Laser Quest facts for kids

A closed Laser Quest location in Richmond Hill, ON

Laser Quest is a fun indoor game where players use special laser guns and vests to tag each other. It's a bit like a futuristic game of tag! This company started in Manchester, United Kingdom in 1989. Their games use special lights called infrared (IR) and hand-held laser units with vests that have sensors. The very first Laser Quest center is in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England.

Laser Quest also opened in North America (the United States and Canada) in 1993. Their main office there was in Mississauga, Ontario. However, in September 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laser Quest sadly closed all its locations in North America. This was due to tough economic times. There is one place left in Ohio that still uses Laser Quest equipment, but it's not part of the original company.

How Do You Play Laser Quest?

The main goal in Laser Quest is to tag other players as many times as you can. At the same time, you want to avoid being tagged yourself! Players get an infrared/laser gun and a vest with sensors.

The Arena and Rules

Games happen in a big, dark, maze-like arena. It often has multiple levels with ramps, walkways, and windows. Laser Quest arenas are usually filled with theatrical fog, black lights, and flashing lights. The walls are painted with cool designs that glow under UV light.

Before you play, you'll go to a "Briefing Room." Here, you learn the rules and say the "Player's Code." This code helps everyone play safely and fairly. It reminds players not to run, climb, jump, sit, or lie down. You also can't cover your sensors, touch other players, or use bad language. The code ends with "play hard, play smart, and play to survive!" An employee, called a "Marshal," is always in the arena. They make sure everyone follows the rules and has a great time.

What Gear Do You Use?

Each Laser Quest center has about 30 special vests, also called packs or ponchos. Bigger places might have more. The vest is made of strong fabric and has sensors on the chest, back, and shoulders. Your hand-held laser unit also has sensors on the front and sides.

How the Equipment Works

• Vests: The sensor on your chest has a small motor. This motor vibrates when another player tags you, so you know you've been hit!
• Sensors: The sensors are connected to small circuit boards. These boards have colorful LED lights, usually red and green or red and blue. These lights glow when your vest is active. The sensors are covered with clear plastic so the infrared beams can reach them.
• Laser Unit: Your laser unit has sensors, lights, and a speaker. The speaker makes sounds to tell you what your pack is doing. It also has a trigger to fire and a small screen. This screen shows you who tagged you and where you were hit. It also shows your current score during the game. The laser unit sends out a visible laser light and an invisible infrared (IR) beam. The IR beam is what actually "tags" other players' vests.

How Do You Score Points?

In Laser Quest, you earn points by tagging other players. You can also tag the opposing team's "base" if it's a team game. You lose points if another player tags you or if you get caught in a "trap" in the arena. The points you lose depend on where you were hit and the game settings.

Point System

Here's how points are usually given in a standard game:

• Shoulders: 3 points
• Laser: 3 points
• Back: 4 points
• Front: 5 points

You always get more points for tagging someone than you lose for being tagged. For example, in a normal game, you get 10 points for tagging another player.

Bonus Points

You can also get bonus points for how accurate you are. Usually, you get 10 bonus points for every 1% of hits you make. If you hit 10% of your shots, you get 100 bonus points! This bonus is often limited to 100 points. This stops players from tagging one person and then hiding for the rest of the game. Sometimes, you can even hit more than one player with a single shot, which can make your accuracy go over 100%!

In team games, your team's score is simply the total of all the individual scores from players on your team.

Different Ways to Play

Laser Quest centers can set up different types of games. They can change settings for up to four different groups of players. Usually, everyone on a team has the same settings, but it's not always required.

Game Settings

Here are some settings that can be changed:

Players can fire a lot of shots in some games, sometimes over 3000! This might lead to a low accuracy rate, like 5%. This happens because players are constantly shooting and dodging. You don't lose points for missing shots. The average accuracy is about 6%.

Downtime is the time you are "deactivated" after being tagged. Once your downtime is over, your pack turns back on, and you can play again.

Playing Fairly

Even though players promise to follow the rules, some might try to cheat. One common way is to put duct tape over the sensors on their vest. While tape doesn't completely block the sensor, it makes it much harder to get tagged. Marshals usually catch cheating quickly and will remove players from the game for this behavior.

Another trick players sometimes try is called 'Spocking'. This is when a player makes a 'V' shape with their hands to block the sensor on the end of their laser gun. However, laser pointers don't work to tag others because the game uses an invisible infrared beam, not the visible laser light, to score hits.

World Laser Quest Challenge (WLC)

The World Laser Quest Challenge (WLC) is a big tournament. Teams and players from the US, Canada, the Netherlands, France, and the UK compete to see who is the best in the world! The WLC happens every few years and moves between the countries that participate.

Past WLC Champions

This tournament doesn't happen every year. It depends on how many players are interested. Teams of six players compete in preliminary games. Depending on their rank, they move on to knockout rounds. The top teams then play in the finals to decide the champion.

European Laser Quest Championship (ELC)

The European Laser Quest Championship (ELC) is a tournament for teams from the UK, France, and the Netherlands. It happens every year, with the location changing between these countries. Like the WLC, teams of six players compete in preliminary games, then move to knockout rounds, and finally the top teams play in the finals.

ELC Results

So far, there have been 14 European Championships. France has won 7 titles, the UK has won 5, and the Netherlands has won 2. France is the current European Champion. However, a team called "The Tribe Called Quest" has won the most titles overall.