Room Escape Artist

Dystopia is one of Belgium’s best escape rooms. Here are our other escape room recommendations in the area.

Helpful AI

Location:  Brussels, Belgium

Date Played: June 21, 2024

Team Size: 3-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: €120 for 3 players to €150 for 6 players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  One player will need to climb and crawl in a tight space

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Unlocked through a crawl space

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Dystopia was caringly handmade and placed in the perfect setting to be a high-tech, yet home grown experience. The repurposed bunker this game was set in really impressed, with extremely heavy doors, thick concrete walls, and tall ceilings covered in interactive LED panels. Communication was the only downside to this space, as hearing our teammates was difficult during certain gameplay segments.

The puzzles throughout the game were layered with complex – yet not overwhelming – team-based solves. We loved the nature of these puzzles, and don’t often see puzzles this layered solve so cleanly. Each puzzle was innovative and fit into the narrative, with a handful of humorous moments sprinkled in. With the exception of a few worn out props, Dystopia was a well executed, handmade experience.

We left appreciating every little bit of this game, down to many innovative 3D printed props and small beautiful objects. If you’re in Brussels, it’s worth stopping by Dystopia to see the unique set, strong puzzles, and humorous interactions.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Techies
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Sci-fi fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Impressive technology lovingly designed and crafted by hand
• The real bunker gamespace

Story

The world was in grave danger and had nearly lost the greatest artificial intelligence ever built. Our team had been sent to protect the AI at all costs.

Setting

Dystopia was set in an expansive, repurposed bunker, complete with thick concrete walls, heavy doors, and a seemingly infinite amount of LEDs.

Gameplay

Dystopia was a high-tech escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, puzzling, and communicating.

Analysis

➕ Dystopia was built inside of a repurposed bunker. The giant metal doors felt hefty and satisfying. Traversing the space, we could genuinely believe we were in a bunker. The puzzles and tech felt at home in this set.

➕ Most of the game props were visually appealing and well-crafted. We could tell so much of the game was made by hand, a lot of it 3D printed, and a majority of the game felt polished. The decor was sparse in some areas, but that felt thematically appropriate.

➖ On that note, a small amount of objects lacked polish. One integral puzzle we kept going back to was fairly worn with pieces that didn’t sit well in their places. This puzzle felt uninspired compared to the rest of the game, and the ill-fitting was not doing the puzzle any favors.

➕ One puzzle kept iterating further and further with a very cute moment late in the game. Through progressive discovery, it enabled us to learn the mechanic and continue to improve as the puzzles became more challenging.  

➕ A small portion of the game required at least one player to crawl through a maze of sorts. This area was long, meaningful, and actually had appropriate ventilation. The other players who did not crawl didn’t have to wait very long, and could appreciate it from the outside.

➖ One visually appealing puzzle sequence had a single input slightly off, and lacked any amount of partial feedback. We wished this puzzle had some better way to show which parts were still unsolved.

➕ Dystopia relied heavily on communication puzzles. We especially enjoyed one layered solve that while quite complex, was still approachable. It offered room for everyone to get involved, and we worked through it together piece by piece.

➖ Communication was difficult through the thick concrete walls. There was a hole during a crucial part, but it didn’t help nearly enough.

❓The story was strong, but the ending fell flat. We really wanted to have agency at the end, but the game just ended with the predictable path.

Tips For Visiting

• There is some street parking. Arrive early to pay and figure out how to parallel park in such tight spaces.

Book your hour with Dystopia, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.