I have been coming to Activate: Oak Brook since it opened and it is always a fun way to get your heart pumping, muscles activated, and brain juices flowing! I was here on Good Friday since I had the day off. I made my gaming partner go early because those times were discounted and boy, am I glad I did! By the time our 90 minutes were up, the place was getting PACKED. It made my heart happy to see so many families doing something active and together! Like I stated before, I have been coming since it opened, and I appreciated in this visit that the instruction screens were updated, some of the rooms that we not working on my previous version were up and running again, etc. I also appreciate an upgrade to their reward system! Before, they used to hand you items (a water bottle, a basketball, etc.), but now you earn coins and can "spend" them on the items of your choice. I prefer that so I can pick items that I will actually use! (The aforementioned water bottle and basketball were donated to my local charity shop.) I chose a personal bracelet that Activate uses to track your time and points while you are actively participating in the games. The facilities have bathrooms, access to clean drinking water, free lockers to protect your belongings, etc. This time, too, I wore my fitness tracker for kicks and giggles and I burned almost 500 calories in 90 minutes of fun. I wish they offered a summer pass or a monthly pass like other entertainment options in the suburbs. read more

Activate Games - Entrance to game area - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

I've been to this location twice. We came here on NYE and were able to do the 60 min session. The 90 min session was not available but 60 min is more than enough to try all of the rooms at least once. After that, you can choose to go back to your favorite ones. There are free lockers to put your belongings as well as a free coat check. There are restrooms and a water fountain in the very back. There is a lounge area that is used for private parties but you can also just sit in there. You can watch other people play on the big screen. I recommend wearing casual or active attire because you'll get a workout for sure Each game room has a variety of levels and different types of games within that room. The cost per person is cheaper Mon - Thurs. $20.99 for 60 mins. $26.99 for 90 mins. Fri - Sun it's $26.99 for 60 mins and $38.99 for 90 mins. For Mondays and holidays, it's best to check back because the prices do change. I highly recommend booking on the website instead of blindly going there. The slots fill up fast. The games are short so you don't have to wait long to go into that room. The room types are arena, climb, grid, hoops, mega laser, hide, control, mega grid, strike, portals, and press. The staff were all friendly and helpful. There's no issue with finding parking. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect. I've seen a couple ads and have been to the cafe right next door. It always looked fun, but I wasn't sold on trying it. I finally went and it was such a great time! It was so fun and active. I definitely got a little workout in. I believe all of the rooms have cooperative games and competitive games. My favorite room had to be the one where there are lasers. It felt like a movie scene. My favorite game for competitive was the basketball one. If you have a little group of people, I definitely recommend going. The group size per game is 5 for sure. I believe the minimum for a game is 2. It's great for kids and adult. I will gather some friends and come back! read more

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I went to Activate Games on a Tuesday afternoon with one other person. We opted for the 90 minutes, and at first I thought this would be too much time, but it was the perfect amount of time. There are plenty of game rooms to choose from, and there are lockers to put your belongings in as well. Two things I want to note is that while we were in the "hoops" room, another team's play overrode ours, and our game was stopped mid game. The door unlocked, and they walked in on our trivial hoops game, and the board completely reset to their game. Annoyed, but understanding glitches happen, we left so they could play their game, and we tried the second hoops room, and the door wouldn't unlock for us! Second, we wanted to do the lasers room, and the instructions weren't clear, and when the AI voice announces the game rules, we couldn't understand what he was saying at all, and completely missed and lost our game immediately lol. Other than those two issues, the other rooms were great. We loved the Mega Arena and Climb rooms the most. The wait times weren't too bad, even though the place was packed due to it being Thanksgiving week. You'll definitely get your cardio in, and don't forget your water bottles!! read more

Very cool idea- kids had a blast. Not too expensive for the "every once in a while" outing. Find a way to have the games projected onto TVs so parents can watch! read more

