MANSFIELD — The door locks, the clock starts ticking and the fate of the world rests in your hands.

After months of renovation, “The Apocalypse Lab” escape room inside Ohio State Reformatory (OSR) returns to the public, rebuilt, rewired and ready for another shot at survival.

Officials shut the experience down in November after persistent technical issues, but a full overhaul now brings the lab back online with smoother gameplay and upgraded systems.

Back in business after a rebuild

“We had to shut it down and rewire everything,” OSR Program Director Ashleigh Ramey said. “We spent the past few weeks beta testing to catch and fix mistakes.”

Ramey said an outside company designed the puzzles and layout, while in-house game masters now handle repairs and troubleshooting as needed.

Players step into a fictional medical research facility where something has gone horribly wrong. Logan Workman, a game master, describes it as the perfect middle ground.

“This is our intermediate room, looking for around 40-percent success rates,” he said.

Guests begin with a rules video before the challenge locks in: complete the research, release the antidote and escape before the lab self-destructs in 60 minutes.

“It’s set to incinerate,” Workman said. “You have to finish everything and get out before time runs out.”

(Article continues below the photos. Photos inside The Apocalypse Lab escape room. Provided by Ashleigh Ramey)

The experience pushes players between two connected rooms, where a central screen tracks time, delivers hints and shows progress through shifting red and green lights.

Each group gets three free hints, but extra help comes at a cost — two minutes shaved off the clock per request.

Booking details and pricing

The Apocalypse Lab accommodates up to six players per session, with organizers recommending ages 13 and up due to potentially disturbing themes, those between the ages of 8 and 13 must attend with a guardian.

OSR offers two other escape room options including Escape from Shawshank and Cabin of the Damned.

Tickets cost $35 per person and include a same-day self-guided tour of the Reformatory, while a bundled “Two Tours in the Same Day” option that drops the escape room price to $20 when paired with a guided tour.

Those seeking a private experience must reserve all six spots; otherwise, groups may share the session with other participants.

With paid bookings reopened online, the lab once again invites guests to test their nerves, their logic and their odds of making it out alive.