There are some key differences between tactical laser tag and paintball/airsoft and confusion over the differences is common, so let us take a moment to cover the most common ones.
Folks who expect laser tag and paintball to be identical are usually as surprised as those who expect them to be completely different
- Us: No bruises, no cleanup. Pictures are great, even the same/next day!
- Them: Bruises, welts, cleanup. (If you’re taking pictures, say for a wedding or birthday, you might want to avoid visible injuries!)
- Us: No projectiles, no costs after you pay to play initially. No surprises, just fun!
- Them: Balls and pellets are the way that fields make money! Most actually lose money on admissions to make it up in ball/pellet sales. (Expect to pay a LOT more for paintball or airsoft after your admission and gun rental. Fields won’t let you bring your own ammunition, especially if you’re renting one of their gaming guns.)
- Us: Play on a field only with gaming guns that are balanced with your own.
- Them: Whoever spent the most money has a gaming gun that is going to dominate the field. Especially if you rent, expect to play against guns that shoot farther and faster. Good luck, you’ll need it!
- Us: Our shortest-range laser tag gun shoots 150′ on a pin point. Our longest shoots well beyond a football field! …and they’re also all safe even at point-blank range.
- Them: Most paintball guns shoot about 40′, if you’re lucky. Airsoft shoots farther, but not necessarily safely. Speaking of safety, you can’t be too close when you shoot. Fields have rules that prohibit you from shooting if you’re too close, but expect to be shot by opponents from closer anyhow. Translation: OUCH! In fact, the biggest challenge for paintballers and airsoft players is that when they come play with us they have to start learning that they can be shot from much farther away than they’ve ever dealt with before.
- Us: Pick from six different full-size, full weight models of laser tag guns ranging from machine pistols to assault rifles. Change up between games if you want, too. Find what works best for your play style.
- Them: The only people with multiple guns will have bought them and aren’t likely to share. If you’re renting expect a bottom-of-the-line model. They might look realistic or neat, but don’t expect it, especially with paintball.
- Us: We’re coming out with our staff to run the games so that your group has the most fun and we’ll customize games for your group.
- Them: You’ll probably play the same game all day and the referees are more concerned about safety than fun. (Remember: we’re safe to start with!) The focus will be on churning as many people as possible through each game, not on ensuring your group personally has as much fun as possible.
- Us: Play anywhere you want: indoors, outdoors, daytime, nighttime. In your office or in a park. In a school or somewhere with incredible scenery.
- Them: You’re probably going to have to play only at their facility, and only during certain hours.
- Us: No cheating! The gear prevents you from shooting when you’re dead and our referees are on the lookout for “the walking dead.”
- Them: It’s really common for someone to get hit and ignore it, especially if you’re playing with other random folks.
The Bottom Line
Now, please don’t take our comments above the wrong way. We’ve got no problem with paintball or airsoft; many of our players will play all three sports. We don’t even think of tactical laser tag and paintball or airsoft as competitors. We just wanted to make sure that you understood some of the differences, especially if your group is a bachelor party, bachelorette party, corporate group, or has many women.