the same map and only one follower can be on any given feature at a time—so if you don’t place a follower on something, someone else probably will.”
7. Ticket to Ride
Ages: Teens and Adults Group Size: 2-5 Complexity: Medium BUY HERE
I was a little skeptical of this one at first, but it ended up winning me over after the first game. It is a lot like building roads in Catan, but with a lot more strategy.
About: “Players collect cards of various types of train cars they then use to claim railway routes in North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who fulfill Destination Tickets – goal cards that connect distant cities; and to the player who builds the longest continuous route.”
8. Pandemic Legacy Season 1
Ages: Teens and adults Group Size: 2-4 (I recommend just 2) Complexity: Difficult BUY HERE
If you play Pandemic and you love it as much as I do, make sure to also check out Pandemic Legacy. Legacy games are really cool and really different. Every time you play, the choices you make and their outcomes affect the next time you play. There are stickers you put on the board that help you remember what happened last time, there are mystery boxes the game tells you to open up at certain times revealing new game pieces and new rules. Sometimes you even tear up cards and you can never use them again! Pandemic Legacy is mind-blowing, and a must play in my book.
About: “The world is on the brink of disaster. In Pandemic Legacy, your disease-fighting team must keep four deadly diseases at bay for a whole year. Each month will bring new surprises, and your actions in each game will have repercussions on the next. Will you let cities fall to the diseases? Will your team be enough to keep the viruses at bay for a whole year? Craft your own unique Pandemic experience with Pandemic Legacy.”
9. Terraforming Mars
Ages: Teens and adults Group Size: 1-5 Complexity: Difficult BUY HERE
I want to preface by saying this game was hard to learn. We were intimidated by the rule book, so we ended up watching a 30-minute video explanation of the rules instead, which helped a lot. Once we knew the rules, the game was easy to get started. It is a lot like deck building games, but you also have a game board. It seems intimidating, but the cards you play tell you exactly what to do. If you are up for a challenge and like complex board games, I highly recommend this game. Once we learned it, it ended up being a lot of fun.
About: “In the 2400S, mankind begins to terraform the Planet Mars. Giant corporations, sponsored by the world government on earth, initiate huge projects to raise the temperature, the oxygen level and the ocean coverage until the environment is habitable. In Terraforming Mars you play one of those corporations and work together in the Terraforming process, but compete in doing the best work, with victory points awarded not only for your contribution to the Terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar systems and other commendable achievements.”
10. Power Grid Recharged Version
About: Teens and adults Group Size: 2-6 Complexity: Difficult BUY HERE
Power Grid Recharged has all the strategy and fun of the classic first edition, but adds some updates that improve the (already great) gameplay. This game is also a little hard to learn, but what I loved about it was that it didn’t involve any reading, but it does have a lot of math. I recommend having a calculator nearby to make it easier. What is so great about this game is that it constantly makes the board an equal playing field for everyone. If you are doing good and you are in first place, the game gets harder, if you are in last place, the game gets easier. It adds a new strategy of maybe not advancing in order to stay low on the score board and receive better prices. This game involves hard core strategy, which is what I love.
About: “What better way to earn money than with electric power?!! But how should you do it? However you decide to generate the energy, you’ll have to compete with your opponents not only for the most attractive power plants, but for the necessary resources and the sites to build your network of energy distribution. You’ll need to watch your opponents closely, carefully manage your money, and expand your network thoughtfully in order to generate income. The player that is able to build the largest network AND successfully power it will be the winner.”
And that is my list for the top 10 games I am playing right now in quarantine. Let me know what games you are playing, or if you have played any of the games on this list yet! I hope some of these games make time go by a little faster, and that you continue to stay inside and stay healthy!