Discover A New Way To Play At This Active Gaming Facility In Cincinnati, Ohio, That's A Blast For Kids And Adults
By Sarah McCosham|Published June 24, 2024
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
I’ll be the first to admit I have a hard time letting my hair down and enjoying the moment. It’s something I’m working on, but I definitely envy my husband’s ability to play so freely with our kids and just have fun.
But maybe I wasn’t the problem; maybe I just needed a new way to play. Enter: Activate, a brand-new active gaming facility that recently opened in Cincinnati, Ohio. On a particularly hot and humid summer afternoon, my husband and I decided to mix up our typical bookstore and happy hour combo with a date at Activate… and we had the best time!
As a child of the '80s, I certainly spent many a rainy day playing Skee-Ball and Hoops at our neighborhood arcade (located adjacent to my hometown's very popular bowling alley, of course). But it never looked like this.
Where, and more importantly, what, is this? *This* is Activate, an indoor, interactive, virtual-reality-meets-classic-arcade-meets-escape-room experience in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Activate has locations across the US and Canada and calls itself the "world’s first active gaming facility." Just like the gaming centers geared toward kids, Activate challenges gamers of all ages to run, jump, play, and problem-solve while participating in a variety of unique activities.
Once you check in and sign a waiver, you’re given a wristband that keeps track of your scores and session time, and (most importantly), grants access to each room.
Sessions typically last 75 minutes and include unlimited gaming within that time, and because of the electronic “sign in” for each room, you’ll enjoy a private experience with your partner/group, as the rooms are only open to one party at a time. Because games last just a few minutes each, you’re never waiting long for a room – and if no one is waiting in your room’s queue, you’ll have the option to “level up” once you’ve completed a game.
Each room offers myriad options for games that all fit a particular theme; my favorite was the “Grid” room that had my husband and me jumping around the room to follow fast-paced commands on which color to land on.
One thing we really enjoyed about the Activate experience was that we were able to select "collaborative" or "competition" on pretty much every challenge. So while you can certainly enjoy a little friendly competition against your partner or group, it's equally fun to join forces and defeat the discombobulated and very bossy Siri calling the shots.
In terms of what to expect at Activate: you'll pay a flat rate for a set amount of time and the clock starts once you've entered your first game room. There are benches and water fountains in the main gaming area, both of which I greatly appreciated as these rooms had me working up quite a sweat!
Speaking of which, as its name implies, Activate is an active place, so dress accordingly and wear sneakers with good soles. I did a lot of running back and forth and was very grateful I'd worn my favorite sneakers.
