If you saw viral videos of this, and thought, "Oh man that looks fun." Bingo. But you don't know that half of it. We went when my nephew was in town for Spring Break. I've been DYING to go back ever sense. I don't think I can even explain to you how addictive and all consuming the joy of playing these games are. Bonus, it's for sure a work out. If I lived closer I would would be at this joint two or three times a week, and in the best shape of my life. The games are all fast paced and high energy, but does it feel like a workout? Not at all, until you realize when you are so SHWEATY. It's like burst sprints mixed with body weights and maybe some yoga? I just know that I loved it in a way that I haven't loved physical activity since I was in my teens. The staff was all super friendly too. The perfect kind of friendly as well. Polite, informative, but not all fake high energy/chatty like your at a kids camp. It was nothing but good vibes. It was fairly busy when we went, which means we had to cycle through rooms pretty fast, but there are so many rooms! You can always go back for your favorites again later, and some of the ones that "looked" boring were actually the most fun for me. I was practically BEGGING them to give me a membership, but they don't do those... Yet? There was some discussion of some locations offering memberships as a trial run, and that it might become a thing nationwide. *fingers crossed* GO! read more

Activate is extremely interactive and it's fun for both kids and adults!! The first time we came here, I only let the kids play. Now, there's no way that I only let the kids play! We be all up in Activate letting our inner kid out. It is a little pricey per person, but I'd say it's worth it. I would suggest booking online before going, but it's not a requirement, you may just have to wait a little if the time slots are unavailable. read more

So much fun for any age! We needed to kill some time on our trip to Austin. My wife found this place. I wish I had had more time! If you have see. If you have see. of the viral videos of people running around hitting lights on a floor or skid. Wait arid with lasers, this is the place! The place has 9 different rooms with 5-10 different game you can play in them you do NOT have enough time to play everything. You can play cooperative or against friends. Games vary from. Wing physical, standing still it using your brain. They have a great system so you don't have to run out of a room not have to wait for a room. I could keep going on. But I'll stop now. read more

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Fun for all ages! Be prepared to have some fun, to run, to jump, and to even roll on the floor. I did not know what I was going to when I went, when I think game room, i really don't think getting active. But this was an interactive game room. It was like a real life video game. I loved it. I recommend you wear workout/comfortable clothes that you can move in. And if you're older like me... Stretch before you go lol read more

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I took my two kids and two of their friends here to go play for an hour. I'm not gonna lie it looked like so much fun and I really did want to jump in. They have about a dozen room set up, and each room has multiple game options to play inside of it. Each player scans their wristband before they enter and the wristband tracks their movement throughout the room. Each game lasts approximately two minutes each. They can play as many games as they want for an hour. It honestly looked like a pretty good workout too. The assistant manager helped us check in, and I actually called an advance.Because I had a gift card to use and it wouldn't let me use multiple and when transaction. She was super nice over the phone and was the same one that checked us in whenever we got there. My only feedback that I have is that whenever it is time to leave, It would be really nice if there was an easier way to just scan your wristband back in and then leave as opposed to waiting in the same line that people are checking into. read more

Activate Games - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is the place you were looking for when you pondered, what the F am I going to organize during our offsite for fun. Went to Activate Games for a work event and came out sweaty, laughing, slightly competitive, and oddly closer to my coworkers than HR probably intended. There are so many games--and they hit every personality type. Some feel like a high-energy carnival where chaos reigns and instincts take over, while others are full-on tech mode: lights flashing, lasers firing, brains overheating. You can work together like a well-oiled machine... or absolutely blast your mate when the moment feels right. Both are acceptable. Encouraged, even. The best part? It's actually fun. Not forced-fun. Not "team-building icebreaker" fun. Real fun. The kind where a room full of Type-A personalities forgets titles, deadlines, and egos and just goes all-in--sometimes as teammates, sometimes as rivals, always laughing. Mildly competitive? Sure. Or go top-rope, no-mercy mode and chase the leaderboard like your pride depends on it. Bonus points: * Surprisingly great workout * Not expensive for what you get * Perfect for work outings, families, or friend groups * Builds team spirit, camaraderie, and maybe a little friendly trash talk Bottom line: Activate Games turns coworkers into teammates, teammates into competitors, and everyone into kids again--for at least an hour. We had a blast, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