Activate Games - Main hallway - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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Had an amazing experience my first time here, so decided to try it out as a family outing. It was really crowded for a Friday night. It b didn't look like people were actually keeping to their reservation times. Also it looked like where were a lot of younger kids that were going into rooms without any supervision. It is a much better time to go when it isn't crowded, it makes a world of difference for your overall experience. So crowded it is a 3 star activity, but less crowded makes it a 5 star... thus the 4 star rating. The games themselves are still very fun. I'd recommend wearing workout gear and then tossing your long sleeves / jackets in the free locker. The smaller game rooms can get pretty warm. Also make sure to carry some water bottles in your car for afterwards! read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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TARGET: HEART RATE Getting in a cardio workout has never been this exciting. Activate Games is right off Route 83 & Butterfield Rd, across the street from Oak Brook Center near Blackberry Market. This gaming facility houses a series of mental and physical challenges that can be played in cooperative or competitive formats. You can enter 11 unique arenas, each requiring a combination of agility, accuracy, and endurance. Each arena has difficulty levels ranging from 1 (beginner) to 10 (expert+), with each round lasting between 1-3 minutes, or until you run out of lives. There's free lockers to use when you walk in, first time visitors will have to register and get their wristbands setup. The price is $25 Mon-Thurs and $30 on weekends; each booking gives you a 75 minute time slot. A silicone RFID wristband tracks your progress and unlocks each room. It's a convenient system, and you can even monitor your level progression online! I was excited to try their newest room, 'STRIKE', which is a dodgeball gauntlet with hi-def screens. One game variant involves blowing up asteroids, a fun but nerve-wracking mode. 'HOOPS' is a fairly straightforward basket shooting game, while 'PRESS' will test your visual acuity and pattern recognition. 'CLIMB' involves grabbing onto handholds, 'HIDE' sees you pushing buttons in sequence while avoiding detection, and 'LASER' has two unique modes where you can shoot guns at targets, or carefully navigate around laser beams like a superspy. That last room gets tricky in a hurry! Sometimes a button will stop working, or a ball will get lost (this happened to us in 'PORTALS', which relies on a single ball). The game technicians are quick to act, and they'll get rooms back in service without much delay. Staff are friendly and helpful. Water and rest breaks are 100% needed, you'll likely be winded after a couple rounds. This is especially true in 'GRID' where you'll be tip-toeing onto green tiles and avoiding red ones, while also deftly smacking actuators in the 'MEGA GRID' room. A word of advice: don't wear jeans. Dress as if you're going to the gym, i.e. T-shirts or underarmor, leggings or shorts, and a good pair of sneakers (they won't let you in with open-toed shoes). You will probably break a sweat and should expect to reach your target heart rate several times. After your first visit, they'll give you a keyfob that stores your saved game data. Activate has reward tiers--you can earn 'stars' for completing any room at a given level, which can be redeemed for swag like water bottles and even gift cards. I'm one (good) visit away from getting a basketball! * TL;DR * This interactive playroom in Oak Brook seamlessly blends interactive technology with physical exercise and teamwork to create a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. I've been here twice and can't wait to return a third time. I'm excited to see the Naperville location open soon, as it's much closer to our house and should have a different variety of rooms. I wish Activate were around when I was younger, hopefully they'll still be in business once my kids are old enough. So much freakin' fun. 11/10 would recommend. read more

Activate Games - Try navigating through this in the 'LASER' room! Hint: army crawl underneath - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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Very good nice staff cheap ish prices me and my fishing bud Cletus went there after a few drinks and the laser maze was rad I would put 5 stars but I pulled 4 muscles and you don't need a chiropractor just come here. read more

Tons of fun! Great for an outing with friends that feels new and refreshing. A group of us went on a Saturday afternoon. It was pretty crowded in there but I feel like with the way they did timed entry slots, the wave of people felt controlled. There are a bunch of mini rooms where you do the actual games. The turnover for all these rooms was quick and it never felt like we actually had to spend time waiting. Something we weren't expecting was that rooms cap out at 5 people, so our 8-person group had to split into two smaller groups. It is also kind of dark in some of the rooms, which makes sense because lights are a huge part of this, but it can make it difficult to see. Some of the game instructions were also pretty unclear until we went into the room. We had a great time and would definitely do it again! read more

