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Sterling, VA

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Activate Sterling

4.9 (17 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Thomas V.

Wow! I was lucky enough to come to their grand opening and had so much fun that I visited again 2 weeks later. They use a lot of modern technology and lights in their games. The arena is shaped like a donut with 3 game rooms in the center along with a live score board and like 10 games on the perimeter. I noticed one game room was closed so it might be a game that opens up in the future. I liked that each game room had different game modes you can choose and you can progress in difficulty if you pass the games. Your progress and rewards points are also saved so you can start where you left off next time you come back to Activate. The game rooms vary greatly from each other to cater to people both young and older. Some examples of game rooms they had are: avoiding lasers, light-up floor tiles to step on, throwing balls at targets, basketball hoops, button pressing while avoiding an evil eye, and something similar to pac-man. I left Activate sweaty; some of the games are a great workout! I do wish they had a better way of indicating if a room is in use like making the lights a different color. The only way we can tell if a room is in use is if we look through the door windows and see lights/people moving around. Otherwise when you click to start the game, it'll tell you to wait (upwards of ~1 minute since games don't take too long).

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Philip L.

I'm almost 40 and no kids. I came here with a group for a total of 8 adults. We had to split up into two groups of 4 because the rooms can't accommodate so many at one time. I didn't know what to expect from this place, but it turned out fun! We did 90 minutes and 30 minutes in, we finally got the gist of things and time went by fast. The first couple of times you're playing, you might as well expect to lose while you're learning what to do. Some of the games go really fast too so expect to lose a bit fast. There are about 10 rooms of games. Some are repeated like there are two laser rooms. There's a grid room and then a much bigger mega grid. So some repeats. So the set up of this place is basically, enter, put things in locker, get wristbands, activate wristband, go inside, find a room you want to play, tap your wristband to be in the room, select game, press start and if there's another group inside, wait. If not, directly go inside. The games go fast so it's not a long wait. If you finish the game, there are two choices. If there are no other groups waiting, you can keep playing but it increases in difficulty and level (and more points). If there is another group waiting, then the room tells you to get out. When you enter a game, be ready fast. It starts almost immediately, especially lasers. When a bunch of people are just standing aimlessly, you could lose all your lives in the first couple of seconds. Stay vigilant! A surprise at the end is that you can scan and spin for points, accumulate the points, and select a gift. After 90 minutes, most of us got a water bottle as a gift. The lowest gift is a keychain. Overall, a fun and unique experience.

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Ask the Community - Activate Sterling

Review Highlights - Activate Sterling

“The difficulty and physical level of the games vary, but there are games for everyone, and it will be fun regardless.”

Mentioned in 4 reviews

Read more highlights

Lawless Forge - Strike while it's hot!

Lawless Forge

(114 reviews)

'Twas in the fall. I, Brian of the Hill of Oxon, faced the burning furnace steady and fearless,…read moresomehow paused with sweet relief as its warmth, bled thru me, seeping quiet into dark places of my being which never I've revealed. My gaze did pivot from the fiery chasm from whence the glowing steel was purged; then there upon the cold rooted anvil I did place her. Hammer in hand, her call in my ear, and in my heart, I raised and raised it high and struck and struck again! Sharp as in my mind and formed in focus dragon's heart as dark and bright and burning wretched pierced the plane and birthed from that world into mine! Woe and patience now, we will cut and curse and bleed them to the center of this earth, my knife and eye. *Horseshoe knife workshop*

If you are looking for a night out that is way different than a typical Friday evening you must…read moretake a class here. My sister and I came for a knife class and it was awesome. It's could be a little overwhelming at first but everything was explained so well and the entire project was broken down into easily achievable steps. And if you get stuck the instructor is right there to help you. Our instructor was Kyle. He was not overbearing or boring at all! His enthusiasm and encouragement went a long way towards making us feel comfortable. Plus he offered some expert help to make our knives go from butter basic to pointy kitchen. Some need to know info - everything is provided (protective eye wear, aprons, gloves and I did see ear plugs). They have cups and a water fountain but I would probably bring my own water bottle. There are breaks. There are bathrooms that are clean. It is very loud. It is hot. It is hard work and you will most likely be sore the next day. It could be addictive.

