Interactive gaming experiences offer cold-season fun.
Holiday breaks provide a welcome respite from the daily grind, but cabin fever can creep in before too long. If your kids (and visiting cousins) are bouncing off the walls-, or perma-glued to their iPads, interactive gaming experiences offer the perfect field trip. From retro video games to action-packed missions, game-filled destinations can be an entertaining indoor option that combines playtime with quality family time out of the house. Here are a few local spots to check out. Did we mention adults will love these, too?
GEEK OUT AND GAME ON
BATTLE & BREW in Sandy Springs
Feel free to geek out at Battle & Brew, which is part restaurant and bar, part arcade and part Local Area Network center offering communal gaming experiences. Kids can dive into everything from retro video games and tabletop board games to virtual reality and console gaming with Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox. With food, comfortable seating and table-front games, it’s the ideal spot for a low-key afternoon that’s still full of action. Just note that this gamer’s paradise becomes 21+ at 11 p.m. (way after bedtime anyway).
STEP INTO THE GAME
BATTLE & BREW in Sandy Springs
Think real-life video game meets obstacle course all synced with technology that tracks your score and progress. At Activate, families step into rooms with challenges ranging from avoiding lasers to memory tests and agility games such as digital dodgeball, each designed for up to five people to play at one time. All rooms feature a dark backdrop that accentuates the games’ neon light features, from a climbing wall and basketball hoops to “floor is lava”-esque glowing tiles. Sessions run in 75-minute increments, and they’re recommended for kids ages 10 and up with a team spirit who love fast-paced fun.
PUTT, PUTT, PLAY
PUTTSHACK on the Westside and in Dunwoody
This isn’t Grandpa’s mini golf, but he’ll have fun here, too. For one thing, the nine holes are inside. Plus, you can’t cheat since the balls literally keep score and track your moves. And instead of trying to get the lowest score, you’re going for the highest with special features that gain you extra points—and hazard traps that lose them. Kids 7 years old and up will love swinging clubs in the neon-lit space with music-pumping vibes, interactive screens and the wildest hole designs the family’s ever seen. The menu offers family-friendly bites and mocktails alongside adult refreshments. Just plan to be out of there by 8 p.m. when it becomes 21+.
MISSION: FAMILY FUN
BEAT THE BOMB in Upper Westside
Grab your goggles! It’s time to gear up for five timed team missions filled with laser dodging, code cracking and digital puzzles. Didn’t beat the countdown clock? You and your four to six teammates will get slime, paint or foam bombed. (Don’t worry, you’ll be dressed in a hazmat suit.) Designed for ages 8 and up, this escape room-meets action movie experience is sure to be 100% unforgettable. If you do forget the fun and funny, just look back at the complimentary photos and video Beat the Bomb sends you. Outside of the explosive game rooms are game bays where groups of three to 12 players can compete in arcade-style games and enjoy food and beverages.
ACTIVATE
404.891.9126
playactivate.com/buckhead
@activategames
BATTLE & BREW
678.560.1500
battleandbrew.com
@battleandbrew
BEAT THE BOMB
404.458.6562
beatthebomb.com/locations/atlanta
@beatthebomb
PUTTSHACK
404.738.7888
puttshack.com/locations/atlanta
@puttshack
