Long Island escape room games for teenagers

Escape rooms challenge players to work together to solve puzzles to escape from a “locked” room in 60 minutes. Coronavirus concerns make the experience different for know — players are required to wear a face mask the whole time of visit and gloves may be offered for guests to wear. Reservations are required and no walk-ins. Only one group is allowed to play at a time. Several escape room companies now offer virtual sessions or mobile versions that hit the road visiting private events.

CAN YOU ESCAPE? LONG ISLAND in Mineola has an array of rooms for players. "Once Upon a Time" room is best for kids. This room tasks players with decoding a fairytale about a little boy in the magical world he constructed and gives them one hour to uncover clues and secrets that they can use to free themselves from the locked room. The other escape rooms are more challenging. All escape room experiences are one hour. Additionally, Can You Escape? Long Island has a mobile bus escape room called "The Insane Asylum," as well as four other types of escape rooms, which vistis private events. Players younger than 18 in a group must have an adult playing in the escape room with them at all times. Can You Escape? Long Island is open seven days a week, but hours vary. Price: $30 per person in Mineola More information: 44 Jericho Tpke., 516-246-9939, canyouescapeli.com 

CHALLENGE ESCAPE ROOMS has two locations on Long Island: Franklin Square (922 Hempstead Turnpike) and Rockville Centre (203 Sunrise Highway). Each has themed rooms ranging in difficulty for players to choose from. Franklin Square's "Under the Sea" room is filled with fish and ocean decorations, and is ranked as having an easy to medium level of difficulty by the location, making it the best option for kids. In Rockville Centre, the board game themed room called "The Game Room" is the least difficult. For players near and far, Challenge Escape Room has two virtual escape rooms played through a video call (Zoom) and hosted by a live host to guide you along the game; Challenge Escape Room also has an Escape Room Truck that travels throughout Long Island to different parties and events. At both locations, children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Open 6-11 p.m. weekdays, noon-midnight Saturday and noon-10 p.m. Sunday. Price: $31 per player. More information: 516-888-0202, challengeescaperooms.com 

ESCAPE GAME LONG ISLAND has three locations, Ronkonkoma (718 Portion Rd. and 2402 Ocean Ave.) and Brookhaven (70 Horseblock Rd.), each offering unique escape game rooms. At the 718 Portion Rd., Ronkonkoma location, "Legends of a Hidden Temple," asks kids to uncover lost treasure, go through a sand room, crawl in a tunnel and end up in a treasure room. The newest location at 2402 Ocean Ave. in Ronkonkoma has 5 games rooms including "Wild West Heist" and "Cuckoo’s Nest," "Castaway," "The Cube" and "Home Alone 2." At the Brookhaven location, players can attempt to escape rooms like "Cabin in the Woods," which is great for kids. This room challenges players to put their minds together, decode clues and jigsaw puzzles. At all locations, children ages 6 and older are allowed to enter the escape rooms. Open daily 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and extended hours by reservations. Price: $32 per player at all locations. More information: 631-974-6988, escapegameli.com 

ESCAPE ZONE LONG ISLAND in St. James offers five family-friendly experiences: "Jumanji," "The Mad Hatter," "The Wizard's Chamber: Harry Potter," "Trouble in Paradise" and "Skull and Bones." Each experience features a variety of thought-provoking puzzles and riddles. There's also a horror-themed game called "IT" which is a lot more challenging due to its scary clown theme. "IT" has a secondary option called "IT Extreme," offered on weekends after ‪5 p.m.‬ The Extreme game features a live actor which only amplifies the game's terror. Children ages 5 and older are allowed as booked participants, and players ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult who is also a booked player in the game. Escape Zone Long Island is open ‪11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday‬ through Sunday by reservation only. Price: Per player is $30 and $35 for the "IT extreme" game. Escape Zone will also be opening a second location this upcoming mid.-October at 275 Route 25A in Miller Place. More information: ‪872 Middle Country Rd.‬, 631-645-8906, escapezonelongisland.com 

JUST ESCAPE in Massapequa offers six escape rooms with themes ranging from the candy-filled “Sweet Revenge” room to the “Pirates of the Dark Sea Room” and the intriguing "Cabin" room. Each escape room has locks players have to decode, with a total of 175 locks spread throughout the six rooms. The "Carnival Conundrum" escape room is the least difficult room and is not scary, making it the best for kids. When players enter the room, they will be distracted by bright lights, fun music and classic carnival games. But as time goes by, the weather at the carnival turns from sun to rain and players have to quickly find their way out in 60 minutes or less. Children ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by a participating adult or can opt to have a game master be in there with them. Just Escape is open noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Price: $35 per player. More information: 529 Broadway, 516-809-8980, justescapeli.com 

PUZZLE BREAK LONG ISLAND in Syosset offers four rooms for guests to attempt to escape from in 60 minutes or less. "Escape the Midnight Carnival," where teams have to solve a mystery using games and clues like a colorful spinning wheel, is the easiest room, so it's best for kids and first-timers. "Escape from Twenty Thousand Leagues," featuring marine life decorations and lots of maps, "Escape the Lost Temple," a room covered in ancient-looking stones and murals, "The Grimm Escape," where teams have to break a witch's spell, increase in difficulty respectively and "The Grimm Escape: Virtual Edition" allows friends and family to play together in a private game from any location. A live game host guides the group. Puzzle Break Long Island recommends its escape rooms for players ages 8 and older, but there is no set age requirement. It's open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday. Price: "Escape the Lost Temple" costs $32 per player. The other three escape rooms are $30 per player. More information: 180 Michael Dr., (516) 307-0888, puzzlebreakli.com 

By Beth Whitehouse

beth.whitehouse@newsday.comBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.