It was super fun the games were a blast! I took my 8 year old son but there were so many age groups here enjoying themselves. 10/10 will definitely be back very soon. read more

Activate Games - Portals Game Room - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

I paid for family and friends to come out for my son's birthday and it was INCREDIBLE!! The staff was more than accommodating. I was able to sing happy birthday to my son in a small section in the back. That's not typical though. It warmed my heart. Cause I was prepared to leave and sing down the street. The game rooms were sooooooooo much fun. My son loved the grid, Hubble like the basketball, my daughter liked the one with the buttons, I liked everything. My son has asked almost every weekend since his bday in Oct can we go back. read more

Make sure you come dressed to move, because you WILL sweat. Tons of really fun games that range that require coordination, movement, and (in some cases) simply thinking fast. Great for groups, couples, and teams alike! The staff was also very friendly. Particularly Admire really set the tone for a great visit. He was very nice and energetic and gave us great energy from the beginning. read more

Activate Games is incredibly fun for a group hang, a date night, or a kid-friendly activity. The games are easy to understand, the music is upbeat, and the lights and facilities are all well maintained. You get the fun of a video game with a full body workout that makes a one of a kind experience. Madeline at the front desk was super insightful and kind! The price point for "off peak" hours is super friendly and was $30 for 90 minutes of gaming! 10/10 would recommend. read more

Yesterday we went to Activate for our 5th time and hosting our second birthday party. Logistically we have a challenge as we are coming from over an hour away (Woodstock) and this time we had 11 4th graders with us. Adam the GM and his staff were as usual: amazing. The sign up ssytme online was easy to use, plenty of email reminders and the staff helped some of our guests who had trouble remmebering their parents emails from the waivers. The facility was clean as always and the games were all working, clean, and most importantly: FUN! We really love the team options for parties and the ticket feature allows for plenty of space and time to enjoy even when they were sold out. Where a lot of other venues would just "pack them in" the limited number of tickets per session really helps increase value and the overall experience. We didn't get the party room as it was booked but our kiddos still had a great time and many were already talking about returning soon. One improvement we noticed was that windows have been added to the entry doors to let you watch your group and to see what the game entails before you enter We also booked a room at Guilvers Pizza which was only a few minutes away and they were also very helpful. Bottom line: Activate gaming is an amazing experience for kids and adults alike and we will be coming back soon read more

Activate is such a fun group game activity for any age - We went with a group of friends on a weekend and it was lots of fun. It's interactive and so much more fun & unique than a typical board game night! Perfect place for a kids birthday, adults group game night, family outing, etc. read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

It was so much fun here. A bit on the pricier side but my kids and husband really enjoyed it. They rate it 10/10. I only deducted one star cause it is pretty pricey but I think we will be back and would recommend! Workers were informative and nice here too. read more

This place is such a blast!! I've been a few times now for celebrating birthdays. I read reviews before coming and this place definitely exceeded my expectations! Upon arriving, we parked in the parking lot where there's always plenty of space to park. They seem pretty busy on the weekends but the staff is always friendly. Once you check in and get a wristband, there are lockers to store personal belongings. Once started, you are activated for 90 mins of "play time". Heading into the game space, there are maybe 15-20 "mini game rooms". Even when the place is crowded, there is a considerate and timely flow of how the rooms are used. After choosing a room and a specific game, you put yourself in a queue to play inside. The rooms are voice operated and prompts you when to enter and exit through rooms. As you play these games physically with your body, it can be a nice workout or a cute interactive date. There are easy accessible bathrooms and staff always near. There are hand sanitizer stations available and water fountains. Overall, I love this place! I try to go whenever I get some free time to just do something fun...anddddd it's free for you if it's your birthday! read more