Time Mission - Manassas, VA / Manassas Mall - Head Hunter

Time Mission - Manassas, VA / Manassas Mall

(29 reviews)

This was my first time trying something like Time Mission out. I wasn't sure what to expect, but…read moreI'm really happy I gave it a go. Note that the last check in is at 11:00pm on the weekend (at least that's what they said via phone call). They almost didn't let us in but we mentioned that we were the ones on the phone. After we all checked in, we explored each of the room. Some were super difficult, some were "easy". Each room lets you know if it's more physical, mental, or team work/ communication. Because each room is timed, I felt like I was in squid game without the gore and anxiety from pending doom. It's a great concept, especially if you go with an entertaining group looking for a fun time.

This is honestly one of the best places to spend time with kids. Everything was clean, well…read moreorganized, and the whole experience felt very fun and engaging for the family. The staff were incredibly nice and welcoming. We were actually about 5 minutes late and rushed there, but instead of making us feel stressed, they kindly told us to take our time and not worry about rushing. That small moment really showed how thoughtful they are. My family had such a great time, the kids were fully entertained and didn't want to leave. You can tell they really care about the experience they provide. No wonder they have a full 5-star rating on Google, which is rare to see. They truly deserve it. We will definitely be back!

Lose It Rage Room - After the rage

Lose It Rage Room

(9 reviews)

When I tell y'all I needed this…read more... No lie, 10-15 minutes in this rage room was better than therapy. I left that room feeling emotionally lighter than I have in a very long time... And it's a hell of a workout too! Despite what it seems like, 15 minutes is actually a lot of time. My friend and I were able to stop and take pictures and video, request additional items, change the song on our playlist, catch our breath and rest for a second, and we still felt like we had plenty of time left. They also come in and give you a 3-minute and 1-minute warning when your time is almost up Oh, and did I mention it's a hell of a workout? I was winded in the first 45 seconds (beating the hell out of a printer with a baseball bat will do that to you). They also have branded merch, including t-shirts and jogging pants, which is especially great if you're going with a group and matching shirts/pants are your thing. A couple of things to keep in mind before you go: 1. Although they give you something to protect your face, wear something to cover your head. A shower cap. A satin bonnet. Something to keep debris from getting into your hair. Even after thoroughly dusting myself off, I went home and was still shaking small pieces of broken glass out of my hair (to be fair, I was playing 'baseball' with beer bottles for most of my time in room, so that was to be expected). 2. Wear a long sleeved shirt (they have some long-sleeved branded shirts for sale). If you're like me and enjoy breaking glass, be advised that those shards do fly... And it's the smallest ones that you have to worry about. By the end of my session, I had several tiny cuts and streaks of blood on my arm from all of the shards raining down (again, playing baseball with beer bottles). I didn't even feel it, but best to avoid it if you can. 3. Wear long sweat pants (with a hemline that covers the top of your shoe), high socks (crew socks are good), and either boots or sneakers that cover as much of your foot as possible. This is CRITICAL. I made the mistake of wearing ankle socks and pants that didn't cover the top of my sneakers. As a result, small shards of glass slipped into my sock and shoe several times during my session and I had to stop each time to remove them. Also, if you wear sneakers, make sure they have good treads on them, because all of that broken glass and other debris can make the floors very slippery. 4. They allow you to connect to their Bluetooth and blast whatever music you like right from your phone. Prepare your playlist ahead of time so you can get to the fun a little faster. 5. They set you up with a good number of breakable items at the beginning of your session, but you're gonna want more stuff, trust me. So be prepared to pay a little extra for another bucket of glass items, another piece of furniture, or another computer, electronic device, or small appliance to destroy. (Pro Tip: CPUs/desktop computers can take a lot of abuse so if you want to get the most bang for your buck, literally, it might be worth the money to splurge on one of those.) 6. Sometimes the sessions can be unexpectedly cathartic.The team works hard to create a safe, judgment-free environment, so feel your feelings and don't be embarrassed if you shed a couple of tears or need to let out a few ear-shattering screams. The staff are really friendly and work hard to create a fun and enjoyable experience so if you really enjoyed yourself, consider giving them a tip to show your appreciation. This place, and this experience, is absolutely worth the money. Go, have fun, and most importantly, f**k sh*t up!!

