I am a huge horror fan and since my birthday fell on a Friday the 13th this year, I wanted something horror themed to do. I came across Prototype Escape rooms "Canibals in the Catacombs" room. The story was intriguing and the list of disclaimers, which might dissuade some, made me more interested. When we arrived we all had to sign our waivers and were introduced to our game master Emma. She was extremely personable and walked us through what to expect before we were escorted into the catacombs. The set work was very well done and unlike some escape rooms I've done, everything was in excellent condition and working order. The puzzles were well thought out and required a mixture of puzzle solving and attention to detail. I won't spoil anything about the room, but I will say that everyone in my group was jumpy and looking over their shoulder for the majority of the game (and one of my group, a 6'2" ex-military man, screamed like a little girl). For horror fans or escape room fans, I cant recommend this enough. This was easily one of the top escape rooms I've ever done. read more

Challenging and full of fun! Such a creative room and thankful for the help when we definately needed it! Thank you Peter. We will be back again read more

Our group booked a Saturday evening escape room for 5pm this past weekend for a friends birthday. This was only my second time ever doing an escape room game. I am definitely not the witty type for these scenarios but I do LOVE haunted houses and immersive experiences such as this. Our birthday boy is extremely witty and is very good at puzzles and games. He picked the Cannibals in the Catacombs room for all 6 of us to experience with him which is Expert level. And it really was expert level! (Which is great!) We were stumped a few times and were given an option before going in to signal for extra clues if need be. We did. The clues were helpful , but not overly helpful where the game/host is giving you the answer when asked - I liked that. We were told there was only a 22% escape rate for this expert level room so the clues were extremely helpful. I only have one other experience to compare this to from a nearby neighboring escape room company. If I had to choose between this escape room business and the nearby escape room 5 miles or less down the road, I would hands down pick Prototype. The prep before going in the room was way more detailed, the props in the room more realistic and movie quality, and the details/clues were very well thought out. I kept saying while in the room how pretty & realistic all of the props are. Nothing is damaged or worn in any way, and if at any point you need to leave or "escape" , it's easy to do so. I'm sold on prototype. I'm not even an escape room goer per se and I'd hands down happily try it again. If you are on the fence about trying, this is your sign to throw the doubt out the window and just give prototype a try. Any Halloween/Spooky lovers out there like myself - pick Cannibals in the Catacombs! There are some extra surprises in store for those who enjoy a good thrill. read more

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Joe was great - did the dogs and it was pawfect - would definitely do it again and can't wait to cont back

Came here looking at other escape rooms in the area and not having a time slot that worked for my family. Luckily we were able to book at this establishment, this was my first puzzle room at this location. Our party was 10 heads (9 adults + a baby) and they were able to accommodate our large group even though we surpassed the allotted size limit. Joe greeted my party as they rolled in, explained the waiver and a little bit about the themed room we were going to solve. He was an awesome game master providing us with clues and allowing us a bit more time as we finished the last few puzzles. We picked the Locker Room puzzle which was loosely modeled after the Jacksonville Jaguars team locker. It was rated at a 9/10 difficulty and although we're not seasoned escape room goers there were certain puzzles that stumped us and I thought were quite clever. The room provides a nice blend of digital and physical combinations to figure out. No phones allowed, unlimited clues upon agreement of the party and really easy instructions to follow. Thankful to the team over there for providing a great experience, although there were times of frustration among our group we left proud and accomplished. read more

Went here yesterday with my boyfriend and brother and we had a great time! Brylee and the owner were extremely nice and welcoming and made the experience really immersive. Best escape room in Jax for sure! Would recommend! read more

Oh my goodness, I am shaking in my boots. This is my second time at Prototype, but probably a lifetime customer. Joe is an absolute master class of a person and architect. I can tell this is his baby and he definitely treasured it with all the care and attention that goes into it. I absolutely recommend this escape game over every single escape game in existence. Joe and his staff are friendly, directions are precise and fun, almost peed my pants in one of his rooms due to the authentic commitment to terror. Like most things in life, you will need a bit of help along the way, they do not let you dwell in your own sadness and failures but will give you adequate clues in order to advance in the game. The rooms are clean and well maintained, the only thing you can smell here are your fears and self-doubt. The games are so authentic you might ask yourself if you were ever good enough for your father and if he's proud of you. Tough questions. read more

Prototype Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Really impressed with the Dog Days room. The puzzles were challenging without being annoying, and you 100% have to work together to get anywhere. We were gunning for the record but only made it out with 5 mins to spare, definitely a reality check! Had a great time and I'm already looking at which one to book next. read more

Brody was the best!!! Our family had a great time @ Prototype Escape Games for our son's birthday!!

