Laser Tag and Game Strategy

Last night, a group of friends and I decided to venture out of Ann Arbor and do something spontaneous, and where else to end up but Zap Zone. Not having been to a indoor laser tagging facility since 7th grade, I was excited to see if it was the same as I remembered. Playing again, I realized how it is hard to have an effect game strategy. Because the arena is so small and occupies two teams, each with about 15 players, it is almost impossible to find an area in the arena that remains undisturbed longer than 15 seconds. Being in close quarters limits the ability for a player to avoid being hit, and requires them to focus on maximizing their points by tagging other players in high scoring places, such as the shoulder or laser gun rather than the chest or back. 

Other ways to get high valued points is to tag the other team's base or hit special targets throughout the arena. However, many people forget about these objectives because they seem to enjoy the person-person science fiction imaginative interaction of the game play more. It appeared that more personal satisfaction was generated by tagging another player instead of a stationary target, perhaps due to feeling superior and winning over another rather than wracking up points through "solo" play. 

Lack of effective game strategy was also exhibited by being overshadowed by side factors. Even though we were older and had more of a strategy to wrack up points, the younger children repeatedly won because their small size enabled them to cover their packs easier and their height made them harder targets. 

Playing at Zap Zone was a great trip back to my childhood. But, if someone wants an activity where a good game strategy will be the factor of winning the game, indoor laser tagging is probably not the way to go. Instead, if one is looking to have great fun with friends playing a game not entirely structured around gameplay skill, they should return to the techno club styled arena, grab a laser pack, and fire away.


-Jen Joseph