It is not a kids' thing. Half the people playing here are adults.

The sentence I hear most at the counter, usually from someone standing slightly behind their friends, is some version of "this is for children's birthdays, right?". It is a fair guess. It is also wrong. Half the people who come through the door to play are adults.

Friends meeting after work. Couples. Office groups who wanted to do something other than dinner. And parents. A lot of parents, who bring a child to a birthday party, watch the first few minutes from the side and then ask whether there is a spare vest.

What happens next is always the same. The person arrives expecting something a bit childish. They sit through the briefing, which takes about five minutes, put on the vest, pick up the laser gun and step into the arena. Five minutes later they are sprinting through the dark trying to catch the friend who tagged them first.

I think the room does most of the work. It is dark in there. There is music, flashing lights, smoke, and a lot of places to hide. You cannot stand still and observe. You either hide or you run, and anyone who hides gets found.

You do not need to know anything. Nobody who walks in for the first time knows how the vest or the gun works, and that is exactly what the briefing is for. Once the game starts, nobody asks questions.

The thing I find strange is the idea that an adult needs an excuse to come and play. You do not. Book a 20-minute game, or the 45-minute double mission if you already suspect you will want more, show up with your friends and play. There is no membership to sign and no package to pick.

One more pattern. Most adults who come for the first time did not decide to come. Someone dragged them: a friend who had played before, a colleague who organised the office outing, a child whose birthday it was. Then they come back and bring someone else. That is how the arena fills up, and for us it is the best advertising there is.

If you are reading this wondering whether it is worth it for a group of adults, the short answer is: come on a weekday, when there is more room, and book the double mission. Twenty minutes, as I have heard far too many times, is not enough.

To book a game for your group, fill in the contact form and we will tell you which time is free.