Had an interaction with a manager during game briefing. He was rude and ruined our first time experience. They need to lighten up over there it's just a game. read more

Madison was great and a pleasure to have guide us!! She was a great character and made the experience memorable

In a short period of time, there has been a rise of many different escape rooms in the area. Some have been amazing, and some have just been "meh". Regarding Prototype Escape Games, let me just say... DO NOT sleep on this escape room! Nestled in a small business park off St. John's Bluff Road (in between Five Star Pizza and Johnny Angel's Diner), Prototype promises to be one of the better experiences you will have. I have "escaped" two of the three escape rooms they currently have - a 4th room is currently in development - and both of the rooms that my group and I finished have been very fun, albeit somewhat challenging. Joe (the owner) and our game master Morgan are both escape room enthusiasts themselves, and have taken great care in providing an excellent experience, with teamwork being absolutely necessary for us to complete the room successfully. They're also some of the most personable folks, and I enjoyed sharing escape room experience stories with them as well. As I continue to do more escape rooms, I find that I am becoming more particular when it comes to what I want and expect, so it's great to know that there's a spot like Prototype Escape Games to satiate that need. Will definitely be back for the other two rooms! read more

Prototype Escape Games - The Fighting Mongooses "Dog Days" - ESCAPED! - Escape Games Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Honestly, very off-putting experience. Owner (i think he was the owner?) was extremely forceful with politics and loud about his support of Trump and MAGA. He also started talking very loudly to an employee about trans women and gay rights, and overall it was a very bad experience. Everyone deserves rights, no matter their sexual orientation, gender, or race. The escape room portion was the only okay part, but some of the puzzles weren't put together correctly and we had to ask a staff member to come fix it (i'm guessing it hadn't been reset correctly). Upset they couldn't even get basic puzzles reset correctly. I wish I hadn't spent any money here, all I can say is I could not recommend this experience to anyone. Edit: adding an edit to add and respond to the owner that I will not be contacting them. After reading other reviews and replies from the owner, it is obvious they are trying to get my personal information to identify and dox/threaten me, not to actually address any concerns. They do this in other replies to reviews on Google to deflect from their very obviously problematic business practices. If you are leaving a bad review for this business or plan to do so, please take caution as I did and change your name and location on Yelp, or else the owner will reply to your review with your full name and personal information (such as where you work, and where you live). He has done this to others on Google reviews as I said, all you have to do is sort the reviews by lowest and read the owners replies to such reviews. 2nd edit (ridiculous that I even have to add another edit but here we are): I have no idea what "trespassing" the owner is referring to, but I know for a fact I was never trespassed. The owner has edited their reply multiple times through the day and has spamming my inbox because of it, so I want to clarify this very clearly to the owner: I am not whoever you are thinking I am. I am a customer who left a review based on the genuine experience I had. Nowhere did I lie or leave out details in my original review. This owner is extremely mentally unwell and unhinged. I caution anyone reading this to avoid this escape room, or at least avoid leaving a review. I encourage the owner to provide evidence of this trespass, as I was never trespassed from this location (or ever in my life, for that matter). I am genuinely curious who the owner thinks I am lol. Anyways, my point still stands. The owner of this business needs some serious mental support. I hope he can find peace one day, but until then I strongly caution escape room goers to avoid this location. read more

Did Dog Days and loved it. Upscale production value done by a game master at the top of his game. Looking forward to doing the other rooms. This was my wife and I's 24th escape room and its in our collective top 4. read more

