Room Escape Artist

Bottled Up Secrets

Location: San Diego, California

Date Played: January 18, 2026

Team Size: 6-7 players; you must play with at least 6 players

Duration: 3 hours

Price:  $35 per player at the studio for a gamemaster to run the game, $89 for the play-at-home box game

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: Sitting down and getting up from chairs frequently

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Grab your posse, polish your spurs, and saddle up, because this dusty little town is hiding more secrets than a bootlegger’s root cellar. In Calavera, everyone’s got a tragic story, everyone’s got an angle, and everyone is lying through their teeth. 

One of the best things about jubensha is how each game rustles up its own spin on the format. Dust, Blood, & Calavera packed in more gameplay and strategy than any jubensha I’ve played to date. This ain’t no one-horse game, that’s for sure. 

As a team vs. team style murder mystery, it played a bit like a social deduction party game, such as Blood on the Clocktower or Werewolf. Besides the usual untangling of backstories and filtering out the Real McCoy from bathtub gin, there was a ton of gameplay and strategy. Dust, Blood, & Calavera had a mini-game, an in-game economy with currency, and even a good old-fashioned shoot-out. Don’t worry though – it still won’t hurt as much as the accusations you’ll be firing at each other.

For better or worse, this made the experience feel much more strategic than most jubensha I’ve played. There was more to manage, more decisions to make, and more opportunities to scheme. Some players in my group loved having extra systems to manipulate and exploit, while others felt the added mechanics occasionally pulled attention away from the role-playing and storytelling aspects. The mini-game, in particular, felt a bit out of place and a little tedious. 

Perhaps because of the added gameplay and strategic mechanics, the narrative itself felt relatively straightforward and approachable. But I also played a character that had their fingers in a lotta pies, so that may have added to my narrative clarity.

While this game is also available as a box game for at-home play, we played on location at Scriptlab in San Diego, California. I really enjoyed the enthusiasm of our gamemaster, who helped bring the dusty streets of Calavera to life. The provided accessories also helped us step into our roles, and there was atmospheric music and occasional lighting changes. That said, there was still room for this town to up the ante. More physical props, stronger set design, and additional lighting or atmospheric elements could really take the immersion to the next level. 

This brings me to the question: Is it worth it to play in-person versus purchasing the box game to play at home? It certainly costs more to play in-person at their studio, but for many players, a knowledgeable gamemaster justifies the price of admission. However, this was not a fully-immersive, themed production. If that’s what you’d expect when playing on location, you might be happier buying the boxed game. 

Dust, Blood, & Calavera was a wild ride with romantic entanglements, shady deals, and questionable alliances, all distilled into an enjoyable 3-hour game. Whether you’re a lawman or bootlegger, it’s always a good time getting your hands dirty. After taking a few pot shots at each other, just dole out a bit of moonshine and we’re all friends again.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Players who like social deduction games
• Any experience, but beginner friendly
• Western/ Prohibition Era fans

Why play?

• For the additional strategic and gameplay mechanics
• Team vs. Team style game
• An in-studio gamemaster can help untangle the complicated instructions and gameplay

Story

The tumbleweeds are a-tumbling, and the moonshine is burning a path down your throat. Calavera is the notorious heart of Prohibition-era smuggling, where bootleggers and fortune seekers battle for control of the town’s illegal liquor routes. But death haunts this forsaken desert outpost.  

Mayor Colt Hopkins is found dead in his home, and rumors are spreading fast. Everyone is secretly allied, and you don’t know who to trust. Uncover the secrets of this town before it’s too late.

Setting

Our game at Scriptlab was played in brightly lit, simply furnished conference rooms. We were seated around a very large table in big comfy chairs with small side tables provided to hold snacks, drinks and personal belongings. Throughout the game, we spread into adjoining rooms, the lobby, or the hallway to have private interactions before returning to the main room for group discussions.

There was a gamemaster who narrated and ran the game. Costume accessories were provided that matched each character’s description.

Gameplay

Dust, Blood, & Calavera was a team vs. team jubensha murder mystery role playing game. It had more gameplay and strategy than the average jubensha. 

Core gameplay revolved around roleplaying, exchanging information with teammates, optimizing an in-game economy, and figuring out who was allied, on top of the usual figuring out each character’s secrets.

Analysis

➕ The story was understandable from most characters’ points of view and made sense narratively.

➕/➖ Many gameplay mechanics made this game interesting and different from regular jubensha. These included an in-world economy, barter system, and the mini-game. However, the flow of the game discussions was often interrupted by the introduction and explanations of the new elements.

➕ / ➖ The mini game in the middle of the session didn’t feel narratively justified, and took us out of the role-play aspect. However, it was interesting to have a little break from the discussion aspects of the game. I think a little more narrative set up and payoff from the game would help it feel less jarring. It also seemed to drag on. A zippier game would keep the momentum going.

➕ The gamemaster was very passionate about jubensha and clearly loved running games. Their enthusiasm was delightful.

➕ The costume accessories provided were fun and added to the atmosphere. Generally, I prefer accessories over full costumes because they still give you the same immersive feel, but are more comfortable.

➖ Besides music and provided accessories, there wasn’t much immersive production value. We were playing the game in sparsely decorated conference rooms. There was opportunity to create a better atmosphere with physical props, lighting, and set decor.

➕ The location itself was bright, clean, and comfortable. It was in a business center with lots of restaurants nearby, and very accessible.

➖ We found it difficult to move around the game room. When we played in January 2026, we were seated around a very large table with comfortable but large chairs. We were squeezed up against the walls. The game required players to get up from the table and leave the room quite frequently for private conversations. This resulted in awkward shuffling, squeezing around furniture and people, and was overall very inconvenient. Scriptlab may have changed the setup since we played.

❓ Team vs Team style gameplay meant we had at least one person we could trust, which helped the game feel more straightforward, in a way. However, sometimes the fun of jubensha is in the tension of not knowing who to trust. This also gave Dust, Blood, & Calavera a strong social deduction game feel. Your mileage may vary.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a large parking lot. 
• While you can purchase this as a boxed game to play at home, due to the complexity of the gameplay mechanics, it might be easier to play at their studio. Without a seasoned gamemaster, it’s all too easy to wander off into the desert.
• You can bring your own drinks and snacks into the game. There’s an H Mart nearby with Asian groceries and a food court. They also have drinks and snacks available at the studio.
• For that post-game discussion, we recommend Mothership, a gorgeously themed sci-fi tiki bar. They have delicious food and cocktails. It’s about a 15-20 minute drive. Be sure to make a reservation.

Book your jubensha with Scriptlab’s Dust, Blood, & Calavera, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Scriptlab comped our tickets for this game.