Activate Games - Take as many team/individuals as you like. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

We decided to have a team-building session where we could be competitive and use our brains. Yes, escape rooms are fun, but it's fun to try something new. The best part about Activate Games is that you have the option to be competitive or collaborative. So, just in case there is someone on your team who is too competitive, it's nice to calm them down with a collaborative game. In 60 minutes, you should be able to accomplish roughly 14 games. Super fun! Free photos at the end of your session. I can't wait to bring more coworkers here. read more

Great service. Games all worked. 6 person birthday. Amazing concept, amazing workout. The games have a three person minimum but they said if you go on a date night, just tell them in the reservation and they'll make a third ghost player for you. I highly recommend for either pure exercise or for a birthday party. BRING WATER!!! read more

My wife and I have been looking for something to do that wasn't your typical dinner and drinks night out. While we do love a good meal, it was time for something different. My wife had been here for a work event and loved it, so we gave it a shot for a night out. We had SO MUCH FUN! We played nearly every game inside over the hour and were huffing and puffing by the end. I will say, some of these games are a bit tough (or just not designed) for 2 people, but that wasn't a major issue. Luckily, there are plenty of options to make sure you aren't getting stuck too often. We ended up liking the games with different objects like the basketball or throwing games, but each one had just running back in for another round. I highly recommend this for a not so normal date night. read more

I didn't know what to expect until I was already inside. You get these wristbands and scan them outside of each room. There are multiple games to choose from involving dodging, jumping, and throwing. Each game is about 1-3 minutes. Once you finish the game, you exit the room to allow others to play. Progress is saved so if you go back, you can continue progressing as each game has multiple levels. At the end of our 1 hour slot, I was sweating so much. I don't usually exercise so this was a great way to get me moving! It was a lot of fun! read more

Activate Games - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

I thought this was a VR thing originally and I was wrong! It's a super fun, interactive gaming place! There's a bunch of little rooms that have different games you can play. My favorites are the one where you have to run around and step on the correct colors on the floor and the basketball hoops one! Great to go with a group of ~5 for any age! It definitely feels like a workout though! read more

We had more fun than we anticipated! I don't know what I thought this place was going into it-but not what I expected (in a good way). The employees checked us in when we arrived and gave us the game wristbands. We put our stuff in a free locker and off we went. We entered the space and they explained how it all works. Then we were set free to explore and play. There are several rooms with different challenges per room. My favorite part of going with a group of 4 (you can have 5 or less in each room) is that we got to choose whether we wanted to achieve a goal together or be competitive. For example, one room you throw balls at meteors. Another room you find letters on the walls, etc. Another room you hop over lasers. Each room was unique and I wouldn't hesitate to go back for a group event or birthday. read more

Came here on a date. It is very clean and well organized. The complimentary lockers are definitely a nice touch. The games all have different concepts and some of these games do benefit from a group size of 4 or more. If you come, you need to be prepared for full body movement to enjoy most of the games. Most games are not wheel chair accessible. My only real complaint is that there is poor ventilation and there are zero fans to help cool off after running around! read more

We had an absolute blast at Activate Games-what a treat! Check in process was really easy. They give you a wristband to keep track of your points for the games, and also a wristband to store personal belongings in a locker. Everyone we interacted with was super helpful and walked us through everything. They even gave us some recommendations for games to play. There are SO many different games to play for all skill levels and ages. You will definitely get a workout in playing some of these games so wear comfortable clothes and shoes! There is a giant parking garage located right next door so parking was not an issue, even at 5 pm in the domain. They also have a couple of party rooms for birthday parties or team events. We will absolutely be back! read more

