Many of our guests come to Black Mountain Adventure Zone to play laser tag. They are looking for an indoor activity or fun birthday party option for kids and have a blast with our LaserWar technology, lightweight headsets, and advanced scorekeeping. After a few rounds of laser tag, they discover GellyBall, and the fun reboots again!
Being a relatively new game, many of our players haven’t heard of GellyBall before they enter our arena; however, those same players become huge advocates after they experience it for the first time. Some even go back to their hometowns and start their own GellyBall businesses!
Here are some of the questions we often hear about GellyBall.
Eleven FAQs About GellyBall
1) What Is GellyBall?
“GellyBall is the revolutionary, lower-impact shooting game for all ages! Our commercial-grade, battery-powered blasters, launch hydrated gel orbs at targets or other players in a variety of game scenarios.” – GellyBall.com.
GellyBall got its start in Texas a few years ago but has grown rapidly since then. It’s now played throughout the United States and in twenty-two countries. What makes it unique?
What is the reason for the rapid rise in popularity of this game?
“GellyBall ammo is 90% water, biodegradable and non-toxic, containing no paint or stain.” – GellyBall.com.
The ammo is made of mostly water, so it’s environmentally friendly. When played inside, the ammo can be vacuumed or swept. There’s virtually no cleanup required outside.
“Shooting games can leave a mark, making it impossible for younger kids to participate and painful for teens and adults alike. It is common to talk about the welts and bruises left by paintballs and airsoft bbs.”
The game is growing because it’s fun and much lower-impact than other shooting games.
2) Does GellyBall Hurt?
With ammo that is made of water, it begs the question, does GellyBall hurt at all?
The sensitivity of the impact varies from person to person. We compare the sensation to being snapped by a rubber band. Compared to paintball and airsoft, Gellyball has a far lesser effect.
A red mark may be left by an impact, especially one that occurs up close and on exposed skin. Close-range combat frequently leaves small red marks on exposed skin or through thin or tight layers of clothing. However, in our experience, these marks are not unpleasant but can be noticeable for a while.
It could be uncomfortable for some players, but the game is much more approachable than airsoft and paintball for young kids, adults, and people who are not used to shooting games.
3) What Ages Can Play Gellyball?
Essentially, the question is, how young is too young for GellyBall? The answer might surprise you.
Each player is unique. Because the equipment is simple to operate, we accept players as young as five.
Remember that younger players will find it difficult to participate with older players and may run a higher risk of injury while playing with older or larger players when planning your event. It might be best to maintain a similar age range of players in an individual round. You might also want to mix in a few adults with younger children. Of course, it can be the adults who are most enthusiastic and, therefore, cause the most carnage!
The blasters are so easy to use and, combined with the low-impact ammo, we find that ages eight and older really have a lot of fun and are able to compete with older kids and adults.
4) Is GellyBall Fun for Older Kids?
So, if it’s fun for young children, then it must be boring for teenagers, right?
“Our battery-operated GellyBall blasters are automatic handguns that have a range of up to 60 feet. They can shoot with pinpoint accuracy at rival players and targets. It will most likely only take one game for your children and teens to feel like a pro.” – NC GellyBall.
Is the difficulty of using airsoft and paintball guns part of the appeal of those games? Is the potential for getting bumps, bruises, and welts necessary for a shotting game to be fun? We often find paintball and airsoft players love GellyBall! Even if they’re skeptical at first, it grows on them almost immediately. The accuracy of the blasters is a big part of the appeal.
Older kids and teenagers will likely love GellyBall as much as younger kids!
5) How Many Players Can Play Gellyball in an Arena?
It depends on the kind of activity you’ve selected. Up to ten participants can participate at once in private events. In actuality, your group may have up to thirty individuals. In the arena, we may play ten people at once. If your group has more than ten people, we’ll just divide up into teams, and we’ll alternate each game so that everyone gets to participate.
A certain amount of play time is allotted to each party. You have the option to upgrade if you need extra playtime or party time.
6) Will GellyBall Stain Your Clothes
In our arena, we often play with our glowing tracer ammo. It is possible that it will leave a colored residue on clothes and skin. Likely, it will wash out, but we recommend wearing clothing that can get dirty.
7) What Should I Wear?
You definitely want to strike a balance between being comfortable with the temperature of the arena and being protected from the impact of the ammo. We do our best to set the thermostat to something everyone likes, but it running through the arena can get warm.
We recommend bringing an extra layer (such as a light jacket or hoodie) until you know how the impact will feel. Bring or wear something with long sleeves and long pants until you can decide whether to shed a layer. Many people find feeling the impact is worth being a little cooler.
8) Do I Need Protective Equipment?
We provide all the necessary equipment as part of your party fee. Our equipment includes our battery-powered automatic gel-blasting pistol, full-face protective mask, and ammo. You do not need to own or bring any special equipment.
All players under eighteen years of age are required to wear our protective, full-face GellyBall helmets. The headwear is comfortable and makes for cool photographs, but they’re also effective at keeping ammo away from your eyes.
