Escape Director vs ClueMaster
Unlimited Rooms for $59.99, not $499. No boxes to buy, and the whole game keeps running when the internet drops.
The short answer
ClueMaster is cloud software that needs its own Room Controller computers and sensors, and its unlimited-room plan is $499 a month. Escape Director runs on the computer you already have, works with your own props, and includes unlimited Rooms for $59.99 a month per location.
Why owners pick Escape Director
Unlimited Rooms, one price
$59.99 a month for every Room at a location. ClueMaster's unlimited plan is $499 a month.
No boxes to buy
Use the computer and props you already have: MQTT, HTTP, or Arduino with our free SDK. ClueMaster needs its own Room Controller for the TV and its own sensors for props.
The whole game keeps running
Offline-ready Rooms keep the Room Dashboard working through an outage. ClueMaster's Game Master console waits for the internet.
A leaderboard for your lobby
A live leaderboard that updates the moment a team escapes.
Built this year. It shows.
A fast, clean Room Dashboard in any browser, on the computer you already have. Nothing to install, no license keys.
Click around the live demo, no sign-upThe scorecard
Escape Director checks all 11. ClueMaster checks 3.
| Feature | Escape Director | ClueMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59.99/mo per location | $9–$499/mo |
| Runs in a web browser | Yes | Yes |
| Works on Mac and Windows | Yes | Yes |
| The whole game keeps running offline | Yes | PartlyConsole goes down |
| Works with your props, no special hardware | Yes | NoIts own boxes |
| Free, open-source Arduino SDK | Yes | Not listed |
| Solved props start Automations | Yes | PartlyWith its sensors |
| Analytics for each Puzzle | Yes | PartlyCompletion ratios |
| Ask your analytics in plain English | Yes | Not listed |
| Live lobby leaderboard | Yes | Not listed |
| Unlimited Rooms on one plan | Yes | Partly$499/mo plan |
| Free trial you start yourself | Yes | Yes |
ClueMaster: $9 a month for up to 5 rooms, $49 for up to 15, or $499 for unlimited rooms. Details are from its website, checked October 2026. “Not listed” means its website does not say. Spot something out of date? Email support@escapedirector.com and we will fix it.
Ask your business anything
Type a question in plain English and get the answer from your own games, with the numbers behind it. None of the other tools on these pages offer anything like it.
- “Which Puzzle stalls teams the most this month?”
- “Which Game Master gives the most Clues?”
- “How did the new Room do in its first 50 games?”
New features every month
Escape Director is built by a team that ships every week. Here are the latest big ones.
- October 20, 2026Assistant
- October 20, 2026Team
- October 20, 2026Locations
- September 30, 2026Hardware Integration
Switch in an afternoon
Your clue list moves over as it is, and we will help you plan how each prop connects. Send us your clue list and we will set up your first Room for you, free. Run it next to ClueMaster during your 30-day trial, then switch on a quiet day.
Questions
Escape Director checks all 11 boxes on our scorecard; ClueMaster checks 3. The biggest differences: unlimited Rooms, one price; no boxes to buy; the whole game keeps running; a leaderboard for your lobby.
Yes. Escape Director runs in the browser on Windows or Mac, keeps the whole game running when the internet drops, works with the props you already own, and shows analytics down to each Puzzle, all on one plan with unlimited Rooms.
ClueMaster: $9 a month for up to 5 rooms, $49 for up to 15, or $499 for unlimited rooms. Escape Director: $59.99 a month or $599.99 a year per location, with unlimited Rooms and every feature included.
Yes. ClueMaster says you need its TV Room Controller computers to show the timer on a room TV, and props connect through its own sensors. Escape Director runs on the computer you already have and connects MQTT, HTTP and Arduino props.
Yes. Send us your clue list and we will set up your first Room for you, free. Run it next to ClueMaster during the 30-day trial, then switch on a quiet day.