By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM – Have you ever wanted to try your skills at completing an art heist or see if you have what it takes to plan a prison break? Soon you will be able to just that in downtown.

Tactics: Live Adventure & Escape Games, 5 Market St., is expected to launch sometime in late October to early November offering team-building exercises for businesses, friends who want to see if they can master it together, students, company parties, and other personal gatherings such as birthdays, and bachelor or bachelorette parties.

“It all started this past spring; we were in Montreal with friends who’d said “you have to come do this with us,” and walked out of our first game asking if they had reservations available for others,” said owner Kevin Daniels. “We had a ball.”

Daniels, who was is Potsdam native and also owns Nationwide Insurance of Canton and Potsdam, said that very night he started the process of planning what this could look like here in Potsdam.

“For years, we’ve said we’d like to have more activities for Potsdam residents and students to do in town, and we believe this is just that,” Daniels said.

Participants, five per game, will be given an objective, and have a set amount of time to find clues, solve the puzzle, and ultimately beat the clock. The cost is $23 per person and games last about 40 minutes.

“It is more of a mental game, with some physical aspects,” he said.

Tactics will initially launch two games; “Art Heist” and “Prison Break,” with a third game, “Outbreak” opening shortly thereafter. He said more games are expected to be added soon after opening.

“We couldn’t be happier with the space we’ve secured for this,” he said. “We worked with a few landlords in Potsdam researching what space would be best for us, not just now, but long-term. Square footage is vital to our expansion, and we arranged to lease the two floors above Maxfields from Larry and Pam Hazen.

The entrance is located between the two entries for Maxfields restaurant.

“We’re committed to preserving the character of such a historic building in Potsdam, and believe that the design choices we’re making both highlight that and bring it to life in a new way,” he said.

Daniels said extensive work was done to the building, which at the time had no interior walls.

“Walls, new flooring…the whole bit,” he said.

Daniels said there are employment opportunities for about six people and they are actively hiring. For employment info visit www.tacticslive.com/applications.

Visit www.tacticslive.com for more details and bookings, and @tacticslive on Instagram and Facebook for the most recent details. Once active, their phone number will be 274-9494.