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What Is Activate? 

Step right into a video game, minus the screens and controllers! At Activate, you become part of the game itself. One minute you’re jumping, climbing, and racing against the clock, the next you’re cracking puzzles and cackling so hard you forget it’s exercise. (Thank you, Apple Watch, for giving me extra credit during our visit!) Each glowing, high-tech room reacts to your every move in real time, turning teamwork into an epic adventure.

It’s like playing a video game without the dreaded brain rot. The best part? With 11 themed rooms and hundreds of game options, no two visits to Activate will ever feel the same.

There are 11 different game rooms at Activate.

Know Before You Visit Activate

This place definitely lives up to its name! We started in sweatshirts and were all in t-shirts and tanks after the first game! Wear flat, comfy shoes and layer your tops. There are lockers on site to secure your stuff, and they were easy to access throughout the visit. 

There are benches to rest and large restrooms. Pro tip: hit the restrooms before activating your bracelet so that you take advantage of your full allotted play time. There are no refreshments available for purchase, so I definitely recommend bringing a water bottle for everyone, or your kiddo is sure to commandeer yours, as my sons did!

Book in advance online, or if it's off-peak time, you can just walk in. There is a waiver that must be signed, as with all such indoor play spaces. 

Who Can Play at Activate?

The minimum age to participate in Activate is 6 years old, but the games are designed for adults, so they may be challenging for children under 10. For kids ages 6-13, an adult must be at the facility throughout the entire gaming experience. 

You need at least two people to play in a game, but up to six can be in a room at a time. If you have more, just split into teams and battle it out. Plus, you can rent out the space for a party or join an epic gaming league and compete on the regular. 

Customize gameplay to your age and activity level.

How Do You Play Games at Activate?

With 60- and 90-minute session passes to choose from, Activate offers reduced pricing on weekdays. Your crew gets to dive into numerous exciting challenges, such as basketball hoop showdowns, laser-dodging missions, and portal games that have you guessing where the balls are coming from and where they're going.

There’s a screen outside each room that offers visual and written instructions on how to play different iterations, depending on age and ability. Staff members were circulating, ensuring we had a handle on things. We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly everything moved: Once you scan in, you’re in the game within minutes.

To notch up the competition, keep an eye on the leaderboard in the hall to see who is the champion of each game and how you fared against that week or month's best scores! Bonus: You can redeem your points for swag.

How to Get to Activate?

Activate is located inside the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, on the upper level near Nordstrom. The best entrance is the upper-level Orange Parking Deck, which is located between Macy's and Nordstrom.

Activate joins GlowGolf, ClawCADE and the AMC Roosevelt Field movie theater as indoor activity options at the mall.

Check out Activate's official website for more info. 

All photos by the author