Be Wilder At Bewilder Box | Judgement D.A.V.E. Escape Room At The Brunswick, Brighton

Brighton (and Hove) has always held a special place in our hearts – it’s where Saff and I had our first proper date. It’s also one of our favourite foodie towns, with 64 degrees, The Salt room and The Chilli Pickle amongst our top picks – not forgetting the mini London invasion spearheaded by MEATliquor and Polpo. But this time we were here to try out the brand new Bewilder Box escape room game, entitled ‘Judgement Dave’.

We were invited down along with my children, Oliver (16) and Charlotte (14) to test drive this new sci-fi themed puzzle. My kids were so excited, they had been to a couple before, but Saff and I had absolutely no idea what we were letting ourselves in for. If you are as equally in the dark, just think of a scaled down hybrid of the Crystal Maze and The Adventure Game (younger readers may have to Google that last one). But the emphasis is on solving puzzles rather that physical tasks.

The original Bewilder Box experience is rated as the no.1 thing to do on Trip Advisor for Brighton and has already attracted a legion of fans including big names like TV’s Jonathan Ross, if it’s good enough for Wossy it’s good enough for us. But to be honest, when we first approached The Brunswick pub (above which Judgement Dave is staged) we weren’t quite sure if we had made a wasted trip. Remember though, you should never judge a book by its cover, or an escape room by its venue – appearances are often VERY deceptive!

The name’s Best… Bewilder Best

We were a little early for our booked time slot, so we all sat in the bar and had a swift half of the aptly named Bewilder Best whilst we waited – any excuse! A little word of warning, although the game is suitable for children, as the entrance is via the bar area all children under legal drinking age must be off the premises by 8pm.

Meet the team with Norman Lovett (sans goggles)

After a quick housekeeping talk it was time to start the immersive experience. Were invited to watch a video briefing before it’s suddenly interrupted as it’s been ‘hacked’ by none other than The Masternet 9000 supercomputer. I recognise the voice of our mischievous and dry-witted nemesis as that of Norman Lovett – best known as Red Dwarf’s senile computer Holly. It was this The Masternet 9000 against which we had to pit our wits to solve puzzles and complete challenges in a tongue-in-cheek science fiction story quite unlike anything else on the market.

Your name’s not down. you’re not coming in (unless you crack the code)

So it was time to venture in to the first zone. The kids (especially Oliver) spang into action whilst Saff and I froze just trying to take everything thing in. Excitedly Oliver and Charlotte opened boxes, found cogs, deciphered codes and pulled levers. Now I’m not going to go into a huge about of detail regarding the actual puzzles and their solutions, I don’t want to spoil the surprise (and ruin your fun).

Charlotte doing her best code breaking, whist I take on the role of chief torch holder

But as Lovett said, ‘The idea of combining puzzle solving and immersive theatre is an interesting concept’. Saff and I made ourselves useful by holding torches and jotting down the codes that the kids were cracking. The girls got very excited when the ‘cute’ mini robot turned up, I think they purposely spent a long time solving that particular part of the game so they could play with it.

The 90 minutes wizzed by and finally we were at the stage where we shut down the The Masternet 9000 and save the world, then there was a twist in the story! But did we shut it down? Would you shut it down? You will just have to visit and see for yourself!

Your country (or should that be world) needs you!

The kids left raving about just how good it was and how much fun it was. Oliver went as far as to say it was the best escape room he’d ever done. I hadn’t seen him so enthused about anything in years – getting a teenager this excited is no mean feat!

I think we may well be returning to Brighton before long so the kids can have a go on the original game Bewilder Box Escape Rooms game entitled The Bewilder Box Initiative. At least this time Saff and I will know what to expect, we might even actually solve a puzzle too.

Find out more about Bewilder Box here
The Brunswick
1 Holland Road
Hove. BN3 1JF

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Booking times: The Bewilder Box experience lasts approx 75 minutes, (although we recommend allowing for 90). This includes a short intro, up to 60 minutes inside room, & de-brief. Our official game run times are as follows:

12:15 – 1:45pm
2:00 – 3:30pm
4:00 – 5:30pm
5:45 – 7:15pm
7:30 – 9:00pm

Book online here

Nearest station: Brighton (25 mins walk)

By car: If you are travelling by car, there is street parking available outside the pub and in all the streets surrounding the area. There is also a dedicated car park approximately 10 minutes walk away – Norton Road Car Park at 13 Norton Rd, Hove BN3 3BE.

We visited as guests of Bewilder Box, this does not affect our review in any way. We always write with complete honesty.