Pier Pressure: Pavilion Perplex

By | March 20, 2019

by Pier Pressure (website)

33 Upper North Street, BN1 3FG

Brighton

2-6 players

Languages: EN

60 minutes

Deaf friendly - contact the venue for details🐶👶
The Pavilion Perplex is an escape room game that exudes class! Set inside the Royal Palace in the early Victorian era, this is a sublimely decorated escape room with a wide variety of puzzles and some beautiful secrets and surprises.
Featuring puzzles and games like those found on “The Crystal Maze”, plus many historically accurate facts and period artifacts. Players will have their logic and dexterity skills put to the test to recover the missing petition and save the iconic building.
show full description
Thank you for helping keep Escape the Review up to date!
Let us know what needs changing:




If you own or manage this company, you can also claim the listing and update it yourself

Overall rating

Rated between 4 and 4.5 out of 5

based on ratings from 37 users
combined with 5 pro reviews

Your review

Player reviews

Suzanntelope rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 19 Feb 2024 Team size: 2 Time taken: 47:44 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulgreat hostingnonlinear
Adam Bravery expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 2 Nov 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 34:07 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulimmersivegreat hostingquite easy
An excellent set for the room and highly rated the pigeon clue system. Puzzles were generally good and had a decent flow. A physical puzzle was a bit annoying, but otherwise had a good time and our host Chris was brilliant
KazKew rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 20 Aug 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 57:00 Outcome: Successful escape!
story-drivengreat hosting

I thoroughly enjoyed this room. The puzzles were just difficult enough and the hosting was great! Can't wait to try the other rooms at Pier Pressure.

abooth expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 26 Mar 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 47 Outcome: Successful escape!

Lots of fun in here - some good hidden gem puzzles. Bit more searchy than the other games at PP.

Wesley Mead expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 18 Mar 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 54m Outcome: Successful escape!
magical
Simon (The Overthinkers) expert rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Played: 19 Sep 2020 Team size: 2 Time taken: 41:00 Outcome: Successful escape!
story-drivengreat hosting
abunai expert rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
ratsontour expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 3 Outcome: Successful escape!
Tim Cooper expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 4 Time taken: 46:58 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulcleverimmersive
Schteeeve experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 24 Aug 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 54:05 Outcome: Successful escape!
great hostingfamily friendly
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 2019 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!

We were looking forward to try our first room at Pier Pressure Brighton, unlike we first thought, their company is NOT situated on the Pier but instead it's a quick walk up the city center on a very quiet road. Their reception room is great and very welcoming. We were greeted by one of the employees and told to wait for the maid of the pavilion.

This was one of the main point of the reason why I'm putting 5 stars to this room, there is not only a great story behind the room (we are looking for the petition to keep the Royal Pavilion standing despite the Queen trying to demolish it) but Pier Pressure truly play the immersion card with one of the maid showing us our starting room in full character (and not cringy at all like it can be sometimes), engaging with us and making sure that we understood the story and what we are meant to search for. A great great start of a room, we loved it.

The puzzles went along perfectly with the story, each of them bringing a different aspect and engaging a different part of your brain, truly fantastic conception.

We escaped in a team of 2 and even though at times it felt like you could do with more people, it is easily doable with two. We are really excited in coming back next year and trying their other rooms. We were hoping to book their pop up room, The Divide, but even though it was available on the website, they didn't allow us to book by phone when we called for a same day booking: for once that I wasn't organizing something 3 months in advance! If you are over Brighton, definitely go and visit Pier Pressure! 🙂

🦡cipherdelic virtuoso rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Mike S expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
🌵Juliette B expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 21/12/2019 Team size: 2 Time taken: 55:03 Outcome: Successful escape!

Day trip to Pier Pressure to hit all 4 permanent games: none of them disappointed. This is their oldest game but still has some great puzzles. Great introduction from the GM (in theme), cute hint system, minimal searching (hooray!) and some great props and handmade puzzles. Team before us had unfortunately broken one game before us which they had struggled to fix - not their fault, but had to come into the room to help us complete. However, did this in theme so avoided breaking immersion. Not too hard and a good warm up game if going on to do their other "larger" games if you play in small groups. 

Ben Bailey experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 19/11/19 Team size: 2 Time taken: 56:16 Outcome: Successful escape!

Much harder than i initially thought, had me sweating towards the end. Great game overall.