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Seriously so fun!! Staff is so nice! There's plenty of rooms. Wait times aren't bad! Perfect stop for a date night, birthday or night out with friends! read more

What a COOL place!! We had a blast here - it's perfect for gorup activities and is DEFINITELY engaging. You check-in at the front desk and they give you a wristband that swipes you into the different game rooms they have. There is a VARIETY of game rooms, each lasting for about 3 minutes. If no one is waiting outside your game room, you can swipe your wrist band to keep playing. The band also keeps score of all of your games. The games range from shooting hoops, climbing along a wall, running through lasers, finding color blocks on the floor and so much more. Some games are physical and some are mental. It's fun to try them all, there's really nothing to lose. There's also a lot of color in the outside hallways before you enter the rooms. I had so much fun and plan to be back. I felt super engaged with each game and the time went by so fast. What a great idea and experience. read more

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I recently visited activate to celebrate a friend's 34th birthday party. I am not an active person in general. I was a little nervous at first. I made sure to wear some leggings and tennis shoes. It turned out to be allot of fun with a ton of different levels and variety of games. My favorite had to be the color changing block floor, we could have played that game for much longer. My team was the perfect number of five, which most play rooms accommodated as the max. My team made the board and at the end we got key chains. I would go back. read more

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Very fun place! I think they need to change their capacity, we payed for 60mims but felt like half the time was spent waiting in line at every room then you finally get in the room and the games only last 30seconds and then you spend another 3min waiting in line for another game.... There were several games we wanted to try but didn't get to cause we didn't want to waste time waiting. read more

This place is sooo much fun! I'm addicted! It's $26 for 75 minutes per person. I think the price is reasonable. There are a bunch of game rooms with short games 90 seconds or so. You work your way through the levels. You can keep going through the levels unless another group is waiting. This makes it fair and it's no big deal because there are plenty of other games to try. Some of the games include climbing through lasers, memory games, trivia, shooting basketball hoops, and a rock wall. Each activity has various types of games you can play. For example, the laser room you can play a game where you are climbing through lasers or shooting lasers. You need a minimum of 2 people and groups can be up to 5 people. If your group is bigger, then you'll need to split into multiple groups. Booking is super easy and super flexible. Definitely give it a try! read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Super fun indoor activity to do with a group of friends or a date! It does get busy inside but I was able to try all the rooms I wanted to try within the time frame. My favorite rooms had to be the laser room and the biggest room with the light up tiles. The one thing that I felt could use improvement is the directions. The directions for each game is a bit confusing and sometimes doesn't explain it very well. All of us were really confused at some games because the directions weren't very clear. But once you play the game it makes sense however if there's a group behind you waiting then you can't play again till you sign up next. read more

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I had the chance to visit Activate - Oak Brook with my 10 year old daughter a few weekends ago and this is our review. I'd like to start off the review by saying I only brought my 10 year old daughter because the website says it's recommended for ages 10 and over. However I have a 5 year old son and I'm certain he would be able to play most of the games here and next time I will bring him with. We arrived at Activate games and were immediately greeted and a nice gentlemen gave us a walk thought of all the games and how to participate and "activate" the games. Once he gave us the tutorial we were off on our own. There's a slight learning curve on how to 'activate' the games but after a few times you get the hang of it. I'm not going to get into the details of each game as you can watch YouTube videos for this, but my overall high level experience at Activate was fantastic. It was super fun, creative, new, exciting, and just a blast to do! You'll go around to each game and you'll find your favorites and you'll do it over and over again. When we were there it was quite busy but we never felt that we had to wait more than a few minutes to get into the next game. For the price of $25, you get 75 mins worth of games and I think this is totally worth it. It's something new and your kids will thank you and I actually had a blast myself. Overall, I'm glad I got to try Activate games and my only gripe is I wish they had one closer to where I live in the northwest suburbs. The staff was super friendly and helpful and created a family fun vibe. ProTip: It's an active activity and you might even sweat. We brough water bottles and carried them from room to room and just put them right outside the exit door of each room. You don't want to bring the water bottles into the rooms due to the expensive electronics. We documented our time at Activate in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s3LGxOGhM4&t=83s&ab_channel=HangingwithDrina read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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Activate is Super fun! Must visit! There are like 10 rooms and almost each one has 4-5 games. You can definitely work up a sweat while having a great time. The best part is the wait is never more than 1 1/2 mins. If there is no one waiting the game automatically allows you to replay or start the next level. I would say the age range can be anywhere between 7yrAdult. The entire family can have a great time bonding, exercising, and competing for the top spot. I've always wanted to participate in one of those spy laser rooms and Activate finally gave me the experience lol. I went on Saturday and I'm bringing my little cousin back after school on Monday. Can't wait! read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I can say from the jump that Activate works for all ages, but there's no question that it's best for teens and above. Moreover, it would make an EXCELLENT team or group outing option. They have an option to book the party space for private events. I don't think they have a running kitchen. However, I saw people bringing in food. They have large bathrooms and private lockers as well. It took us a few minutes to figure out how everything worked. But once we got into it, we were off and running. I spent 1.5 hours here and the time flew. There were so many games and each game had 3-4 different variants. I can't WAIT to go back again for a couples night out! PS - They share parking lots with Tesla superchargers. So you can get a charge-up while you play! read more

