Guest blog - Prodigy Escape Rooms

2025 was a golden year for Prodigy Escape Rooms as they scooped two top awards at the prestigious Devon Tourism Awards and were also recognised with a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award. 

Fresh off the stage at the West Country Tourism Conference, where he inspired the audience with insights into an award winning business, we caught up with their Director, Dan Frost, to find out all about Prodigy Escape Rooms. Here's what he had to say...

We are so lucky to be in Exeter. Those Romans certainly knew a thing or two about picking the best places to be when the settled "Isca Dumnoniorum", or as as we know it today - Exeter. A little over 30 minutes will see you on the beaches of Exmouth at the start of the Jurassic Coast or Dawlish Warren, exploring the wildlife sanctuary. Head west and there's the beautiful moorlands of Dartmoor National Park, home to stunning vistas and legends of old. For any history buffs, there's so much on our doorstep as you would expect from one of the top 10 oldest cities in the UK. 

Looking back, there's no doubt that Exeter and the surrounding area offer such a wide range of attractions to attract and engage visitors. It's why, when I was given the option to relocate for senior management position I declined so I could stay in the area and started an escape room.

Escape rooms were a new concept to me. I had only done one when the idea emerged, and that experience was sadly lacking. Infamously, when my friend suggested the concept of an escape room to me, I said, "Why would I want to go into a room to be challenged to get out of it?" Following the post-lockdown period however, my wife and I knew we wanted to do something that would bring people together. Our COVID experience had shown us that whilst so much of what we do can be achieved online, it can also demonstrated to us that the connection was missing. With this we reapproached escape rooms with a new purpose and vision.

The rooms needed to be based on escapism, not on escape. These rooms could be a vessel for immersive story-telling, where groups become the protagonists, exploring the narratives in real-time and emerging with a genuine sense of accomplishment. We wanted to provide a supportive environment to allow every group to experience shared success rather than a sense of failure that so many other venues would celebrate as teams failed to complete within the time.

Prodigy Escapes was started in 2022 with the goal of achieving this. The name Prodigy was not due to the love of the electronic rock band, but instead our value on natural ability being our primary objective. verything should make sense and play a purpose within our stories. ll of our rooms that we have created share the same rules and values:

• no general knowledge - everything you need to know should be found within the room
• mission-based objectives - the focus should always be on achieving something in the room and not trying to escape
• support is always available - each team has a dedicated host to monitor progress and provide specific support tailored to ensure the group achieves their goals

Since our creation we've been thrilled to welcome a wide variety of different people to share adventures with us. From first-timers to seasoned escapees, there's something for everyone to experience and enjoy. We are currently positioned as the #1 things to do in Exeter and DEvon on Tripadvisor and our Wizards of Wyvern room was voted in the Top 100 escape rooms across the whole of the UK. Our Lost Temple game was also voted as one of only 31 escape rooms in the UK to make the Best of Morty list in their international awards.

Most coveted have been our Golds in the Devon Tourism Awards. This awards process is based on professional assessment by industry professionals. The feedback from this process has helped us improve year after year, and ensure we also address accessibility and sustainability, in addition to our strong customer service. To achieve such accolades in Devon, among such incredible attractions, has been truly humbling. Bringing escape rooms into the wider tourism sector has always seemed impossible but we are proud to have achieved this.

So if you find yourself in Exeter, why not come and pay us a visit. Whether you're a beginner or experienced escaper, we'd love to share some of our adventures with you here at Prodigy Escape Rooms.