What Makes Prototype Escape Games Different?

There are only two escape rooms in the city of Jacksonville that are independently owned and operated. Prototype Escape Games is not a corporation or a franchise. This allows us more freedom to refine and perfect our games as we deem necessary. We think this is a significant advantage in the escape game industry. Let’s talk about some things that make us different than other escape rooms:

1. We have an intercom system.
   You will be renting the room from us, none of our employees will be in the room with you. Using an intercom system allows us to implant a NPC (non-playing character) into our games. Every good story has a character that knows the lay of the land (e.g. Yoda, Dumbledore, Gandalf), this is our game master to you. Having the intercom allows us to give you a Yoda of your own (figuratively).
2. Clues are unlimited and do not count against you.
   Your ability to complete the room is entirely in your hands. Ask for as many or as few hints as you would like. Many escape rooms portray an “Us vs. You” mentality, and we aren’t privy to that kind of attitude. If you’re feeling competitive and would like us to shut up unless you ask us for help ,we can do that too.
3. All of our games have [a minimum of] two rooms.
   This SHOULD be an industry standard, sadly it is not and many escape rooms confine their guests to a single room. The scenery always changes during your 60-minute adventure with us.
4. We utilize lighting and automation.
   We’ve noticed too many escape rooms that make you play in fluorescent lights. Not us. Lighting can transform a room from ordinary to extraordinary, so we invest a lot of time and resources into lighting and automation to make the room feel immersive.
5. The rooms have tech.
   Tech is “magic”, so we utilize plenty of it in all our games.
6. We utilize live actors/actresses.
   All of our games have actors/actresses to varying different degrees. This doesn’t mean that a member of our staff will be in the room with you, but they may pop in from time to time in character.
7. We pay attention to you.
   If you ask for a clue, we will answer. Your game will have a dedicated game master whose only job is to help you, they will never be running more than one game at a time.
8. Our rooms are large.
   Even our smallest room is bigger than most escape rooms. So you’ll have plenty of room to breathe.
9. All of our games are non-linear.
   “I hate linear games, so I do not build them.” – Joseph W. Brazfield, Owner/Founder.
   What this means is that at any given moment there are 2-7 things that could be done at the same time. No one in your group will be standing around – everyone will have something to do, and most of our puzzles require more than one person to complete – This is by design. We want you to work together.

“I could have easily fit 7 games in my building and made a bunch of money – but I didn’t want to do that. I’m not just an owner, but I’m also a player. I love escape rooms, so the thought of sacrificing the quality of my product for more money is not something I’m willing to consider. If I can afford to feed my dogs good food, I’m happy. The most important thing is to build games that I can be proud of.”

Joseph W. Brazfield, Owner/Founder