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What a fantastic experience! The staff were SUPER helpful explaining the experience to us and it has so many levels of play that all people of every age and ability could find something they can participate in. It was great that they had water fountains available with cups but, we asked about any other food options and the staff agreed that maybe they could add vending machines in the future. 75 minutes is a great amount of time to play, take a break, and enjoy all that's to offer! I will definitely consider coming here for my birthday in December! Thank you Yelp for the great Elite: Experience! read more

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This place was fun! There were 11 rooms to choose from. Each room have three to four different games. Each game were about one minute long. And if you passed the first level, you can continue to the next level. They let you play for 75 minutes. There was enough time to try all the rooms and different games. Plus we went at night on a weekday. It wasn't crowded at all. The staff there were very helpful and nice. He explain what kind of games were in each room. And he came back to check on us to see how we were doing and ask if we needed water to drink. The place were very clean and they have lockers to use for free to put your belongings. We would definitely come back again. read more

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Had a great experience here! Had to look for a new arcade lounge since Ignite Gaming Arcade was very racist, lied to save their image, and a waste of money. Thank you for treating us black and brown folks with respect and love! It's needed now more than ever. read more

Just had my daughter's party here. The place was clean and the staff was very helpful. When u set up your account you make a player name, so when u activate the band they give you it links to your player name you picked for yourself. Although I didn't participate in the games the kids had a ball. You have to scan your band as you enter each game room. They played for about 75 mins. I don't know the exact number of rooms but there are plenty and each room has different games. They have a room you can rent which I did. The only thing I don't like is they offer you the room after game play. There's a TV in the room to watch people actually play the games. Therefore, you are not able to see those you know play the games because you only have the room after play time. The game is timed on the bands. It would be better to have multiple screens that are not in the room so others can see people play. read more

Had a great time (and a great workout) at Activate! Came in on a Sunday afternoon and it was busy, but not bad. You can reserve a spot and pay online, I had an issue and was able to resolve it with the nicest person via phone prior to my reservation. Once you go in you get wristbands for the game at the front desl and for a locker if you need it. Then you register your wristband at one of the kiosks and sign a waiver if you haven't already. Once you've done that (less than 5 minutes) you're good to game! They have so many games to choose from and there were always only one or two groups ahead of us to do the games. Most were pretty well explained, some took a few tries for us to figure out what we were doing wrong (i.e. can't have someone in the room that's not playing). But all were a load of fun! Definitely better to go at an off peak time though, we wish we could have spent more time in the rooms as just as you get the hang of it , the room resets so the next waiting group can come in. Overall a great time, plenty of parking. Be prepared to run! read more

Soooo much fun! I've been to activate a few times now and always had a blast. I think 4-5 people is the perfect size group as the games require 2-5 people to play. I had 6 the last time I went so we had to split up 3-3, which was still fun but better to be all together. This place is a legit workout! My friends and I are competitive and love little games like this. Pricing is reasonable and it's such a unique experience. I'll be back when I'm in town again, and please make one in FL! read more

Super fun way to feel active and do something outside the norm. Can't wait to return!