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So much fun! Loved my experience here! The staff were very friendly and helpful, gave us good tips and a good orientation. The rooms were all super fun! Loved how each one was different. Such a great place to come with friends or coworkers! Will definitely be back!! read more

So so much fun. So many games and a lot of laughs to be had. Wish there was more games and variety but loved

My 10 year old son and I tried out Activate during their soft opening week, when we both got in for free. We had not tried out an experience like this before, but the learning curve was fairly small. Basically, there are a bunch of rooms with a variety of games. You scan your band, select your game, and if the room is free, it will unlock for you and you can jump right into a game. I'm not sure why one previous reviewer said you can't play with just two people -- we were able to access all of the games just fine with just two people. Some of the games were more fun than others. I think our favorites were the ones where you throw balls at objects, as well as the floor games where you run across to various colors before the time is up. Other games were more of a mental vs. physical challenge. I also want to give a shout out to the staff, who seemed very helpful and courteous to guests, at least during our visit on opening week. I think this would make a great bonding activity for a family -- ideal for upper elementary kids to teens, but it's probably best to try to time your visit for a less-busy time, so you can fully access the games you want. read more

An incredible and truly immersive gaming experience! I'm thrilled that Austin has this fun, new gaming center, perfect for all round entertainment for families or a group of friends. The check-in process is smooth, you get a wrist band that's attached to your profile/email and the time starts as soon as you scan it at the first game room. We booked a one hour slot and were able to get in and out of several game rooms, playing collaborative and competitive games, jumping color grids, strategizing to crawl through lasers, shooting hoops and targets, and so many more. You can also get a mini workout running around in some of the larger games rooms. The dim lights and music in each room enhances the experience making us feel like we are in a virtual reality location with palpitating heartbeats and pressure to win, sometimes not unlike squid games! Parking is available in the adjacent green garage at the Domain. We will be coming back for sure!! read more

Took my son and a friend here for his birthday. They absolutely loved it! The concept is super cool and great for all ages. Staff is great and friendly. Someone keeps watch in the main doorway for safety. They have lockers for rent to keep your items safe as well while you are in the rooms playing games. It was a Saturday afternoon during a holiday weekend and it was not too packed. I do recommend reserving your spot ahead of time and registering online if you can. They allow you to pay a deposit or the full amount to keep your spot reserved and you can reschedule online if something comes up. You cannot cancel or get a refund online only in person, so be aware of that if you pay in full. I did this and had some people in our group not able to make it last minute but I was easily able to get refunded when we checked in the rest of our group. We also loved that it is in the Domain so plenty of options for food and beverage nearby as they do not sell any concessions. I would recommend this place if you like games or have kids that like games. We already have plans to return. read more