We visited Prototype last Friday for a date night! We arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation time. We were greeted promptly after walking in and an associate let us know our game master will be with us shortly. Grace - our gamemaster greeted us shortly after and gave us clear instructions. We did the "Blackout" game room and loved it. We asked for many clues and she helped us solve our game in time. Game was well thought of and clever. Facilities were also very clean. We will definitely consider coming back for another date night or with friends! read more

Prototype Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Madison was our game master and she made our experience SOO fun!! Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We will definitely be back to check out more games! read more

I've been to quite a few escape rooms but this one went above and beyond. I really appreciated our game master Brody, he was really kind and knowledgeable, definitely added to the experience. The room had clues that I hadn't seen anywhere else and the theming was great. We did the Black Out escape room which is their oldest room so I'm excited to try the other ones! read more

Brodie one of the staff members made our escape one to remember!!! 10/10 would recommend! Had lots of fun

Brody was amazing and did a great job explaining everything made it an enjoyable experience! Would definitely recommend this escape room.

Really fun time! Joe the owner was very friendly and welcoming to us as it was our first visit yesterday. We did the Cannibals rooms. Great time. Highly recommend this place read more

My group has done all of their escape rooms and this place has had the best rooms I've done so far. They just opened up a new room called "The Catacombs" and it's been the most accelerating room I've done. They had an actor jump scare you and it made the experience so much better. read more

Prototype Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Had a lot of fun playing the cannibals in the catacombs game. It was definitely scary and the room features and costumes were very cool. Our guide Brodie made it a great experience!! read more

Had an amazing time with my wife's office. Lots of laughs and very well planned story lines. By far my favorite escape room!! read more

My husband and I had a lot of fun . It was nice that we didn't have to play with strangers and our game master was awesome ! We're definitely going again . read more

I have played escape room games in several states, including 3 different places in the Jacksonville area, and this was absolutely the best game. The rooms and props were very clean and well-maintained. The staff were friendly and helpful and seemed to enjoy their jobs. And the puzzles were so creative and fun. The Catacombs room had the most unique props and the numerous jump-scares kept the game interesting and intense. We will definitely be back to play every room at Prototype. read more

Friendly staff and awesome rooms to escape out of! Fun, challenging, and innovative puzzles. One of a kind celebrations IF you make it out ;) read more

Was in town with family for 4th of July, and decided to check this place out. I love dogs, so the family member who booked it booked Dog Days. Perfect for children 5+, unless they get scared really easily. Before we even went in the room, there was a little demonstration on how to use the locks, and two videos; One video was like, just an add-on to the escape room to tell you the circumstance. The other was how the escape room works, and what and what not to touch, along with how to get a hint. Jenna also asked if we wanted "nudges," or help when it seems needed. We said yes, because it was most of our first times, and, why not!? Haha. We only actually asked for a hint once. In my mind, I was kind of mad they didn't give us a "nudge." It was so fun, and I am hoping to go back and do another!!! read more

place was really fun, the locker room was so creative and the instructor Brody was so chill with us, and just a good experience, I recommend

This was my first escape room and it was so fun we decided to do a second one in the same night! The staff is super friendly and I can tell a lot of time and hard work has gone into these escape rooms! Very well thought out! read more

Did the "blackout" room yesterday with my girlfriend and a friend, very fun, good group pricing.

If I could give them six stars I would. What a GREAT time! I will definitely be back! I had never done an escape room before so I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know if it was going to be claustrophobic or creepy or uncomfortable and it was none of those things. The staff was awesome, and when you need help they can gently give you clues but without making you feel stupid. I'm not normally good at things like trivial pursuit and I was worried I would feel like I wasn't keeping up. I didn't feel like that at all. It actually was really cool and if you've never been, you probably have a lot of questions. If you're on the fence about doing it absolutely do it. It was such a great time I can't even tell you. At one point I actually felt like I was doing something wrong, like I got so caught up in it that we were going to "get caught" that it got my adrenaline going. The price per person isn't much more than you would pay for a night out at the movies, and this was far more interactive and fun. I can't wait to go back again! read more

the staff were super friendly and our rooms theme was so fun! had a great time and would suggest it to anyone!