The annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers Choice Awards are upon us, and for the third straight year they treat us with an Escape Room specific award for 2018! Continuing on the positive response from last year, USA TODAY has again reached out personally to industry experts to pick this year’s nominees – guaranteeing that every option is a huge fan favorite and in turn making it very difficult to pick one single winner to support!

I am incredibly excited to share that for the second consecutive year, among those very select few industry experts is yours truly, proudly representing Escape Authority, its Core Team and all of our loyal, amazing readers.

Escape Authority made twenty nominations for venues that we feel best exhibit the key values we look for in an escape game: Story, Scenic and Puzzles. To qualify, it was our requirement that the venue must have received a 5 Key (or higher) rating for at least one of their games.

This year, USA TODAY has selected a whopping thirteen of our picks to make the final cut:

* * * 13th Gate Escape * * *

Located in Baton Rouge, LA featuring:

13th Gate Escape is also home to other highly rated games – Agent 13, Death Row and The Collector – though we  have not posted their finished reviews on Escape Authority quite yet.

 * * * THE BASEMENT * * *

With locations in Sylmar, CA and Las Vegas, NV featuring:

The Basement is also home to another highly rated game – The Courtyard – though we  have not posted its finished review on Escape Authority quite yet.

* * * 5 WITS * * *

With locations in Foxborough, MA, West Nyack, NY, Syracuse, NY, Buffalo, NY and Albany, NY featuring:

 * * * — * * *

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 * * * 60OUT * * *

With four locations around Los Angeles, CA featuring:

* * * Strange Bird Immersive * * *

Located in Houston, TX featuring:

* * * RISE Escape Rooms * * *

Located in Tickfaw, LA featuring:

RISE Escape Rooms is also home to other highly rated games – Spellbound and The Bookie – though we  have not posted their finished reviews on Escape Authority quite yet.

* * * KOMNATA QUEST * * *

With three locations around New York, NY featuring

* * * Escapade Games * * *

Located in Fullerton, CA featuring:

* * * PALACE GAMES * * *

Located in San Francisco, CA featuring:

* * * Escape the Netherworld * * *

Located in Stone Mountain, GA featuring:

Escape the Netherworld is home to another highly rated game – Haunted – Curse of the Night Hag – though we have not posted its finished review on Escape Authority quite yet.

 * * * Maze Rooms * * *

With six locations around Los Angeles, CA and one in Austin, TX featuring:

Maze Rooms is home to another highly rated game – One Way Ticket – though we have not posted its finished review on Escape Authority quite yet.

* * * Escape My Room * * *

Located in New Orleans, LA featuring:

Just in case you missed it – all venue names above link back to the venue’s official websites, while all game names link to the official Escape Authority reviews.

You can show your support for your favorite venue by casting a vote daily! USA TODAY’s 10Best Escape Rooms voting ends at noon EST on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

ESCAPE AUTHORITY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE OUR OTHER NOMINEES WHO, UNFORTUNATELY, DIDN’T QUITE MAKE USA TODAY’S LIST THIS TIME AROUND:

*The Escape Game (Orlando, FL, Nashville, TN, Pigeon Forge, TN, Austin, TX, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL)

*Imagine Escape Games (Tampa, FL)

*Escape Chronicles (North Hollywood, CA)

*Evil Genius Escape Rooms (Los Angeles, CA)

*Brooklyn Escape Games (Brooklyn, NY)

*Ultimate Escape Game (Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX)

*Escape Plan (Columbia, SC)

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