Room Escape Artist

I am Judgement Dave

Location:  Brighton, England

Date Played: January 8, 2023

Team size: 2-7; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: £60-£154 per group

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  The game is on the second floor of the building, but there aren’t stairs within the game itself.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Judgement DAVE was a great, well-rounded escape game. In their latest creation, Bewilder Box displayed their signature blend of science fiction, humor, quirky mechanical interactions, and solid puzzle design.

We’re always saying that humor is underused in escape rooms… well, not at Bewilder Box. They leaned into it, and backed it up with good game design.

The aspect of Judgement DAVE that didn’t quite land for us was the ethical dilemma (which isn’t really a spoiler; it’s clear that this will be a part of the experience from the outset). It wasn’t that the decision was uninteresting. Rather, as charming as the characters were, the game never made me invest deeply enough in them. The potential was there.

All in all, Judgement DAVE was a fantastic time, and it was flirting with powerful ideas and depth that I would love to see mined to its fullest. If you’re in Brighton, Judgement DAVE is a must-play.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Sci-fi fans
• Any experience level
• Davids… we are legion.

Why play?

• Strong puzzle design
• Playful character interactions

Story

Rogue AI Masternet 9000 had taken over the Bewilder Box Initiative. We had to partner with The Initiative’s original AI, DAVE, to investigate. Then we had decide what to do with this untethered AI.

Setting

The set was futuristically minimalist. It was compact, but there was room to maneuver. The details supported key puzzle points. The set did its job well, but it didn’t do anything more.

Gameplay

Bewilder Box‘s Judgement DAVE was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, communicating, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

➕ Judgement Dave was a puzzler’s escape room. The puzzles largely required 2 teammates to collaborate, often across different spaces. That isn’t to say the space was large. Rather, Bewilder Box fit a lot of enjoyable, communication-focused content into a small footprint.

➕ There were a lot of puzzles, but the inputs were mapped well. The gameplay flowed.

➕ A few mechanical interactions stood out. These tapped into some less used senses (in escape rooms, that is) in unconventional ways. We enjoyed handling the props and experiencing their outputs.

➖ Judgement Dave didn’t have a big reveal or wow moment that will stick with us.

➕/➖ At the end of Judgement Dave, we had to make an ethical decision. We appreciate that this gave more weight to the escape room. That said, we didn’t feel enough emotional connection to the characters to make a meaningful decision. It was sort of a “what kind of mood are we in” decision.

➕ The robot was adorable.

Tips For Visiting

• The escape room is located about The Brunswick pub, which we also recommend.

Book your hour with Bewilder Box’s Judgement Dave, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Bewilder Box comped our tickets for this game.