Wapak business adds extreme escape room experience

WAPAKONETA — Escape Wapak, an escape room and entertainment center that bills itself as fun for all ages, will soon unveil a new gaming experience geared exclusively toward customers aged 18 and up.

The center’s newest offering — “The Hunted” — combines the strategic challenge of an escape room “with the thrilling excitement of adult hide-and-seek in a mostly dark venue,” owner Gary Adams said earlier this week.

The new game takes advantage of nearly all of the 40,000 square-foot building which at one time housed St. Joseph Elementary School, making it the largest escape room experience in the United States,” according to Adams.

Participants who play “The Hunted” are, for the 90-minute duration of the game, both the hunters as well as the prey. As players — a maximum of 24 per session — go from room to room throughout the building attempting to find clues and solve riddles, they will not be alone.

“There will also be four resident hunters that mess with them,” said Adams.

While players will be armed with laser tag weapons and corresponding computerized headgear, they start the game with no ammunition. Clues must be solved to obtain the ammo necessary to fend off the hunters.

Treg Raines, who handles public relations duties for the business, said guests who arrive to play “The Hunted” will first watch a short video that explains some details of what is to come during their visit.

“But not too many details. The less you know, the better,” said Raines. “Part of the concept of the game is the mystery.”

Adams opened an escape room/gaming center in January of 2018 in a space above the Wapa Theater in downtown Wapakoneta. In 2022 he purchased the former school building on the north edge of town “because we outgrew our original space.”

The larger venue allowed Adams to widen his assortment of game offerings. Today the center offers patrons a choice of four themed escape rooms, a rage room, a Nerf arena, a splatter paint room and a laser tag arena.

“The Hunted,” which will be unveiled later this month, is one of two new games planned as part of the venue’s “Escape After Hours” offerings. A Halloween-themed game is still in the planning stage.

Adams said escape rooms and other games currently available at Escape Wapak have proven popular. Many businesses have brought their employees to the venue for team-building exercises, he said. Another popular space inside the center is a Rage room, “where you pay your money and just go in and smash stuff with a baseball bat … you know, unleash your inner rage.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Adams laughed, the room is exceptionally popular among women in the 25-45 age group.

“We’re proud to offer such diverse activities at Escape Wapak,” said Adams, a graduate of Spencerville High School. “Whether you’re looking to test your problem-solving skills in our escape rooms, release some stress in the rage room or enjoy some friendly competition in the nerf arena or laser tag, there’s something here for everyone.”

Players are never locked in escape rooms and can leave at any time, he stressed.

For pricing and details about individual games or to make reservations, visit the company’s website at escapewapak.com.

ESCAPE WAPAK

Summer hours

Wednesday and Thursday: 4-8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 2-10 p.m.

Sunday: 2-8 p.m.