This is my second time here. I booked online, it was super easy and very flexible. Booking is about $30 (25 during low hours). We came Sunday night and it was pretty crowded surprisingly. They say open until 11 PM, or I should say midnight because 11 PM is the last slot you can book. The games are so fun and mostly very physical. One thing I didn't love is the fact that you couldn't tell if there were people in the rooms or not until you want to start the game. Not a big deal, but it did waste a little time. We came here for our wedding anniversary. It's so nice to do something that is not food. I definitely recommend wearing gym clothes and very comfortable shoes. Definitely very light clothing as you'll be sweating. Keep the sweaters in the car. Highly recommend. read more

awesome place to go and have fun. definitely would go again, id recommend getting the 90 minute tickets because time flies when you are here

This place is SO. COOL. if you are anywhere in the midwest, it is worth the drive to come check this place out. We live in Indianapolis and were visiting some friends in Chicago- a video popped up on my social media about this place and I knew we had to go. We went on a Sunday afternoon with a group of 4 of us and did not have a reservation- we just showed up! I was a little nervous about not being able to get in as there was a childrens birthday party going on, but that was not a problem and we go in immediately. The process is as follows: You each get a wristband that is then linked to your account. You put your stuff into a locker that you also have a wristband to open, and then go into their hallway of game rooms and choose a room that you want to go into. You each scan your wristband on the screen in front of the room, and then pick what game you want to play while you are in there, and what level. You go in, follows the instructions, the room instructs you to leave when you are done, and then you can go choose a new room! The rooms are so well designed, and very cool. Most famous is their grid room- it is a room with a bunch of light up squares on the floor and, depending on the game you chose to play, you stay on the green squares, stomp on the blue squares, and avoid the red squares in a timed fashion while not losing your lives. You go up levels this way and earn points. Other rooms included a laser room (imagine you are in a spy movie!), a basketball room, a climbing wall room, a simon says room, etc. Each has several games you can play either competitively with your teammates, or against one another. The screen shows you how many minutes you have left to play and keeps track of your points, which are then posted on a leader board for the day across all their locations. The cool thing is that once you have an account and unlock levels and accumulate points, it is always available for whenever you go back and at all of their locations. They gave us a token that we can bring next time for easy login. We are a group of mid 20-somethings and it was the perfect activity for us- though definitely wear tennis shows and active clothing because you get moving!! While there was a childrens birthday party there, I do not know how easy it would be for children to play these games because a lot of them require intense communication, collaboration, and concentration. But if they are having fun then I guess that is what it is about! We are thinking about driving all the way back just to play again! read more

A fun place to go. Not too bad though it was super kid heavy! I wish they would add vending machines to purchase drinks and simply a water fountain. read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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Great staff! I had a wonderful time. Loved the cups by the water fountain. Great location.. read more

Activate Games - Arcades Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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This place was fun. I took my son for his birthday and I actually had a great time playing the game also.

We had a REALLY fun time here! It was a very unique way to spend a rainy Friday night. Every game was unique and challenging in its own way. There was a TON of movement, strategy, and problem-solving! Check-in process was SUPER easy, the staff was there to guide us and answer any questions. We liked how low-key it was. You could build your own experience and pick which room/ game you wanted to spend the most time mastering. Each time you completed a game you could move up a level and keep replaying that game to level-up (level 10 being the highest). Some of the games got VERY challenging once you were up to level 5/6. I will say it's not for everyone, the games were very fast paced and could be a little frustrating if that's overwhelming. We broke a sweat playing most of them! It was also very crowded with kids, so we would recommend hand sanitizer as soon as you leave as every game is hands-on! read more

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