Brian experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 6 Outcome: Successful escape!
Steve Kennedy rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
RR_Duo+ rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 1 Jun 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 55:00 Outcome: Successful escape!
Anonymous expert rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
nathgreen21 rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Sandie Morris rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 13 Jul 2023 Team size: 3 Time taken: 38:00 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulstory-drivenfamily friendly
🔐SpontaneousIllusion expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Team size: 2
originalimmersivegreat hosting
Another game I just really enjoyed and really connected with. Everything just flowed really nicely and you did feel properly immersed into the environment.
🎲A Jones experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 23 Oct 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 48:36 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifuloriginalgreat hosting
It wasn’t hugely different or special but was a solid good fun room. Enjoyed the puzzles and it flowed well. Some clever contraptions in there too.
Stevie Davies expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: August 2020 Team size: 2 Time taken: 48m 28s
beautifulcleverimmersive
Seven Of Diamonds experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: ~40min Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifuloriginal
Webbcam rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
immersiveintense
ShellH experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
immersivestory-drivengreat hosting
StaceyF expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 21/07/2018 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifuloriginalgreat hosting
Jen Wells (Get Wells Soon) expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifuloriginalgreat hosting

We do like an escape room that has an original, local flavour, which is exactly what this game has. It is much more straightforward than Loot the Lanes or Modrophenia (the two rooms we did earlier in the day) but it has some real gems of puzzles that should be treasured for their artistry.

Don't expect codes and padlocks - this room has some subtle peculiarities that dispense with the need for some of the usual tropes.

Pier Pressure excel when it comes to novel ways GMs communicate with you... The one in this room might be my favourite.

Speedy Sloth expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
beautifulgreat hostingfamily friendlyquite easy
MightyMidds experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 31 May 2023 Team size: 4 Time taken: 50.58 Outcome: Successful escape!
immersivegreat hosting

Quite different to loot the lanes and raver quest, 6 and 9 year olds weren't quite as involved in this one. Decent flow and some very original puzzles. Great hosting as is standard at Pier Pressure 

Tyler Jones rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 9 Mar 2019 Team size: 5 Time taken: 56 Minutes Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersivegreat hosting

Our very first escape room and what a first room it was. We love this company and their rooms. An in-character host instantly immerses you into the experience.

Oscar rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 4
beautifuloriginalclever

I did this quite a while ago, and can't remember the puzzles very well. Most of them were fine, there were a couple that I thought were great. The props and theme are outstanding though, there is a level of detail and quality that put most others to shame. Plenty to think about and do, and to discuss afterwards.

Clefairy rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulclevergreat hostingquite difficult

I’m a huge Pier Pressure fan and this was the first room I played there. It’s really beautiful and so skillfully constructed, puzzles built into the decor and time period appropriate. There was a puzzle I’d never seen before which I always appreciate. The clue system with the pigeon carrier was so cute it made me want to ask for clues!! Leah was a fab host. In my top 10 for sure.

AubreyB expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
Billa Babybel experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 27 Feb 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 55:04 Outcome: Successful escape!
story-drivengreat hosting

As with other Pier Pressure games, the theme is local and is quite original, and is good fun. The clue system is great; definitely one I've not seen before! There were some frustrations in the room; a couple of times we solved a puzzle but didn't realise it has triggered a thing elsewhere, and we also "solved" a puzzle before all the required elements were complete. A few bits of the room are a bit worn by many fingers so maybe could benefit from a refresh. However overall it was an enjoyable game!

Angela Styles rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5

Reviews by escape room review sites

As any frequent visitor to Brighton knows, the Pavilion is a flamboyant and florid palace constructed with domes and minarets at a time when the British upper classes were infatuated with anything Oriental. The first game from recently opened Pier Pressure is inspired by the building, both its internal decoration and the moment in the 19th century when Queen Victoria was petitioned to sell the building to Brighton town. The storyline is a mildly exaggerated take on this historical incident, givi...

From the grand entrance right to the finish, a visually impressive game with chunky, thematic decoration. Expect a few weak puzzles but not enough to spoil the experience.
Overall, this is a wonderful game; visually appealing with varied and interesting puzzles, and a clever clue system, but on top of that, it just flowed nicely and had a nice clear finale.
We have to save the Brighton Pavilion in this true story inspired escape room from Pier Pressure.

Lists

This game is part of the following user-created game lists:

See also