Definitely a experience worth trying at least once. Very…read moresimple concept - let out some steam / emotions etc Pricey imo but I enjoyed myself. Lots of things to break.

The Rage Arena - Splatter Paint Bicycle

The Rage Arena

(52 reviews)

I went on a Saturday around 12:30. It wasn't busy at all. I prepaid for the basic rage which was…read moreabout 48$ and I got a jumpsuit just to prevent getting glass on my clothes. The owner is very friendly and straightforward. I got suited for the room & I was provided 3 large items + 12 glasses to smash. They play rock + heavy metal music which I liked. I asked the worker if it's okay to scream if you need to & they welcomed it. I spent 20 mins smashing & screaming . The environment was non-judgmental! I do want to shoutout the worker Jim! He was very helpful and kind through my whole experience. He took the time to give me kind words and a hug after. I appreciate him as it meant a lot. This was my second visit and I'll definitely be back.

I reserved a time slot for this entertainment spot for Saturday. The reserve process was a little…read moreconfusing as I looked online and then called. After calling I was informed there were slots available all day and to come. At about 430 I decided to go online and pay for the slot to make sure we get to go right away. At this time I went online and it had no slots for my time or the rest of the day. I called the number back and was told to text the time and activity that I wabted to take part in. I did so. We arrived and it seemed different like interesting but I was no longer excited to take part in the activities. It was a small crate of small glasses and really nothing else to break in the room. The pictures online are old. It was a child's birthday and not really enthused. It needs updates or more larger appealling wreckingitems for the price For the amount of money per person this is not an appealling spot to waste money on. I cancelled out our time slot and left.

Remix Rage Smash Room

Remix Rage Smash Room

(3 reviews)

Oh yeah, this is exactly what I needed! After randomly booking this and not really knowing what to…read moreexpect, my son and I showed up on a saturday and were the first appointment. We were greeted by 3 staff members (apologies I don't remember their names). I initially thought this was just a venue to smash stuff but it was explained that this is a mental health venture aimed at spiritual healing. After signing the waivers and donning our PPE, we went in. The wooden structure isn't huge so you cant get running starts or make any long over hear arm movements, but it ended being just the right amount of space to get your smash on. Initially I was caught up in the novelty of smashing things, but a point in time came where that novelty faded and I found myself tapping into an aggression and emotion I did not go there with. It wasn't until I stood there out of breath with my hands sore that I truly understood what this place was for. That session provided a space and avenue for me to truly let go, for just a little bit. If you haven't done that recently (or ever), you need to book a session to understand what im talking about. A challenge was issued to me to put in work on the water heater and I made a decent hole in it but that thing was tough. They sure don't make em like they used to.

Great experience at Remix Rage Smash Room. I visited a few weeks ago based on a Groupon that I had…read more The staff was extremely helpful in organizing my session and preparing for my appointment. The site was well furnished with safety gear (goggles, gloves, etc.), tools (bats, sledgehammers, etc.) and objects to smash (microwave oven, water heater, glass bottles, etc.). It was stress relieving and fun with the opportunity to damage and destroy inanimate objects in a normally civilized world. I definitely recommend if in the DMV area.

Activate Sterling - teambuilding - Updated November 2026

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