Move over laser tag, there's a new game in town! The Ottawa-based company, Archery Games has just opened its first Boston-area location in Chelsea.
While firing arrows at your friends, family and perfect strangers may seem excessively full-contact, never fear! The arrows are foam-tipped like the projectiles from a Nerf gun.
Owner, Brian Seto describes archery tag as a mixture between dodge ball, paintball, and laser tag - only far safer than the first two!
Although all players must sign a waiver and wear protective equipment provided by the facility, Seto says most injuries he sees have nothing to do with the bows and arrows.
"You might see someone bash their knee on the floor or run into another player,” he told Boston.com. “Even that’s super rare. It really doesn’t happen very often that people get hurt at the facility. It’s a very safe sport that parents put their kids in all the time.”
Kids must be at least 10 to join in the fun during normal business hours at Archery Games, but once they do, they hold their own just fine, mixing it up with adults and older kids alike.
“We see kids shooting kids, adults shooting kids, and everyone has a great time,” Seto said. “There’s no bruising or marks left afterwards.”
There is, of course, a referee monitoring the game to ensure things do not get too rough.
As for the younger kids (age 7 - 12), they can still enjoy archery tag through Archery Games' weekend youth sessions available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Each 75-minute session includes 25 minutes of training and target practice followed by 50 minutes of heart-pounding action with up to 20 players.
Participants start with their backs against one of two fences, decked out in pads and paintball masks, clutching their bows. When the whistle blows they sprint to the center of the field Hunger Games style to retrieve their arrows- and the game begins!
According to Seto, many players assume the game will not require much cardio - perhaps due to the stationary nature of traditional archery. In fact, archery tag is quite the workout so be sure to wear your athletic clothes and sneakers!
Learn more about Boston's newest sport and book your first game here!