Our family is a big fan of escape rooms. In-person escape rooms, ThinkFun versions, Mail Order Mysteries, Hunt a Killer boxes…we like them all. I love that they are predominantly screen free ways to enjoy time together, they promote critical thinking skills, and they are just good, clean fun. These Finders Seekers boxes have a lot to offer. (This is not sponsored in any way. I paid for these with my own money during one of their frequent sales.) So far we’ve done 3 of them, and I’ve already paid for a couple more that we haven’t done yet. This might just be the best entry level escape room style game that we’ve found.
Finders Seekers Mystery Game Subscription Details
Product: Finders Seekers Mysetery Game Subscription
Company: Finders Seekers
Website: https://findersseekers.com/
Recommended Age Range: 10 and up
Price Range: ~$30 per month
Review
I am so impressed by the Finders Seekers games. They are definitely worth $30 in my opinion. We have done 3 boxes so far (random ones, not ones shipped consecutively), and I don’t think we’ve had a duplicate puzzle type. They don’t have a formula that they are following, such that these games get old. The people that are creating them must be so creative, because each of the three games was distinctly different. The first one we did had like a murder board where you had to eliminate suspects by gathering Guess Who style clues. The second one was solving a giant crossword puzzle using a journal and momentos that turned in to it’s own suprising clue. (I won’t give it away.) The last one we did used a Paris train map to gather clues that allowed you to complete a paint-by-number. Even the individual puzzles within the games don’t seem to repeat. I’m assuming they must at some point, but we haven’t gotten there yet!
All together, this game takes our family about 2 to 3 hours. There are typically about 10 to 12 individual puzzles that need to be solved, though unlike other escape rooms, such as the ones by ThinkFun, they do not need to be solved sequentially. Multiple people can be working on separate puzzles at the same time. While our 9 and 11 year old do not often solve puzzles on their own, they are frequently able to contribute in some way and our 11 year old has cracked a few.
The individual puzzles themselves are frequently based on creative concepts like menus, postcards, photographs, even a fortune cookie. Some of the games require the use of a device in some way, either to read a webpage or use a QR code, but for the most part, the screen aspect is small if present. All the boxes provide hints if you get stuck. Our family really tries hard not to use them, but we do still usually do at least one or two hints per box. Often they are things that I think, “yeah, I literally never would have thought of that,” but the hints have been sufficient for us to get the answer with just a little help. Tip: don’t forget to use EVERYTHING in your box. At first I thought they were sending us some novelty items like an apron, then realized they were actually clues too.
In terms of price, Finders Seekers boxes definitely beat in-person escape rooms and the Mail Order Mystery boxes. In-person escape rooms are arguably more fun, but they are typically shorter and cost a LOT more. We do them at most once a year due to price. Mail Order Mystery boxes are also nearly 3 times as expensive and not as great at promoting critical thinking as there is actually very little puzzle-solving. They may be a better choice for kids who are under the age of 8, but Finders Seekers actually makes a junior version of their boxes as well for kids under 10. Since all but one of our family members has aged out of this group, we haven’t tried the junior version, but if they are similarly designed, they are probably really great as well.
My 15 year old enjoys Finders Seekers as much as the rest of us, but has said that he still slightly prefers Hunt a Killer boxes. They are similarly priced and include similar material. Those take a bit longer, but then again, I don’t think we’ve ever used a Hunt a Killer hint, so maybe that’s why. Honestly though, I think the material is actually slightly better in Finders Seekers and they promise that their kits are always family-friendly (no murder or violence), which definitely can’t be said of Hunt-a-Killer. One disadvantage of Finders Seekers is that the kits can’t be reused. The clues are definitely meant to be destroyed as part of solving the puzzle (which honestly makes it a little more fun, in my opinion). When we’ve done Hunt a Killer and Think Fun escape room boxes, I’ve repackaged them when we’re done to pass on to other people. Not a deal breaker, but something to know.
One other slight disadvantage compared to Hunt a Killer is that Hunt a Killer feels more realistic. You are looking through evidence that really could be clues in order to put everything together. Finders Seekers is more like an in-person escape room in that you are solving a bunch of random puzzles to move closer to achieving your goal. They do a good job building each box around a theme, but you have to suspend disbelief to interpret any of these clues as “evidence.” No criminal is going to leave a trail like this for you to follow. This matters very little to me, as we have so much fun playing the game and solving their puzzles, but it’s just something else to be aware of.
One advantage of Finders Seekers, particularly if you have kids and even more so if you’re homeschooling, is that there is some educational value. It’s not a ton, but each box is tied to a place. So far we have done Prague, San Francisco, and Paris and we have learned a little about landmarks and the culture in each location by doing these boxes. It’s sort of like watching the Amazing Race (which our family also does and calls educational). What you learn of the place and culture is superficial, but in my mind, it is still valuable, because connections are being built in kids brains that they will be able to draw on in the future.
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Michelle has a PhD in Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor's Degree from the California Institute of Technology. 
Thank you so much! I am looking for less expensive options for fun events I plan for work! The website said that the boxes can be reused if a person puts a page protector on the pages and uses dry-erase and writes on that instead of on the paper. It seems like there are larger things that need to be “written on” or maybe even folded, torn or what have you in order to solve. The reason that matters is I’ve considered buying two boxes; solving them side by side, then swapping either the same day or a different day. It will be a group of 5-10 adults playing, so i figured we’d get through them faster than families, perhaps. Yet, if the boxes can NOT be easily reused, then perhaps it’s better to have one done per day.
Hi Karen! Sorry, I just saw this. Yes, unfortunately, I don’t think it is great for replay due to the folding and cutting that is sometimes needed, but it’s probably worth trying with at least one box to see how your group does. They have deals all the time if you get on their email list! I will buy a box with a coupon code, cancel after I get that one box, and then they’ll send me another coupon code within a month or two.
Interesting. It seems like all the coupon codes (I am on their mailing list) is only for your first box. I am waiting for the Amazon Forest one in February (I’ve decided to do them separately) but plan to have another person from our group purchase it and use the code (then I’ll just re-emburse them).
Hi Karen! They do have a lot of first-time box offers, but I definitely get “come back” offers as well from time to time! They must might be slightly more rare, but I think there is one in my email at least every two or three months. I will pay closer attention in the future!
Thx! I haven’t gotten one yet. I’m waiting till January’s box. Someone else from our group will purchase it and I’ll pay him back with group funds. Then I’ll continue that pattern till each person in our group that’s willing has bought a box. After that I’ll have to see if the $30 is really cheaper or somewhere else is better.