Players older than eighteen are allowed to wear safety glasses, but many still wear helmets. Blasters are not allowed anywhere except the arena to help ensure no one is accidentally hit outside the arena. Safety is absolutely a priority at Black Mountain Adventure Zone!
9) Can I Bring My Own Blasters to BMAZ?
We do not allow the use of outside blasters in our arena. GellyBall blasters are intuitive, easy to use, and all fire at a consistent pace. They are fun, accurate, and a blast – literally! Unlike airsoft and paintball, there is no real advantage to having your own personalized equipment. We supply everything you need, including the ammo, as part of your party package.
For some players, this may not seem as exciting, but maintaining this standard helps younger and older players enjoy the game as much as possible. It levels the playing field and presents a challenge for teenagers and adults.
Also, if you’ve played paintball or airsoft, you know how much of a bummer it is when your equipment malfunctions. With our GellyBall, there is a blaster for everyone. The blasters are durable, and provided players follow the rules and recommendations from our staff, instances of malfunction are rare. If a blaster does malfunction, we can swap it out, and a player will typically miss no more than a single round.
10) Doesn’t Amazon Sell Blasters?
You can find imitation blasters on Amazon. Unfortunately, they are not good imitations. These “blasters” are simply not made with the same quality as official GellyBall blasters. Nor are they covered by GellyBall’s warranty. Don’t be fooled by imitations. When you experience GellyBall, make sure it’s the real thing!
11) Do You Sell GellyBall Equipment?
Yes, we do! As an authorized GellyBall dealer, Black Mountain Adventure Zone can send you home with your own GellyBall party kit that includes ammo and blasters!
We meet a lot of people from outside of our area as well. Inevitably, some of them want to bring the game back to their own towns. We can help you figure out if starting a GellyBall business is right for your town.
12) How Can I Start Playing?
Black Mountain Adventure Zone is located in Black Mountain, NC, just fifteen minutes from Asheville. We are the exclusive supplier of GellyBall in Buncombe County. Whether you are a resident of our beautiful area or just visiting for the weekend, GellyBall is the perfect activity for a variety of events, including:
- Birthday parties
- Church groups
- Non-profit and civic fundraisers
- Corporate team-building
- School groups
- Graduation celebrations
- Bachelor and bachelorette parties
Of course, you don’t have to have a special occasion to try it out. Many people find us because they’re searching for a rainy day activity or the weather is a little cold for the hike they originally planned. Sometimes, you just need an excuse to get the kids out of the house to blow off a little steam. Whatever the occasion, or lack thereof, you can book a party here!
GellyBall at Black Mountain Adventure Zone
Since we usually play in teams of up to 5, if there are more players, we’ll split up into additional teams and swiftly switch between games to ensure that everyone gets enough playing time. We expect respect for one another as well as for our employees, building, and equipment, all of which are listed in the arena as part of our general standards of behavior.
No equipment or player should ever make physical contact with another. Our arena, bunkers, and décor aren’t meant to be climbed or moved around. All of this is in an effort to ensure our environment is safe and fun for all participants!
Questions About Playing GellyBall at BMAZ
Do You Allow Walk-Ins?
At this time, we are not allowing walk-ins; however, we often have availability on weekdays with relatively short notice. If you think there’s a chance you’ll want to play GellyBall on the weekend; you need to book your party as soon as you have a date in mind!
Will Black Mountain Adventure Zone Staff Be Present?
Yes! One or two of our BMAZ staff members will be your host and serve as the game commander. They will be available to assist you with facility-related needs during your party.
Can We Bring Food and Drinks Inside?
Yes! We urge you to bring all the party items you’ll need (food, drink, cups, plates, plasticware, decorations, etc.). You can utilize the tables and chairs we have available for your celebration. In our retail area, Pepperoni’s Pizza is a few doors down from us and can be a wonderful spot to order meals.
Where Can We Keep Food and Drinks?
In addition to our arena, we have a party room in which you can store food, drinks, and other party supplies. When you’re not playing in the arena, you can safely spectate the action.
Are There Tables and Chairs?
We do have a number of supplies to help accommodate your party. You are welcome to use the following items:
- We have 3-4 folding tables available (4’/6’/8′) and appx 20 folding chairs.
- We have a single restroom.
- We do have a small refrigerator with a small top freezer you are welcome to use for guest use at this time.
- We do not stock party supplies at this time, so please bring your own. There is a Dollar General nearby for last-minute items.(cups/plates/napkins/cuttlery/tablecloths).
Will There Be Multiple Parties?
No. At this time, if you book a private party – you will have dedicated access to our facility for the duration of your party. Each party includes play time and party time. You don’t have to worry about overlapping parties or playing GellyBall with strangers!
Are There Other Activities?
Yes! We offer innovative, modern laser tag with LaserWars technology. Our laser tag gameplay is a lot like an FPS video game. We also have Battle Cage, which is a live-action sword fighting game with electronic scoring.
Whether you want to play GellyBall, Laser Tag, Battle Cage, or all three, you can do it all when you book a party with Black Mountain Adventure Zone! Book your party today to ensure you get the date you want and can experience all the hype about GellyBall yourself.