Okay, overall AWESOME!!! We absolutely had a blast here and will be back often with different groups of friends and our kids. The positive, the staff; the check in was super easy, we got a locker wristband that was easy to use, so it was easy check in process. Now where it gets sketchy, they kind of just let you go on your own after a short explanation. Which at the time the explanation seemed fine but once we were on our own it was confusion for our group to get it. In the rooms, we did have a blast, but the rooms where we had to get directions it was SO hard to understand what the speaker was saying. It kept saying we failed but didn't know why because we couldn't hear the instructions. So the games were totally what I was thinking but what wasn't is, you are your team, you can never really be against your team. So while this is competitive, it really isn't. We took 8, thinking we would be in a room the 4 guys could go then we would go and see who wins. It's not like that. You are basically running room to room playing a game but you aren't individual so there isn't a winner per se. so we went in thinking we were going to get to be competitive with each other we really couldn't be. When you scan in to play a game it doesn't tell you why there isn't a start button. For us it was because the game took more than 2 people but the screen wouldn't tell us so we kept going machine to machine trying to find a game the 2 of us could play and we never did. We also saw our play time being decreased and decreased. This is when we realized you just have 60 min from the beginning, it's not play minutes, so if you sit down to take a breather or wait for another team to mix it up, you ARE losing game time. I personally was thinking the time started and stopped while we were playing. So 90 minutes to use 60 min playtime would be more appealing to me. Especially finding it took a minute to figure out the games and sometimes a couple tries to understand it. We also found ourselves scanning thru games to see how to play a lot, not realizing we were burning our play time so that was a little confusing. There is a huge leader board but these people have 200,000 points where we were at like 1,900 so I just didn't understand how the leader board actually worked. Maybe I'm just way too competitive, but I didn't like that I was never winning anything or beating my friends at anything. So while there were a few things I had to get used to and a few things I learned, we will for sure be back. It's an absolute blast!!! I just need to readjust how I feel about the competition aspect of it. Oh also, just remembered! There are probably 25-30 other people there running around while yall are there. You are all using all the rooms, looking for empty ones or waiting for a group to finish. Also if you are in a room and planned to play multiple rounds, if someone else scans and picks a game in your room, you get kicked out right after so you couldn't try again or go to the next level. You have to immediately exit when the round is over. Anyways, back to the number in your party. Personally I will only go with 3-5 from now on, 5 is perfect but 5 is such an odd number. But with just 2, we found you can't play a lot of the games, and more than 5 someone is out waiting burning their play time. We had a group of 8 and didn't realize we couldn't just compete against each other in two teams of 4. So yes, GO and have fun! Do wear shorts or athletic wear. Do NOT wear jeans. Don't take yourself seriously. There is no winning. read more

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Surprisingly fun! I didn't quite know what to expect with Activate, but it's high tech mini game land that can be competitive or cooperative. Think almost real life Mario Party. The technology integrations are quite impressive and there's good variety for everyone, from basketball, to lasers, to colored tiles and much much more. You'll even work up a sweat pretty quickly, so make sure you dress appropriately. It's also a good place for a pretty large range of ages, from younger folks to adults. Price is right for the experience! read more

Came here on my birthday with about 28 people, supposedly the largest party they had there so far. This place had always been on my list to try in Dallas/Houston so I'm glad they opened one up here in Austin. When we got there, everybody had to sign a waiver and get a wristband. Regardless the size of your party, you'll be split into teams of 4-5, but you can always switch team members between games. There's maybe 10-15 "game rooms" each with lots of games to play. Each game has levels so as you progress, the wristbands save your progress. You can play co-op games, or vs each other for some friendly competition. Your 1 hour of time starts when you "tap" into your first game. You WILL sweat, so I would recommend wearing good shoes and athletic wear. You cant bring water bottles into the rooms, but you can leave them in the common areas between rooms. They provide free lockers if you need them so you can run around worry-free. 11/10 would recommend and your progress gets saved on a chip so you can continue from where you left off the next time. I'm already heading back there tomorrow! read more

Had an amazing time with friends!! We had a party of about 20 ppl and staffing was very accommodating. Great activity and a great workout! I would highly recommend wearing athletic clothes and tennis shoes. Interactive rooms with different challenges and levels. Gain points as you successfully complete levels. Each player wears a wristband that you tap into each room. They have 9 different types of rooms with several games within each room. Games are collaborative and active! They offer separate wristbands for lockers to put your belongings in. Located between Dillards and Maggianos. Plenty of parking in the green garage. read more

I was a little bummed that rooms only allow five people and we weren't told before paying for our party of six; nonetheless, it was still a blast. We had so much fun at Activate, and I highly recommend it for high-energy entertainment. read more

We had an AMAZING time! Our family of 6 just got hot and sweaty having so much fun! I cannot recommend this place enough. Quinten took excellent care of us. We were coached and prepped to have the best time possible. Come in athletic wear and be prepared to burn calories while laughing and making memories. You use your brain and body to level up! There are a ton of games so you will never get bored. read more

