Six individuals from diverse backgrounds find themselves presented with a mysterious puzzle cube. Among them is Zoey (played by Taylor Russell), a dedicated physics student, whose professor, Cornelius Geaney Jr., urges her to express herself more confidently. Jason (portrayed by Jay Ellis) is a wealthy day trader known for delivering substantial returns for his clients, aided by his assistant Charlie, played by Russell Crous. Ben (played by Logan Miller), a struggling stock-boy, pleads with his boss Gary (depicted by Bart Fouche) for more hours, only to be turned down. Joining them is Mike (played by Tyler Labine), a truck driver, Amanda (portrayed by Deborah Ann Woll), a courageous Iraq War veteran, and Danny (played by Nik Dodani), an escape room aficionado with an impressive record of having completed 93 rooms.
The group is soon faced with the chance to participate in an escape room challenge, promising a grand prize of $10,000. Upon their arrival at an ominous office building, the atmosphere is cold and unwelcoming. When Ben attempts to leave, he discovers the door handle has vanished, signaling the commencement of their deadly challenge. Their objective is clear: to escape before time runs out.
As they navigate through the first two rooms—an intense heating oven and a chilling winter cabin—they realize the stakes are escalating as the rooms become increasingly perilous. In the heating oven, the group learns that the escape hatch can only be accessed by keeping the coasters pressed down. Quick-thinking Ben and Danny devise a plan involving glasses of water to maintain pressure on the coasters, ultimately leading to their escape.
Upon entering a new icy room, they are confronted with two locks. Ben helps to decipher the clue for the second lock, which points to "Reindeer." The puzzles are seemingly linked to their personal histories, making the challenge all the more gripping. After a heart-pounding sequence, Amanda discovers a coat for Zoey, which leads to a compass, while Mike ingeniously employs a fishing rod to tackle an ice fishing hole threatening Ben's safety. Tragedy strikes when Danny falls through the ice in another chilling room. To reach the key trapped in a frozen icebox, the group must melt the ice using their body heat, leading to an explosive escape.
Their next trial awaits in an upside-down billiards bar, where floors give way to an ominous void beneath them. During the chaos, Amanda takes charge but ultimately falls while trying to retrieve a vital knob from Jason. The ensuing room, resembling a hospital ward, serves as a grim reminder of their past survival from various disasters. As the room fills with poisonous gas, Zoey realizes that the game’s twisted purpose revolves around identifying the 'luckiest' participant.
In a shocking turn, Jason decides to use another player, Mike, to elevate the heart rate necessary to reveal their escape route. The situation spirals out of control, leading to the tragic demise of Mike and an intense confrontation where Ben accuses Jason of betrayal. In the room filled with optical illusions, consumed by paranoia and desperation, Ben resorts to violence, taking Jason's life to secure his escape.
As the story unfolds, Zoey manages to fend off the cleanup crew and finds resilience, challenging the manipulative Gamemaster, played by Yorick van Wageningen, who oversees the perilous game. In the end, with the Gamemaster defeated, Zoey returns to the haunted building accompanied by Detective Li (portrayed by Kenneth Fok), but the authorities dismiss their claims, convinced that all evidence of the game has vanished without a trace. Six months later, a determined Zoey tries to connect the dots with Ben, revealing that the deaths of their friends were covered up as accidents. She uncovers clues leading to a secluded building in Manhattan, igniting a spark of determination within them both as they prepare to confront the looming threats posed by the Puzzle Maker, who is already plotting their next deadly game.
