Room Escape Artist

Beyond Good and Evil

Location:  at home

Date Played: January 13, 2024

Team size: 1-2

Duration: about 60 minutes

Price: about $55

This is a guest review by Madeleine Alexis.

REA Reaction

If you have played a Cluebox before, you will see that the complexity and artistry has come a long way. And if you have never played one… this is a beautifully intricate introduction to them. The lore of the box is a great motivator in getting it solved; the story goes that this puzzle is the legendary William Whewell’s initiation test given to those vying for induction into the Cambridge Philosophical Society. Should you solve it, you too would be worthy of membership.

The goal is simply to open the box. Upon first looking at the puzzle, it is not immediately evident where to begin. Unlike older versions of the puzzles, which had arrows pointing where to go, it will not be apparent which face of the cube you will need to solve next. That being the case, you do get a better appreciation for the precision and craftsmanship that went into this puzzle. My recommendation is to touch everything before you begin, so that you will notice when something static is suddenly able to move. The first puzzle definitely took the longest to solve, only because it is the introduction to the piece that sort of lays out what to expect in gameplay, but once you get over that hump, the fun begins!

While there was no true Cluebox for Whewell’s potential members to solve (sadly), each of the puzzles adhere well to the theme of science and discovery. Play through feels like you’re a lab rat moving through various tests in a Goldbergian type mechanism. You may be asked to rotate cogs in the correct order, adjust levers, release ball bearings, or complete a circuit.

An important thing to note if you haven’t played one of these Clueboxes before is that the pieces themselves will never have to be forced. The 2 finger rule for an in-person room applies here, you’ll only have to use the strength of a typical pinching grasp. The completion of each puzzle only opens up the following puzzle, meaning the next thing that moves is your new goal to solve, and each face is only used once. Some gentle tilting and shaking, and light cursing, may also be necessary.

At several points, I did require a hint, not because I didn’t know what to do at all, but because I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about doing what I knew needed to be done. The hint system was progressive enough that I wasn’t getting a spoiler by checking if I was on the right track. Just remember that labyrinths are meant to be meditative, and any frustration is an opportunity to think down a different path.

Like a true labyrinth, you end where you begin.

Analysis

On the plus side…

• Can be done in the comfort of your home, without a time limit
• Beautiful, detailed craftsmanship that is pleasing to look at even when not in play
• Sturdy enough that you probably won’t break anything
• A fun challenge for your fine motor skills, working memory, and visual spatial reasoning
• The tangible satisfaction from cracking the clue to the next step, and…
• That rewarding moment you finally get to the big reveal!
• Bonus: The Cluebox can act as a fun gift wrap, as the inner chamber can hold a small gift (like jewelry) as a fun surprise for someone special

On the minus side…

• Because of the precision of some of the puzzles (some things will have to be input within a millimeter), a person with fine motor difficulties may find it more difficult to grip or move smaller parts, and a steady hand is needed.
• Does not provide arrows pointing to the next step as previous iterations did
• I have to admit, there was one case where I managed to unlock a piece of the puzzle by accidentally tilting the box the way it wanted me to, and I didn’t quite get why until I looked at the hints afterwards.

Cluebox Overview

For more details on this series of games, refer to our iDventure Cluebox Puzzles Overview.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: a small table
• Note that The paper box does not come into play or clue any of the puzzles.

Buy your copy of iDventure’s Cambridge Labyrinth , and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

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