I started getting ads for this new experience in the Domain, so my boyfriend and I went for date night. I made a reservation by booking through their website. Time slots are for one hour of playtime. Once we arrived, we each got a wristband and registered in the system to track our points. We also got another wristband for a locker to put our stuff in. Once we were ready to play, one of the staff members brought us into the game area and showed us how to unlock rooms to play. There are so many different games available, we barely got through 6 or 7 within the hour because we kept wanting to play the next level! It's hard to tell from the website, but there are about 16 different rooms with 9 different types of equipment (some rooms are repeats). I assumed that would mean there would be 9 different games to play, but actually there are multiple games you can play using the same equipment, plus cooperative and competitive modes for some rooms. The best part of this is that you don't play with strangers! It felt like it was just the two of us even though there were plenty of people playing other games. If someone wants to play in the room you're in, the room will only let you complete one level and then you have to let someone else have a turn. That only happened to us a couple times, but honestly I was grateful for that system since it didn't allow anyone to hog a room to themselves. Each level only lasts for a couple minutes, so we never had to wait very long to try a new room. I wasn't really sure what to expect from all the rooms, but I would say they have something for everyone. Even if you're not athletic, they have games where you can just stand and shoot a laser gun or a trivia game with a basketball (the hoop is like 2 feet away, you won't miss). Our favorite game was in the Strike room, which has 32 monitors on the wall and a bunch of balls. The wall showed numbers all out of order, and we had to throw balls at the monitors in the order of the numbers before time ran out. I think we played that one about 20 times trying to beat the fourth level (lol). If you're thinking about trying this out for yourself, here are my recommendations: - If you're going for a date night, book later in the evening. We went around 5 on a Friday, and there were quite a few screaming children. - Wear athletic clothing! They say this on their website, but some of the activities had us running and jumping around so I'm glad we were dressed appropriately. - Make a reservation in advance. Some of the time slots on the website were sold out when I was booking, which according to their FAQs seems like they won't accept walk-ins until the next available time slot (time slots are every 10 minutes, but still). Overall, we had a great time and would definitely come back! We play video games together a lot, and this felt like being inside a game together. I would definitely recommend Activate for a date night or with a small group of friends! read more

This place is super fun! It can be as active as you want it to be, but we really enjoyed the active games (think running around the room to hit all the buttons or crawling to dodge lasers). We wore workout clothes and were glad we did. There are a few games that aren't as active too if it's not your thing. There are lockers that the staff give you a wristband for to store any items you don't want to take into the games with you. Inside, there are a bunch of different doors that correspond to a game category. Each game category has various modes you can play. Some modes even have different levels to them! So it makes the time really fly by since there's so much to play. It looked like each game can have up to 5 players at once too. My partner and I found it very fun with just the two of us, but we'd definitely enjoy going with friends next time around. The staff helped explained the concept to us when we started the games. We went during peak hours and didn't have to wait too long for each game. It's really nice they limit the amount of sign ups. It's all indoors so it's great for a rainy day. Would highly recommend trying it out! read more

Get active at Activate Games! If you want to skip the gym, head to Activate Games for a full body workout packed with fun. The place is really clean and the waiting area is spacious. The staff at the front desk will give you wristbands and they have lockers for your belongings. You set up your profile on tablets before starting the games. Each room has several games that you can play. An employee will give you a quick overview before starting. Each room has several games that you can play. What I loved is that I did not get bored with one game for a long time. They allowed everyone to get a chance to play, so sometimes the game didn't last long. It was very fast paced and I got a good workout in! I highly recommend if you want an inside active activity to do . read more

Decided to stop in here on a Friday afternoon while visiting Austin. It was a bit pricey ($127 for 4 people) but we had a great time. Lots of fun and challenging games even with 2 of us being over 60 years old. We especially like the grid and portal games. The hour went way too fast because we were having such a blast. read more

