Tagging In The Zone…The Galaxy Zone!

8 hours ago
4 min read

There’s nothing I love more than a road trip to be among the first to discover a new laser tag arena! That’s why this weekend I decided that after working all morning I would just hop in my car and have an adventure checking out the new Galaxy Zone in Oakville, CT, which has been open for less than a month.

I arrived and was first greeted by a smiling young woman at the front counter. My first impression was that this business has a nice, good-sized play space for kids and I was curious to look around. Then I got to meet the owner, Sultan, who showed me the way to the 3000 square foot laser tag arena.

I was impressed as soon as I saw the entrance, which gives hints of the intergalactic computer theming we are about to find on the other side of the door. Laser tag is the one attraction that you don’t often get to see until you are actually inside, so bringing a bit of that excitement from your arena and making it visible with a themed entrance like this gives a little teaser as to what’s to come. Or it may just catch the attention of someone who hadn’t thought about playing laser tag until they see how cool it looks. For me, an entrance like this signals that attention has been paid to the details that create the overall impression.

The briefing/vesting room displayed two rows of glowing Laserforce Gen 8 packs. My astronaut buddy seemed to approve. :)

Then it was time to check out the arena and start a game.

When I walked in, my first thought was that I really liked what I saw. This arena is cool and a little bit different. Although I recognized the structural hallmarks of the specific arena design company, what I particularly love to find is theming that I have not seen before. There are plenty of takes on intergalactic themes out there and I am always partial to sci-fi or space-inspired themes (it’s the Photon fan in me), but this was a new one for me and it looks like you are walking right into the heart of a spaceship’s inner computer. Love it!

Photos do not do justice to what this arena looks like in person. Some arenas look better in pics, but this one I really think you need to see in person to get the full effect. Still, you can tell there are some interesting things going on here. Starting with the bridges. Since this is a single level arena, the elevation is achieved with a bridge platform on either side against the wall. The one against the left wall features a computer console graphic that almost looks 3D. Showtime, Synergy?

If you go deeper to the far wall you will find an actual 3D structure of a computer platform adding dimension to the front of one of the base housings found at opposite ends of the arena. There’s a window cut-out so the base can be defended from all angles.

Lighting creates quite an illusion of depth and reality. This prop is a simple structure, but it makes a big impact as it appears to be glowing from within.

In actuality, lighting is making the magic in many ways as it illuminates certain colors that really pop.

And there are some lighting effects that give a sense of movement as you walk through them.

The arena itself features highly detailed graphics on both the inside and outside of the walls.

This is most evident when you are inside one of the “rooms” and the atmosphere immerses you.

I’m not certain if this was coincidental or by design, but to my eye I think I see parts of the arena artwork harkening back with a nod to the Laserforce equipment. For example, this screen above me looks somewhat reminiscent of the chest pack that I am wearing.

And this wall reminds me a bit of the lights going up the side of my pack.

While playing the game I was taking note of where the sight lines are, looking through windows and tracing paths. There are a couple of windows on the right wall, which serve as an observation point for spectators outside the arena, from which you can bounce a tag or catch a reflection, so watch for tags coming at you from all angles! :)

This game was a lot of fun! At the end, Sultan hung my logo on the wall of his briefing room, which I consider a real honor! I am delighted to have this on display to show the world that “Tivia was here”.

I got to tour the rest of the facility and see the party rooms and soft-play areas where kids were having a great time. One of the really smart things I noticed is the incorporation of Galaxy Zone branding all throughout the building.

This is so important because customers who are having a blast can take a photo next to one of these walls and that will inevitably translate into great organic social media marketing. Want the proof? I immediately shared this fun video of myself going down the horn slide and there is no question about where I am!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/4bae25_6a74b55fde59464f93080d6cb763d162/file

The galaxy theming is present throughout the kids play area and the seating area for the parents as well.

I look forward to seeing how this business continues to grow, as they are only three weeks in, but clearly doing well and providing quality experiences beyond just the arena.

The new laser tag arena is what prompted my weekend road trip to Connecticut, but my overall impression of Galaxy Zone is that it is an impressive, locally owned family entertainment venue that has a lot to offer.