Fun group activity but with a few suggestions. We arrived as a group of 6 and the most that can register for any game is 5. There are a few good videos on YouTube that are posted from families that I wished I would have seen prior, they really help understand and explain some of the games and processes better than the information we were given. The games are very short and often take 3-4 times on the grids, laser and others to figure out. Hoops and strike were very simple and fun, the others all took time. I suspect if you are an active gamer all of these would be quick to learn. It is loud and sometimes difficult to know what you are supposed to listen to or where to look to understand the direction is given. Carry a small pocket sanitizer to use after exiting each room if that is something that is of concern to you as it was me. Overall I would do this again but with some learning prior in order to get the value out of the experience. There is plenty of free parking near the site at the Domain and a free locker was available for us to put our purses and coats into. We did the photos afterward so that we didn't eat up our playing time and it was helpful to have someone just stand at the control panel and do press the photo button because you need to swipe your band and press photo which happens pretty quickly. read more

SOOOOOO much fun!!! Highly recommend! It's a bunch of game rooms with different levels and you can play with whoever you want!

This was such a fun experience! I took my parents when they came to visit! It is both kid friendly and adult friendly, with a bunch of style different games! You can compete against each other or work as a team! And it keeps tracking your points! read more

My older teens loved this placed at the Grove! It was interactive and kept them engaged the entire time. Definitely a big highlight of our trip for them! read more

We've played Activate in another city and loved it so was excited to see it here in Austin! It's such a unique activity and a really good workout! This one is just like the other location we were at but some notable pluses is that it's located at the end of The Domain so parking is nearby and plentiful. The workers here are all super nice too! The whole family from ages 10-50 all had a great time. read more

What a blast! Be sure to wear light clothing because you will be sweating! Try and go at less crowded times as hearing the game can be tough when everyone around you is yelling and having a good time. read more

Tyrone was gang asf, amazing place and very professional overall. It was packed at the time and still didn't feel overwhelmed or anything

What a fun place. My niece (12) was in town so we wanted to do some fun things with her. We found this place and decided it would be fun. We made a reservation online and even got a military discount. We arrived and was greeted by staff. We got our bands and locker and we were off. All the rooms were so fun, some more challenging then others. We got a good workout. If someone is in a room you just wait till the computer tells you to enter. At the end our session it started to get busy. We all had a great time and would definitely return. read more

This place is SO MUCH FUN! It took a second to figure out the mechanics of it all. But there are lots of different rooms and every room has the option of playing collaboratively or competitively, with a few different game options under each selection. It is FAST-PACED. Each game lasts probably a minute or so, and if no one else is waiting you can play several rounds. If someone is waiting but you really want to play a certain room again, just go out the door and sign in on the screen again. It'll put you back in the fast-moving queue. I went with a group of 4 forty-something's and a ten year old along with a couple of the grandparents. The ten year old definitely had an absolute blast, but so did the forty something's. The grandparents had a fun time too, but a few of the games were a bit too physical for them. But even so, there's tons of games that involve less movement so there's something for everyone. I loved this place and had a great time. Can't wait to come back, but I'll definitely be wearing more comfy clothes, and maybe even a bandana or something similar, because it's a workout and we all left feeling pretty sweaty (one thing I'd recommend to the proprietor - please crank that a/c - it's warm in there). Also of note: you can't play with only two people. You have to have at least three people in your party, and a max of five people per game. read more

This was my second trip with a group to Activate Games in Austin which was a negative experience this past week and I am starting to question this locations professionalism. Especially since one of the black male workers who was wearing a beanie on his head, and I won't state what it says on there, but it definitely is not appropriate workplace attire. He clearly was taking a phone call for a long time with customers in the lobby area and saying all kind of filthy language. He even said one of his coworkers was a stupid N word and repeated the B word and made several sexual references about women . I have enjoyed Activate in Houston but I gave this one a second attempt and unsure if I will ever return. read more